Student Spotlight

Carina Lopez, ND Student

Carina Lopez came to naturopathic medicine via an increasingly common route: conventional medical studies. Having worked hard to realize her dreams of helping others achieve better health, Carina was thrilled when she was accepted to New York University for pre-medical studies, and then to Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University. But soon after enrolling, she became disillusioned with the approach to healing taught in medical school. So Carina set out to find a different model for healing.

She traveled to Belize, where she met holistic healers, and then attended the iCAM Summer Program (integrative, complementary and alternative medicine) for medical students at Bastyr University. Soon after that, she made the difficult decision to leave conventional med school and apply to the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine (UBCNM). And she has never looked back. The lengthy journey she had taken was worth it; she has gained a great deal of wisdom and perspective. Now, not only does she feel that she can truly heal others, but she has also found healing within herself.

Getting started in medicine
Exploring new worlds
Finding the right medicine
Insider tips & med school comparisons

---

Getting started in medicine

AANMC: It sounds like you’ve known for some time that you wanted to pursue a medical career. How did you first become interested in medicine?

CL: To begin with, natural remedies are part of my cultural heritage. Being Puerto Rican and growing up in New York, a holistic approach was just a way of life for me. When I was sick, my grandma would cook herbs for me and give me holistic remedies she knew about from the island.

Also, as a child I had eczema. It became clear that to control it, I would need to use nutrition and herbs, because the cortisone and other creams weren’t going to be enough. I decided then that my health was very important, and because I was inclined to help other people too, I gravitated to the health care field. I still really only knew Western medicine in this country, so I decided on that approach.

AANMC: How did you decide on New York University (NYU) for your pre-med studies, and what was your experience like there?

CL: NYU had some great programs and an international focus, so I liked that. But I was so focused on NYU's prestige that I really didn't invest my energy in considering the types of programs offered at different schools. Looking back, it would have been good to have thought more about what I could gain educationally from the school of my choice, such as the chance to study botany or holistic nutrition. But honestly, as a Puerto Rican woman who would be the first doctor in her family, there was a lot of pressure to just be the best. I think it can be a downfall for many people.

AANMC: But luckily, you did have some overseas medical experiences while enrolled at NYU, right?

CL: Yes, I did have the chance to do a research project in the Dominican Republic through NYU’s affiliation with Cornell University. We looked at the constituents of different herbs and how they could be used for things like breast cancer. It was still from a Western perspective, but it planted some seeds.

Then I took three years off to boost my resume for medical school. During that time, I was a research assistant at Columbia University, where I worked on a project studying the black cohosh plant for the treatment of hot flashes, and also the effects of specific nutritional regimens on menopausal women.

AANMC: Then you enrolled at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Was that your first choice? What was your experience like there?

CL: Yes, it was my first choice. It was a school with a lot of programs for the treatment of minority populations, and they had a free clinic for immigrants and undocumented workers. I thought that was very revolutionary, which it is.

But when I got to medical school, I was very disillusioned to find that nutrition was not a topic at all. I knew it wouldn’t be a huge part of the curriculum, but I thought we’d get a little bit of exposure to expand on later. Listening to lectures, it was very much about conventional treatments, and everything seemed to come from a symptoms-based, disease-management perspective – very allopathic.

Back to top

---

Exploring new worlds

AANMC: How did you deal with that disillusionment?

CL: I decided to try some international experiences, and so I went to Belize through the school. I volunteered to work with holistic healers to learn about herbs, while also working in a hospital, predominantly with diabetic patients. The physicians there lacked allopathic drugs because the country was so poor, and there were lines of patients waiting for these short five-minute appointments.

AANMC: Were there particular cases that stood out to you, that really influenced you?

CL: One of the most remarkable moments for me was when a woman came in and told me she only got her diabetes shot once a month (even though diabetes patients need shots daily). She was obviously going blind, and she was eating a pastry while I talked to her! I told her, “You know, sugar relates to this disease.” And this was something she had never heard before.

After that, I asked the director of the hospital if I could spend time teaching the patients how to eat properly. Although I had no formal nutritional background, within three months I really made a difference in those patients’ lives. At the same time, it was so disheartening that there was no one to teach them these things when I left.

AANMC: Did your experiences in Belize contribute to your doubts about conventional medical school?

CL: They did. When I went back to Albert Einstein, I became even more disillusioned. We had the opportunity to shadow general practitioners there; they had extremely short appointments and spent most of that time half-listening to patients while printing out pharmaceutical information for them.

Then, there were two remarkable lectures that really, really hit me. The first was an obesity lecture given by a very renowned doctor in that specialty. He said that according to his studies, in the end, no matter what meds we prescribe or surgeries we do, in 10 years everyone will be in the same condition as the control group, which received no treatment whatsoever – they’ll all gain the weight back.

And then in the next hour, a cardiologist presented who said no matter what we do, these patients will die of myocardial infractions; surgeries and drugs can only extend their lives for about seven years, maximum. And there was no talk of nutrition, apart from the very standard, basic things, and I thought, there has to be an alternative – there has to be something.

Back to top

---

Finding the right medicine

AANMC: After coming to this realization, how did you end up finding your way to naturopathic medicine?

CL: I looked around, and it just so happened there was a medical student program at Bastyr University in the summer called iCAM Camp, so I applied. At iCAM Camp, medical students spend two months with naturopathic physicians (NDs) learning what they do. I cannot tell you how that really just took me to the edge. I started looking at the reflection of the physician that I could be.

After that, I took some time off, and finally I left Albert Einstein. It was one of the biggest and most difficult decisions in my life. I would be giving up all of those years I spent working to get into medical school, but I would be leaving a place that created a huge sense of despondency in me.

AANMC: And now that you’re midway through your naturopathic medical education, how would you say your actual experience has compared to your expectations?

CL: Since starting at the University of Bridgeport, I will tell you, I’ve never looked back. Bridgeport matched and exceeded my expectations of what naturopathic medicine is. I’m passionate, I’m excited, and I see so many changes in patients. Just in the first week of clinical training, I saw more dramatic changes than in two years of conventional medical school.

I love that the school has very small classes, so you really get to interact with the physicians. Every professor I have knows my first and last name, and those of all of my classmates. They know your flaws, your strengths, and your potential, and they direct your learning based on that knowledge. There’s not a second when we’re not thinking about the whole person – body, mind and spirit.

AANMC: Have there been any surprises along the way?

CL: The surprise for me was making peace within myself about the conventional medical model. I came here with anger and with frustration about it, but I’ve gained a balanced perspective. I’ve learned about the proper integration of conventional and natural medicine, and I realize there are reasons to prescribe and also not to prescribe. So that’s been really good for me.

Back to top

---

Insider tips and med school comparisons

AANMC: How did the application process go for you? Did you find it to be easy or difficult?

CL: I applied as second-year student, so the process went pretty seamlessly. I transferred some credits, which was great, although I definitely feel it would have been better to have started with the first-year class, so I wouldn’t have had to scramble and take classes out of order.

But, like I’ve mentioned, it was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. It took a lot of courage and strength for me to apply to naturopathic medical school, especially because as an ND, I won't be able to practice anywhere and prescribe anything. I can only assume that courage is inherent in all students who apply.

As far as getting into the school, I think what helped me is that, because of my experiences, I was able to articulate why I was interested in a holistic model of care. I think that a holistic ideology is something the ND schools really look for in their students.

AANMC: If you could give an "insider tip" to those students out there just starting the application process, what would it be?

CL: Two things: I would say, engage in activities and community service, and always really think about treating the person as a whole. No matter what you do as a pre-med student, you’re always keeping these goals in your head. The more you approach your life in that way, the more successful and articulate you’ll be in applying to naturopathic medical school.

At the same time, pursue research; you need to develop that intellectual faculty within yourself.

I also think it’s great to participate in overseas programs that incorporate holistic and nutritional aspects, even if you are following a conventional medicine route initially. And shadowing practitioners is, of course, a huge benefit.

AANMC: As far as the curriculum goes, how does the rigor of ND school compare to MD school?

CL: I think they are both extraordinarily rigorous. I know that medical school demands more time in a way, at least during the third and fourth years, when you work 24- to 72-hour shifts – versus naturopathic medical school, which will is a 9:00 to 5:00 or 7:30 to 5:00 day. Because I’m an overachiever I do put in a lot of work – that’s just how it is for me.

The two types of education are very, very different and equally difficult, and how much you gain from each depends on how much you put in. But at naturopathic medical school, they care about the students, so you have a moment to pause, think and preserve that inner healer, rather than constantly working around the clock.

AANMC: What has ND school done for you?

CL: I feel inspired on a daily basis. Instructors lecture about their successes, such as patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were cured with this, that and the other method, and you start to understand how simplistic yet curative these naturopathic treatments really are.

But I’ve also restored my inner healer. They have classes called Physician Heal Thyself, and what they teach you is so important. There’s an attention to healing your own body and taking care of your own heath, mind and stability, and at the same time learning about the remarkable progress that other physicians are making. The focus on taking care of yourself is lacking in so many other places, so to see it here is refreshing.

Back to top

---

There is no doubt that Carina has found her place with naturopathic medicine. When talking with her, her outgoing, bubbly personality is infectious; she clearly is doing what she loves. Currently in the clinical training portion of her education, she puts in extra hours out of sheer passion for this career. Just the other week, she stayed two hours after the clinic had closed to research a case, and ended up prescribing an herbal remedy for a patient's long-term use, instead of the toxic drug warfarin. “We’re doing revolutionary things,” she states. “It’s phenomenal.” She says the camaraderie with professors is also very rewarding, and she can discuss other life issues with them beyond academics. She sees the artistry in her professors, all of whom have “very beautiful and different ways of healing,” and she feels she is gaining a wonderful, integrative toolbox from them. With an interest in teaching, Carina will certainly be well prepared to offer the same to other students someday soon.

Back to top

Sydney Maupin is a Seattle-based freelance writer and editor with an interest in promoting natural medicine and helping others to achieve holistic wellness.

More student profiles