Student Spotlight

Katy Firisin, ND Student

Kathryn “Katy” Firisin is a well-rounded first-year student currently enrolled at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in Phoenix, Ariz. She is studying naturopathic medicine while working part-time as a physical therapist. This literally hands-on experience often informs her curriculum and also helps her to manage her financial obligations. Her goal is to become a naturopathic doctor who utilizes naturopathic modalities and also incorporates her training as a physical therapist. Katy is eager to develop relationships with people and believes that, “When you work hands-on with your patients, the power of touch establishes a whole different dynamic.” Learn how Katy is juggling life as a working student.

The mind/body connection
Guides and mentors
The school of life
Taking the leap

---

The mind/body connection

AANMC: It’s a leap of faith to commit to becoming a naturopathic doctor (ND). What compelled you to merge your career as a physical therapist with the hectic life of a naturopathic medical student?

KF: As a physical therapist, I’ve felt the limitations of the profession. I want to offer as much as I can to my patients to improve their health. Having struggled with personal health concerns for years, I’ve found relief in the naturopathic modalities. I practice yoga and have always been interested in mind/body medicine.

I practiced typical PT [physical therapy] for the first five years of my work. At that time, I lived in San Diego and had the opportunity to work on developing a chronic pain management program using alternative treatment techniques, including general lifestyle changes, cardio-respiratory biofeedback, counseling, yoga and Watsu – a form of water massage. As I went through the training to be involved in that program, I realized that I wanted to be able to offer these types of solutions to my own patients.

AANMC: Why did you pursue physical therapy initially?

KF: While in high school, I worked at a YMCA camp that had a special needs program. I helped to mainstream a child, Matteo, with a developmental disability, and I just loved it. I decided right then to do physical therapy.

I established a trust with Matteo, who had a non-specific form of brain damage due to hypoxemia, which means he didn’t have enough oxygen during birth. He was a challenge as well as a blessing. He had no inhibitions. One day he ran into a canoe drifting off shore, and the next he ran into the pool fully clothed even though he couldn’t swim. Seeing him express his joy made me laugh and really showed me how inhibited we become as adults. Unfortunately, Matteo was very disabled and probably wouldn’t ever be fully independent.

Working hands-on, one on one drew me to the profession. I really felt and saw the difference it made. I didn’t want to sit behind a desk. I wanted to work more directly with the patients and their families.

AANMC: And what has your career as a physical therapist been like up to this point?

KF: After earning my bachelor of science and then graduating in 1999 with my masters in physical therapy (MSPT), I pursued working with a variety of adult populations in a number of settings, including: acute care, orthopedic/sports medicine, manual therapy, pediatrics, aquatics, chronic pain management, meditation/biofeedback instruction and teaching.

I’ve been a physical therapist for over 10 years. When I worked full-time, I’d see about 80 people per week. I now work part-time at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix and handle a few eight-hour shifts, during which the patient loads vary. The staff is great – I really enjoy working there.

AANMC: Are you dealing with any unique lifestyle challenges that have made an impact on your career and education choices?

KF: I am devoting a great deal of time to detoxifying my body and working on my health while in school. One of my goals is to enhance my personal journey by healing and renewing myself as I heal others.

I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary disease (PCOS) at the age of 27, though I probably had it long before that. I’ve also recently been identified as potentially having significant toxicity. I received medical care at a nationally renowned facility, where I was told, “There’s nothing else we can do.” My hormones were not properly regulated. They had me on three prescriptions, and although my blood work was normal, I suffered from the side effects of the medications and felt awful.

AANMC: And now?

KF: I first started to work with two NDs, Dr. James Sensenig and Dr. Aviva Wertkin, in Hamden, Conn. They recommended that I see a naturopath after my move to Arizona. So at that point, I began to work with another ND, Dr. Sara Hazel, doing a combination of hydrotherapy, nutritional detoxification, diet supplementation, herbal remedies and acupuncture (which I recently tried for the first time and found to be extremely calming to my system).

Luckily, Dr. Hazel is generous enough to offer a discount for students, as does the SCNM clinic. Some private health care plans absolutely will not insure me because of my PCOS – a pre-existing condition – although health care plans differ by state.

Finding a path to greater health has become invaluable to me. Dr. Hazel and Dr. Wertkin were the first people who ever really gave me hope. While enrolled at SCNM, I’ve actually felt better than I have in a long time.

Back to top

---

Guides and mentors

AANMC: Do you have any mentors or persons in your life whom you admire, and who guided you toward becoming an ND?

KF: Every naturopath I have encountered is passionate about what they do. I do admire Dr. Hazel, Dr. Wertkin and Dr. Sensenig. Their patience, willingness to listen, and the fact that they give credence to what you’re telling them is all very validating. They are my role models.

When I was back home in Connecticut this past summer, I shadowed Dr. Sensenig for a few days. He has relationships with his patients similar to what I strive to achieve. He remembers details about their lives and their lifestyles. That has so much to do with recovery, I think. Establishing those authentic relationships is critical for us as successful health care practitioners. Most importantly, however, his patients feel better and have improved qualities of life.

AANMC: Did your family influence you to pursue a career in health care?

KF: My family is wonderful. They’ve all been extremely supportive. Even my family members who don’t know what naturopathic medicine is are still very encouraging.

My grandmother, Nellie Gombos, started the Fairfield, Conn., lunch program, and my sister is currently getting a masters in nutrition. We’re going through an evolution together. Must be in our genes.

My mom was a special education social worker at a public preschool in Trumbull, Conn. The program integrates children with special needs into the schools with other “typical” children in a transdisciplinary approach. So I was exposed to that from her early on.

Later, seeing my mother suffer with irreversible cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, made me acutely aware of how our well-being can impact our lives. The condition is well managed by her cardiologist – a great example of the value of allopathic medicine. My mother’s doing better than expected and has become more open to complementary medicine. She now follows principles of good nutrition and has been taking CoQ10 since her diagnosis.

On a serious note, losing my father at a young age was difficult. He was a smoker and had a very archaic mindset about health care. He didn’t go to doctors and didn’t believe the articles about smoking and health. Some of that started to change when my mom got sick. He began to engage. But he always supported me in anything I did, though he may not have completely understood it. Watching his approach motivated me to learn more.

Back to top

---

The school of life

AANMC: What is it like to work in a real-world setting while simultaneously pursuing your ND degree? What real-life issues come up for you?

KF: There’s no way you could work full-time while going to school full-time. A de-accelerated program would take much longer, although some students are on slower tracks due to family obligations.

I decided to purchase a townhome here in Arizona on top of having older school loans, so I need to work. I also want to stay connected with the medical community. I’ve chosen to work in an inner-city level-one trauma hospital in downtown Phoenix, and it has been a great opportunity to synthesize the clinical knowledge I acquire in my classes. I work per diem, typically three Saturdays per month plus additional hours.

Working at an inner-city hospital can be both draining and exhilarating. I mostly get drained by the conventional medical system and the administration. However, those challenges are also driving forces. The current health care system obviously needs to change. Naturopathic medicine could be an option for many of the under-served patients who come in. If we could introduce them to preventative care methods, it would be more cost-effective in the long run.

AANMC: What have been some of your observations and experiences there at the hospital?

KF: The majority of the patients come through the ER, and then they’re stabilized in the hospital. Unfortunately, we see a lot of chronic illness. There are those who come in time after time with a host of medical issues – we call them “repeat offenders.” One of the things about naturopathic medicine is that you’re looking for the cause of the problems. You wonder, is there something else we could offer these patients that could prevent them from coming back repeatedly? But it’s generally triage. The objective is to stabilize and determine if these patients need to go to a specific facility. Most go home, back to the same medications, lifestyles, and broken medical system.

Everyone at the hospital wants our therapy patients to have better options. If the patients were educated sooner, compliance would be better for improving their own health. Teaching children would be one way to go; the pediatric aspect of naturopathic medicine is really important for that reason.

AANMC: What have you seen or experienced so far, in the naturopathic model of care, that addresses these concerns of yours?

KF: SCNM has an organization called the Sage Foundation that works with satellite facilities and helps to provide resources to people who might not otherwise have access to naturopathic medicine. Students go out to educate the community about naturopathy.

I just worked at a health expo in Chandler, Ariz. The majority of the people who approached our SCNM table wanted access to naturopathic treatment, but most thought it was cost-prohibitive. Everyone is struggling in this economy. Getting more insurance companies to cover naturopathic providers and treatments is key. It could make a big difference.

AANMC: What have you gleaned from the conventional medical approach that you find most valuable?

KF: Having been in conventional medical practice for over 10 years, I’ve found that there are some phenomenal physicians out there. The advances in orthopedic injury care and diagnostics are extremely helpful. Some of the surgical procedures are amazing and life-saving.

The naturopathic methodologies are rooted in hard science as well. The clinical mindset is very necessary for both allopathic and natural medicine. Finding a way to incorporate all of it together would be ideal.

AANMC: Was there a particular clinical training patient experience that made a significant impact on you?

KF: I haven’t treated patients in the naturopathic program yet, but I’ve already observed how integrated care can make a big impact.

One of my PT patients was suffering from sciatic pain down her leg. She was a very energetic nurse practitioner in her 60s, and a typical work-driven American breaking down under all the stress and pressure. She simply was not mentally, emotionally or physically able to maintain what she was doing.

It was enormously gratifying to contribute to her recovery. She began taking yoga, cut down her working hours, and tried meditating. We even spent a few extra sessions for prevention. Seeing her transformation was really cool. Normally, patients don’t expect all that from a physical therapist. I can’t wait to work with patients as an ND.

AANMC: How have your education and professional experiences as a PT benefitted your ND studies? Do you feel more prepared to study medicine extensively?

KF: I’m fortunate in that I’ve already been through a heavy and rigorous science curriculum for physical therapy and board exams, so I believe I’m mentally prepared for it. But you can’t assume you’re well prepared because of your past experience.

I try to be humble and not get in the way of anyone else’s experience or compare myself to anyone. Some students are right out of undergrad, but some have professional science backgrounds. I may know anatomy, but others have stronger biochemistry backgrounds. Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other.

You never stop learning when working in health care. There’s so much to learn in the ND program.

AANMC: And vice versa, have your ND studies benefited your PT work at all?

KF: Yes, definitely. Some of what we study has directly applied to my current position at the hospital. For example, in anatomy class we were studying a disorder of the kidney involving dilated calyces called pylonephritis in a cadaver we were dissecting. One of my patients at the hospital also had this same condition.

With any PT patient, you have to know the diagnoses and precautions and respect them. If someone had spinal fusion or surgery, you need to know what you can or can’t do with that patient. I have had many patients with spinal disorders, and it was great to review the spine in class again. That real-life application makes it all the more relevant.

SCNM enables us [the students] to begin to learn clinical skills as early as our first year. Not only that, but because the administration here is so good about listening to student feedback, they’re actually working on revamping the curriculum to increase our contact with patients in the SCNM clinic. It’s great to attend a school where your voice is heard.

Back to top

---

Taking the leap

AANMC: Have you surprised yourself? Anything daunting to you?

KF: I get excited about new experiences. Moving across the country to somewhere new, where you don’t know anyone, and taking on this overwhelming academic course load – after all, it is medical school – is daunting.

For anyone who wants to go into naturopathic medicine, it’s absolutely doable if your heart is in it. And my heart is in it. I try to focus on what I love to do.

AANMC: What advice would you give to future or incoming ND students who may have some fears or hesitations about entering naturopathic med school?

KF: If you are fearful of anything, just reach out to current students and admissions representatives, and use the resources available at your school. SCNM has lots of resources if you’re struggling, and our students and professors are a strong unit. We support each other. Naturopathic medical students have a nurturing quality about them – they wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t have the spirit for it.

For me, any fears I had were quickly allayed by the people I’ve met and the friends I've made. My admissions counselor, Jody Durham, was extremely helpful. The admissions office got me off to a good start and made me feel welcome, as though I belonged in medical school. And the orientation process is very helpful. The faculty, staff and your peers are approachable and support you academically. You never feel alienated. I believe there are over 300 students here, and it feels like there’s a strong community.

Sure, there are some administrative hiccups, as in any organization. But SCNM is extremely eager to listen to the student body and lots of progressive changes are in the works. For example, they just bought a building to move the medical center/clinic right onto the campus proper. At SCNM, you are heard.

AANMC: Any other words of advice for your peers?

KF: Embrace everything. Appreciate everyone. Never stop learning.

Working in the medical field and studying naturopathic medicine are both very humbling experiences. You are given so much responsibility taking care of other people. On the one hand, we know so much, and on the other, what do we know? You have to be open and strive to keep learning so that you can do the best you can for your patients. You’ve got to feel confidence in what you’re doing, yet you must check your ego at the door. There’s a fine line.

Students: If you have hesitation or fears, just do it. Don’t let them get the better of you. Take the risk! You’ll be happy you did!

Naturopathic doctors: Be open to spending time with students. The profession really needs that. Take on residents and work with newly graduated doctors as much as you can, so that we can all continue to learn.

There are so many valuable experiences out there. I feel lucky to have an opportunity to share mine.

Back to top

---

Katy has a great deal of passion for mind/body medicine and education. She has transitioned into medical school with ease, having managed a work/study balance for years. Continuing education is required to keep Katy’s PT certification current, so she attends ongoing classes, conferences and training, and has even taught at her alma mater.

Community involvement is also important to her. She plans on traveling to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, later this year for a service trip with Naturopaths Without Borders and plans to stay active both locally and internationally in the future.

Katy would like to pursue endocrinology and oncology and hopes to teach. Her ultimate goal is to increase the presence of NDs in hospital settings and spread the awareness of naturopathic medicine here and abroad.

Back to top

Author Natasha McClain is a Seattle-based freelance writer/editor who enjoys learning about and promoting a natural, balanced approach to life.

More student profiles