Page 32 - November2026LifeInNaples

Looking for a

Functional Doctor?

Read this First.

Dr. Svetlana Kogan, MD, FMCP-M
here was a time when She should be comfortable discussing seminar and returning Monday morning
Tchoosing a doctor was nutrition and exercise while also knowing with a new set of letters after your name. I
relatively simple. You asked when you need a statin, an antibiotic, an MRI would also recommend verifying a physician's
your neighbor. You called or a cardiologist. license independently through your state's
the office. You made an ap- Functional Medicine asks “why?” medical licensing board. You can usually do
pointment. Conventional medicine is very good at asking this online in less time than it takes to decide
Today, you open Google “what is dangerous right now?” what to watch on Netflix.
and encounter an impressive collection of I want my doctor to ask both. Another very important thing to consider:
functional doctors, holistic doctors, wellness is the Functional doctor only consulting on
experts, longevity specialists, health coaches, But There's a Catch a visit-by-visit basis, or can they be your
hormone gurus and someone somewhere who The word “functional” is not a medical Primary Care doctor?
can diagnose your thyroid by looking at your degree. For me, the Functional MD who can
aura. Confusing! It has become enormously popular, and be your PCP is the best and most powerful
So, what exactly is Functional popularity has an unfortunate side effect: combination. Why? Because you get someone
Medicine—and how do you know you're everyone wants to join the party. trained to diagnose disease, prescribe
getting the real thing? Functional Medicine A practitioner may have studied Functional medications, interpret imaging, recognize
emerged more than 30 years ago from a Medicine without being certified in it. And a emergencies and coordinate specialty care—
beautifully simple idea: instead of asking person practicing Functional Medicine may but who is also willing to spend time thinking
only, “What medication treats this disease?” be a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, about nutrition, metabolic health, sleep, stress,
perhaps we should also ask, “Why did this chiropractor, or a nutritionist. exercise, hormones, environmental exposures
person develop the problem in the first place?” These professions can all have legitimate and prevention. In other words, the goal isn't
The Institute for Functional Medicine and valuable roles in healthcare. But they are alternative medicine. It is better-integrated
(IFM), founded in 1991 became a not interchangeable. medicine.
mothership which helped develop a system- If you are like me and specifically want I practiced holistic medicine for
oriented, patient-centered approach to a Functional Medicine physician as your decades before discovering IFM, and
chronic illness. primary care doctor, make sure the doc is what attracted me wasn't the promise of
In plain English? We look at the whole actually an MD or DO. replacing conventional medicine. It was
person. Yes, I realize this sounds absurdly obvious, the opportunity to expand it—to combine
Your blood pressure matters. But so and yet here I am writing about it, because everything I had learned as an internist
do your sleep, nutrition, stress, hormones, truly people have no idea. with a deeper exploration of why my patient
medications, exercise, gut health, family Fortunately, checking credentials is much became ill and what we might do to improve
history, environment and that mysterious easier than investigating your latest romantic health before another diagnosis appears on
third glass of wine you forgot to mention on prospect. the problem list.
your intake form. Start with the Institute for Functional Perhaps the best doctor isn't the one
Functional Medicine doesn't reject Medicine website IFM.org and select ‘Find a carrying the largest prescription pad—or the
conventional medicine. Quite the opposite. Practitioner’. largest suitcase of supplements.
At its best, it adds another layer to it. And Read the practitioner's profile carefully, Perhaps it's the one who knows when you
this is precisely why I believe a physician to make sure they are an MD or a DO. In need either one.
trained in both worlds can make an excellent addition, look for the FMCP-M certification And, more importantly, when you need
primary care doctor. credential on the right hand side, rather than neither.
Your PCP is supposed to see the big assuming that appearing in the directory
The author of ‘Diet Slave No More!’, Svetlana
picture. She needs to recognize when fatigue means the practitioner is certified.
Kogan, M.D. FMCP-M, is a Board-Certified
might simply require better sleep and when it Obtaining an FMCP-M Certification Internal Medicine, Holistic & Functional
could represent anemia, thyroid disease, sleep requires rigorous education and passing a Medical Doctor with 25 years of experience.
apnea, medication side effects, depression or comprehensive examination. It represents Her website is CustomLongevity.com
something considerably less charming. substantially more than attending a weekend Office Phone: 239-676-6883

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