After 7-Hour Medical Board Exam on Drugs, Holistic Doctor Decides to Give up Board Certification

Dr. David Brownstein

Family Practice Exam: Drugs, Drugs, and More Drugs

Today (April 15, 2016) I sat for my family practice board exam–for SEVEN hours. That will be the last time I put myself through something as ridiculous as that endeavor!

I have been Board-Certified in family practice since I graduated from my residency (with a short period where I missed taking the exam). I last recertified 10 years ago and when my letter came informing me that I would have to sit for another exam, I debated whether to do it.

You see, over the last twenty years or so, I no longer practice conventional family practice. Now, I practice holistic medicine. I still use much of what was taught to me in my training, but now, I primarily rely on items that support the body’s physiology and biochemistry and I strive to avoid using items that poison and block the body’s pathways. Unfortunately, nearly all of the drugs currently used in conventional medicine work by disrupting the body’s physiology and biochemistry by poisoning enzymes and blocking receptors. I have written about this extensively in my books, Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do and The Statin Disaster.

In my SEVEN (miserable) hour board exam today, I found myself getting more and more irritated. Nearly every question was about a drug—how it is used, the side effects associated with it, and how it interacts with other drugs. There were virtually no questions about the importance of diet or the importance of identifying nutritional deficiencies. In fact, I can’t recall one question along those lines. The patient vignettes that I suffered reading through were all the same—the patient was taking multiple drugs and I was asked one obscure question about the drug therapy prescribed to the patient. I actually felt bad for the poor patients in the vignettes as they were having their biochemistry poisoned with multi-drug prescription cocktails.

If this is what it takes to be board-certified by the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP), I say “Fugetaboutit.” I will not suffer through this nonsense again.

I am amazed that the AAFP does not even acknowledge the importance of diet and nutritional support in their exam. Yes, there may have been a few token questions (but I can’t recall one), but they were few and far between. I guess the AAFP believes that prescription drugs can cure all that ails. It is too bad that the medical research does not support this idea.

Folks, we spend nearly 20% of our GNP on health care. That is well over twice the average for all the other major Western countries. What do we get for that big expense? We get more disease, increased mortality rates in infants and adults and more chronic illnesses. And, of course, we get lots of prescription drugs that poison enzymes and block receptors. The Big Pharma Cartel couldn’t be happier.

The AAFP and the rest of medicine needs to change. I felt sorry for my young conventional colleagues who were taking the exam. They were taught virtually nothing about what health is and how to promote and maintain it. Unfortunately, the only tools in their toolboxes are prescription drugs.

SEVEN hours taking a ridiculous exam? That will not happen again.

DrB

Read the full article at Dr.Brownstein.com

Published on April 20, 2016

5 Comments

Dee Thompson November 8, 2016 at 7:57 am - Reply

As a young woman I visited a dermatologist in desperate discomfort with eczema. I didn’t want treatment for the eczema, I wanted to know WHY I had it, so that I could prevent it. I discovered that doctors didn’t have that information. Instead, samples of cortisol cream got handed to me. The same cream that our pharmacist had warned me was harmful to kidneys. He said not to use very much. I realized then that something was wrong with the medical system.

As a pregnant mother; I got nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Every drug they tried to give me gave me awful side effects, besides I had a baby to keep safe. Eventually I found ways to handle the nausea and vomiting, but didn’t ever solve it. Then I realized that all that the doctors could offer me was drugs.

As a young mother. I took my babies to the doctor. I recalled how that when I really needed help for eczema and morning sickness that the doctors couldn’t help. I wondered what the possible side effects of the vaccines the doctor gave my babies were. I grew more and more cautious about those vaccines. I got extreme pressure from the doctors as I did do. Finally, my daughter reacted to a vaccine. My two year-old’s arm had arthritis. She held it behind her as she walked and played. I took her to another doctor and they admitted that the MMR vaccine could be to blame. Thankfully, the effects were not permanent. Yet, I didn’t want the vaccine for my other children. I asked with the next child not to give her that vaccine. Yet, two decades later, when I saw her records,I discovered they had given them to her anyways. For three children I took them for vaccines finally reading "How to Raise A Healthy Child, In Spite of your Doctor." After reading that book, meeting a chiropractor that didn’t vaccinate, and finding a person that knew someone incapacitated by a vaccine, I decided not to vaccinate anymore. As I took my children to the doctor after that, I noticed the pressure I would get about vaccines and other drugs. After that I decided that barring emergencies, we just try to find other ways to cope. I had finally learned that all that the doctors could offer was drugs and that IF and when I didn’t accept them; I would feel extreme pressure to comform.

Jack Wolfson May 2, 2016 at 8:22 am - Reply

I feel your pain David. I took the cardiology re-certification in 2012. At that time, I had just quit my conventional cardiology practice. The thought in 2022 of having to sit for an exam about all the latest pills and procedures makes my stomach churn. Doubt I will be taking that exam and will be solely enjoying my life as a holistic cardiologist.

Jack Wolfson DO, FACC

Nancy Orlen Weber April 25, 2016 at 1:02 pm - Reply

Thank you for speaking truth so effectively. It is heartwarming to find this site and all who care. Like minded communities can change the world.

A close friend, Dr. Rima Laibow, now in Chile and co-founder of Natural Solutions Foundation has never prescribed a drug. We first me on an experimental psych unit in 1972. Our entire team refused to used meds (except in very rare instances) for our clients who were in acute psychotic episodes. We made history in NYS for helping them become functional in 10 days (follow up was one year).

As an RN I put my license aside years ago. In 1972 I was given a prognosis of a permanent wheelchair due to injuries that "destroyed the sciatic root". I sought everything I could read, attend, on cleansing the soul’s container. I’ve been fine since doing what is biologically suitable.

Dominique April 24, 2016 at 11:08 am - Reply

It’s so, so , so, so sad. They encourange ignorance and disease. We cannot talk about good food, not allowed to help people…but yes for more drugs, white wheat flour, copy of vitamines added, chimic jello, pudding, soup or gmo salad sauce and non organic meat are encouraged and gave to sick people…. We are praying for a change ! Not with our power but your power. Thanks God for Dr Brownstein and his knowledge, his devotion and his love for people. Give him power, words, strenght, money and protection. Keep our passion for health, devotion and love for people. Continu to teach us about your nature !

Shu-I Chen April 24, 2016 at 10:46 am - Reply

Dr. Brownstein,

I read about your board exam experience.

An Chinese old saying: "you will win 100% of the battles if you know your enemies and yourself."

Don’t give anyone a chance to defeat you. You must be certified regardless how ridiculous the exam may be.

These words are from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely Yours,

Shui