What does a Functional Medical doctor do?

A doctor in functional medicine works holistically, considering the full picture of your physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health. They consider factors like diet, genetics, hormonal changes, prescription and over the counter medications, and other lifestyle components.

What is the difference between Functional Medicine and conventional medicine?

Conventional medicine typically use symptoms, abnormal lab tests, and diagnoses to select drug treatments to suppress the patient’s symptoms. Functional medicine doctors are trained to consider how all of a patients symptoms may be connected to deeper underlying causes. The goal of “functional” care is to address underlying causes of disease with diet, lifestyle and up-to-date conventional and evidence-based alternative treatments to support lasting optimal health.

Are Functional Medicine and Naturopathic Medicine the same?

Functional Medicine and Naturopathic Medicine are very similar in that both types of providers seek to identify underlying causes of a patient symptoms and address them with nutrition, lifestyle and minimally invasive but effective approaches. The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), teaches a refined, updated, and more evidence-based form of “Naturopathy” that was rebranded as “Functional Medicine” for an audience of mostly conventional providers (MDs, DOs, NPs, etc.). The majority of IFM’s medical education staff have always been naturopathic doctors (NDs). More recently, a wider group of medical professionals are seeking training and certification in functional medicine (including acupuncturists, nutritionists, chiropractors, pharmacists, dentists, physical therapists, etc.) and these practitioners can apply functional medicine within their more limited scopes of practice.

What is IFMCP?

The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has developed a certification program where qualified healthcare providers can study and test for certification. “IFMCP” stands for Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. To become certified, candidates must complete the IFM’s seven educational modules and pass both a written exam and case study process. These healthcare providers are consistently recognized as the most thoroughly trained and tested Functional Medicine clinicians in their fields.

Dr. Morris served as a Medical Education Director at IFM and was the key developer of both stages of the IFM’s certification program. He continues to serve as a senior IFMCP case study evaluator and advises IFM on their certification process.