SubscribeorLogin

Letter from the Publisher 0110

by , | Jan 1, 2010

Post Categories: Cancer Treatment and Prevention | Integrative Medicine | Naturopathic Medicine

Letter from the Publisher

Needed: Doctor for Prestigious Integrative Medicine Fellowship

The last time I looked, unemployment rates remained terrible, with figures exceeding 15% in some localities. Looking for work is always a grim task in a recession, with not only good jobs but menial jobs lacking. One would think that a good medical position available now would be snatched up immediately. But that is not the case at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, where a fellowship position in integrative medicine open to MDs, DOs, and NDs remains unfilled.

The program offers two days a week in integrative medicine clinical care, two days in education pursuits related to integrative medicine, and one day for research. Yes, there are applicants. But most doctors applying don’t seem to understand that this is integrative medicine, not family or internal medicine. The applicants want to focus on the conventional medicine, not the alternative medicine, nutrition, and naturopathy component that would be integrated with the conventional medicine.

Worse, many medical applicants find themselves being sneered at by colleagues who think that it is belittling to train in something called integrative medicine. Yes, it is a challenge to stand on both sides of the “divide” – conventional and alternative – at the university. But this is one integrative medicine program that stands out mightily, and there is a good reason for this: in addition to consulting with the patient about nutrition, balancing medications with herbs and vitamins, advising exercise, training in meditation and relaxation, and teaching cooking and nutrition, the program offers high-dose intravenous vitamin C treatment for the cancer patients! It is not likely that you’ll find any other integrative program that offers standard protocols for intravenous vitamin C for cancer that is “integrated” with the patient’s oncology treatment program at the university hospital. Truly, the program in integrative medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center may be the most “alternative” integrative program in the country.

A major selling point for recommending medical doctors and naturopaths to apply for this fellowship is the program’s director, Jeanne Drisko, MD. Jeanne is a very knowledgeable clinician, a dedicated researcher, a tremendous organizer, and a powerful force against the naysayers of integrative medicine. She has arranged for a beautiful clinical setting at the university, a Shangri-la for a hospital, to consult to, teach, and treat patients. It is very comforting to have a meditation practice room and a kitchen for nutrition instructionng patients o the clinic exam rooms.

The website for the integrative medicine program provides a wonderful virtual tour of the facility. In fact, the website provides a detailed listing of the questionnaires that new patients are instructed to fill out for their initial and follow-up appointments. The questionnaires are very detailed and extremely suitable for a systematic understanding of the patient’s medical, psychiatric, and nutritional status. It would be well worth every health practitioner’s studying these questionnaires to see what a comprehensive evaluation of a patient involves. I would highly recommend this program for the MD, DO, or ND who is seeking to be trained intensively in integrative medicine.

Review Dr. Drisko’s outstanding program at: www.integrativemed.kumc.edu. To contact Dr. Drisko, write: jdrisko@kumc.edu.

Jonathan Collin, MD

Authors

  • Drisko Jeanne A., MD
    View all posts
  • Jonathan Collin, MD

    Jonathan Collin, MD, recently retired, published the Townsend Letter for 40+ years, contributing content regularly, as well as deciding the content and order of every single issue ever published. In addition to his work on the Townsend Letter, Dr. Collin also had a successful private medical practice, seeing patients in two different offices, before he even started the Townsend Letter. The crossover of being able to use his real-life experiences to help guide the focus in the magazine, in addition to being able to use the knowledge gleaned from the countless articles he read, served in both the long term and the short term, to help improve the lives and health of unknown numbers of patients and readers, over the decades. This knowledge and insight also helped make the Townsend Letter a magazine that was mailed out to subscribers in more than 25 different countries, helping spread knowledge, wisdom, and overall health around the globe.

    View all posts

Already Subscribed?

Log In

Search

Formatting updates are ongoing for older articles.

Author

Drisko Jeanne A., MD

Featured Articles

Where are your Clinical Trials?

It has proven to be difficult, if not impossible, to proceed to full-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for most of the natural methods that cannot be patented or otherwise monopolized. 

A Renewed Focus on Self-Help for Healing

As the producer of The Moss Report, the year leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic was filled with anticipation and excitement. We had invested years of hard work and significant resources into two major projects: our feature film, Immunotherapy: The Battle Within, and...

Issue Archives

Event Calendar

Events

Today

  • 2026 Association of Natural Health Conference

    Douglasville Conference Center Douglasville, GA, United States

    "From Practitioner to Leader: Clinical Excellence, Business Mastery & Sustainable Practice" Discover how clinical excellence, business mastery, and sustainable systems can help practitioners grow into confident leaders and build practices designed for long-term impact. Why Attend? Three days of learning, connection, and growth designed for every stage of your practice journey. Learn from Leading Voices Gain insights from top experts in natural health, holistic wellness, and functional medicine. Hands-On Learning Participate in in-depth workshops, real-world case studies, and interactive sessions you can apply immediately. Meaningful Networking Connect with like-minded professionals, students, and exhibitors who share your passion for natural health. Practical Tools & Approaches Explore new strategies and tools to elevate both your practice and your own health journey. Who Should Attend? This conference is built for a wide community of natural health professionals, educators, and advocates - wherever you are in your journey. Licensed & Clinical Practitioners Doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and functional or integrative medicine practitioners looking to sharpen clinical skills and grow into stronger practice leaders. Allied Health Professionals Bio-feedback technicians and other allied practitioners seeking hands-on training and the latest tools in natural and holistic care. Educators & Students Natural health educators and students entering the […]

  • Food as Medicine Global 2026

    Virtual Event

    Join health professionals, farmers, food producers, researchers, educators, nonprofit leaders, chefs, policymakers, community organizers, food advocates, public health practitioners, nutritionists, and other changemakers as we convene to share knowledge, build partnerships, and explore new possibilities for improving health, strengthening communities, and creating more equitable and sustainable food systems. This year’s program features inspiring speakers and practical examples of collaboration at the intersection of food, health, social justice, and planetary well-being. Together, we’ll explore innovative approaches to Food as Medicine, community-led initiatives, nutrition, public health, regenerative agriculture, and equitable access to healthy food. Whether you work in health care, agriculture, food production, education, research, policy, or community development, you will discover new ideas, meaningful connections, and practical strategies to advance healthier, more resilient communities. Virtual  |  Join from anywhere in the world Check out the Program: https://tinyurl.com/Food-as-Medicine-for-All

  • The Midlife Women’s Health Summit: Evidence-Based Menopause Care in the Era of Longevity Medicine

    The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City 1250 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA, United States
    Hybrid Event

    Menopause Care in the Longevity Era Longevity medicine is everywhere right now. Supplements, protocols, influencer clinics, patients walking in with questions about interventions their doctors have never heard of. What's missing from most of it is the evidence. The Midlife Women's Health Summit is three days on what the research actually says about menopause care when you add a longevity lens. What works, what doesn't, what's being oversold, and what to tell the patient sitting in front of you. Co-chaired by Lisa Larkin, MD, FACP, MSCP, IF, Jen Gunter, MD, FRCS(C), FACOG, DABPM, ABPMR, and Lauren Streicher, MD, FACOG, MSCP; three of the clearest voices in women's health on separating data from marketing.

    $995 – $1299

Full Event Calendar

Submit Your Event

Related Posts

Exposure, Activity, Contribution: Reading Epstein-Barr Findings in the Individual Patient

Robert Lamberton, BSc, FNTP – Epstein-Barr virus accounts for roughly 2% of cancers worldwide, approaching 360,000 new cases and as many as 210,000 deaths each year, and about 95% of adults carry it. In the overwhelming majority, it causes nothing at all.

When a test for an agent is positive in nearly everyone, a positive test is not a finding. It is a background condition.

Read More

Nov 14, 2026

Before Gerson: The Forgotten Medical History of Coffee Enemas

By Scott Wilson – In 1875, Dr. J.P. Thomas wrote about using coffee enemas for opium and belladonna poisoning. He referred to cases going back to 1858 and 1859 and described coffee enemas as one of the ordinary means of treatment. That word “ordinary” stopped me. He wasn’t describing an experiment. He was describing something physicians already knew.

Read More

Nov 14, 2026

0 Comments

Submit a Comment