When it comes to medical practitioners, the term “functional” describes a physician’s approach to working with their patients—focusing on whole-body health and the root cause of illnesses rather than diagnosing a disease and treating its symptoms only with pharmaceuticals.
To practice functional medicine, any health professional—whether they be an MD (medical doctor), DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine), ND (naturopathic doctor), DC (doctor of chiropractic), or NP (nurse practitioner)—may choose to get additional postdoctoral training in the functional approach. For MDs, this functional training is after their four (or more) years of education and medical residency.
Without the extra training, a physician can still call themselves functional if they align with the functional medical philosophy. “It’s not a perfectly regulated term,” says functional medicine expert Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, who founded the first functional medicine telehealth clinic 14 years ago. A specific certification from IFM, or the Institute for Functional Medicine, is ideal because it means they’ve received thorough training. (Cole is an example of a practitioner with functional medicine training—he often works with people’s primary care doctors to help them get the functional lens they’re searching for, along with their standard care.) He recommends that you look out for four qualities in a functional MD.
- They prioritize functional lab testing. These are more comprehensive than the standard blood panels and tests, and they monitor your health markers over time.
- Willingness to listen. They should listen to your symptoms and help you alleviate those while investigating the root causes.
- Collaborative nature. Make sure they make you feel heard, honor your intuition, and respect the connection you have with your body. Cole says it’s important that they help you understand what could be going on in your body and work with you to heal it—instead of making quick assumptions and sending you home.
- Balanced philosophy. According to Cole, it’s best if they’re not antipharmaceutical, but if medication is prescribed, they should provide you with the most effective options that cause the fewest side effects.
To find a functional MD near you, IFM is an excellent resource. Our recommendations below are for functional MDs who practice general medicine—see our specialized guides for help finding functional psychiatrists, functional gynecologists, and biological dentists.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICAL DOCTORS
New York
Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, CNS
Location: New York
Find him at: The Morrison Center
The Morrison Center’s founder, Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, CNS, integrates conventional Western medicine with traditional natural remedies and uses a nutrition-based approach as his foundation.
Shera Raisen, MD
Location: New York
Find her at: Raisen Integrative Medicine
We appreciate the way Shera Raisen, MD—a board-certified family physician and the founder of her own private practice, Raisen Integrative Medicine—takes time to listen during unhurried visits, how she holistically considers health, and her take on aging generously. She provides medical care for the whole family, from children and teenagers to mature adults.
Sylvia Chudy, MD
Location: New York
Find her at: The Lanby
Sylvia Chudy, MD, is a board-certified integrative medicine and lead physician at The Lanby, a concierge health care service that we love for its shorter wait times and longer appointments. The three-person care team—lead physician, wellness advisor, concierge manager—creates a personalized mind-body plan to support each patient’s health and wellness.
Washington, DC
Anjali Dsouza, MD
Location: Washington, DC
Find her at: District Center for Integrative Medicine
Anjali Dsouza, MD, specializes in integrative medicine, palliative care, and psychiatry.
This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of goop.
