We recently connected with Juline Savaya and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Juline, thanks for joining us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?

When I was in my first quarter of clinical rotations in naturopathic medical school, I was assigned a patient with a history of miscarriage. I remember feeling so anxious as this was the first patient I was assigned to see on my own, and given the sensitivity of her case, I wanted to make sure I provided the best care for her. I remember coming back to the room after doing the initial intake to report to my attending physician and she looked at me and said, “Get that deer in the headlights look off your face & fake it ‘til you make it.” Fortunately, I was working with another, more experienced student who gave me tips and we discussed the appropriate fertility workup this patient needed. This included a full assessment of her health, including her hormones. Well, it turned out she had hormonal imbalances, and after addressing them, she was able to have a healthy pregnancy. Fast forward two years later when I started my residency, I was assigned the rotation with the same attending physician and was able to see that same patient, now with 2 beautiful, healthy children. It was one of the most rewarding feelings I had ever had and sparked my love for fertility and women’s health.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have wanted to be a doctor since my teenage years, but I didn’t always know what kind of doctor I was going to be. My interest in holistic health sparked when I was doing a yoga teacher training in my senior year of high school and has continued to grow since then. I went into ASU as a nutrition major with a premed focus and began seeking doctors to shadow. I was fortunate enough to have met an osteopathic doctor with additional training in functional medicine who taught me there was so much lacking in the conventional medical field. I continued exploring my options in healthcare and started to investigate naturopathic medicine more. The philosophy was everything I had dreamed I could find in a medical school that I didn’t know existed – a combination of a field that teaches you about conventional medical care and every other “alternative” therapy I could think of. Naturopathic physicians are trained in similar diagnostic methods as conventional physicians as well treatment with pharmaceuticals. However, naturopathic physicians have extensive training in several other natural therapies, including botanical medicine, homeopathy, clinical nutrition & nutritional supplementation. Naturopathic doctors treat the whole person based on the generality of their symptoms, not just their disease. Once I applied and got accepted into SCNM (now Sonoran University of Health Sciences) I never looked back.

I am a licensed Naturopathic Physician in the state of Arizona. I graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition. Before becoming a physician, I had years of experience in the medical field working as a pharmacy technician and medical scribe. I earned my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (now Sonoran University of Health Sciences) where I went on to complete a competitive Residency in General Family Medicine.

One thing I pride myself in is the time and attention I provide my patients. I understand the body’s interconnectedness and evaluate all aspects of my patients’ health to find the root cause of their conditions. I have training in a variety of modalities, but particularly enjoy using herbs, nutrition, hormone replacement therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, and lifestyle medicine with her patients. As a naturopathic physician, I care for each patient like I would my family, ensuring they feel heard and understood. I aim to provide patients with options to empower them and help them achieve optimal health.

I love to work with a variety of patients but have a passion for women’s health.
My favorite conditions to treat include the following:
• Menstrual irregularities such as PCOS, PMS, perimenopause/menopause
• Women’s health conditions such as interstitial cystitis, chronic BV/candida, abnormal pap smears, uterine fibroids
• Preconception care & fertility
• Thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s/Graves
• Gastrointestinal abnormalities such as candida, SIBO, food sensitivities, H Pylori, GERD
• Cardiometabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, prediabetes, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver
• Adrenal dysfunction such as adrenal fatigue, EBV
• Mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and ADHD

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My journey to becoming a naturopathic doctor was not easy as I faced two tragic losses along the way. First was the most selfless brother I could have ever had during my undergraduate education at ASU. Then, 5.5 years later, right after I had graduated medical school and was studying for my board exams, I lost the most loving father. Both losses made me reevaluate my purpose and the type of physician I wanted to be. However, I never stopped pursuing my passion and became even more motivated to learn everything I could to help my future patients. To say I didn’t struggle for some time would be a lie, but I am grateful for the resiliency and understanding of the fragility of life they have taught me. I remember these things when I meet my patients and aim to help each one of them achieve an optimal quality of life.

If you could go back in time, would you choose the same profession or specialty?

Absolutely YES! From my first day of naturopathic medical school to my second year in private practice, I have not looked back once! I often get patients who have seen multiple different providers and specialists and still have not gotten the help they wanted. I cannot tell you how many times I have patients cry in my office during the first appointment because I spent time listening to their concerns and they felt HEARD for the first time in their lives. Being a naturopathic doctor is one of the most humbling, rewarding experiences ever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nesaz.com/team/dr-juline-savaya/
• Instagram: drjulinesavaya
• Yelp: Natural Endocrinology Specialists

Image Credits
Reflecting Walls Photography