Clinical Application of Functional Medicine

Where I Received My Functional Medicine Education

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
I get asked all the time: What is the best organization for functional medicine education? As much as I’d like to say that one of the following is THE best, the truth is that every organization has their strengths, and areas they could improve on. My List (So Far…) The following are organizations where I’ve […]... Read More
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What I Learned from Starting – and Leaving – A Functional Medicine Practice

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
At the end of 2017, I left an established functional medicine practice and started my own. At the time, I was living in Austin, TX. I looked into positions at other established functional medicine clinics, but the salaries were abysmal (i.e. most paid hourly at $50 an hour, yet charged patients $500 an hour to […]... Read More
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Courses and Training on Mycotoxin-Induced Illness

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
Mold is part of our world. It is inconvenient when we find it on our food.  It is irritating when it causes allergies.  It can be lifesaving when it creates an antibiotic. But of the more than 50,000 species of mold, around 200 are currently known to potentially cause serious illness in humans. particularly via […]... Read More
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What is the best functional medicine training program?

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
I started my path in functional and integrative medicine in the 90’s.  I’ve worked for others. I’ve co-owned my own practice. And today, I work with the amazing team at Parsley Health.   One of my “extracurricular activities” involves supporting the education of my peers, particularly in the correct clinical use of functional medicine.  I […]... Read More

Brief Summary of Top Functional Medicine Programs

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
The following programs are mentioned here (I can’t include all – that’s why the educational resource is in book format!): IFM SAFM Kara Fitzgerald’s Clinic Immersion Program A4M Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) The concept for this was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Bland and his wife, Susan, in 1990.  It officially became the IFM nonprofit […]... Read More
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Standard of Care and Functional Medicine

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
  I once read a Facebook post in an integrative community group that asked members what natural “go-to” remedies were recommended to give her husband (who had been in an accident a few hours earlier, and was “showing signs” of a concussion).  Floods of comments came through, giving dietary and supplement device, until finally an […]... Read More
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Evidence based medicine in functional medicine

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
“First do no harm” We rely on evidence-based-medicine (EBM) to determine safe and effective treatments for our patients.  This is ideal for pharmaceutical drugs that are potent and carry many side effects/risks, herbal medicines and supplements that are utilized in high or continuous dosing, and physical medical interventions such as IV treatments and procedures. Over my […]... Read More
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Teaching vs Treating

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
When we go to the health care clinic, we expect to leave with a cause of our illness (aka diagnosis) and a treatment to feel better.  But there should be one more thing you get from your doctor – education. In functional medicine, the focus is on teaching patients how to obtain/maintain optimal health (versus […]... Read More
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Proving Functional Medicine

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
Functional medicine is rooted in evidence-based scientific research (aka “proof”), which helps those of us who have chosen this path back up our choices for labs and treatments. For any practitioner who has attended an Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) course, you know how overwhelming it can be with all the studies that are reviewed […]... Read More