We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zulmy Mancia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zulmy below.

Zulmy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I think the biggest risk I have taken so far in my life has been changing my career path from an allopathic to a naturopathic doctor. I had always envisioned myself becoming an allopathic doctor, there was never an alternative choice in my mind. In college, I was on the pre-med track, taking all the classes I needed for allopathic medical school as well as being involved in all the common pre-med activities such as volunteering as a medical translator, clinical research and pre-med student clubs on campus. Slowly I started to realize that I felt that something was missing but I just couldn’t quite identify it and to be honest I was terrified to even consider that the career I had been dreaming of and working towards since I was a child may not be for me. Having so many friends and classmates on the same path as me made it even harder to explore outside of this pre-med allopathic environment that had become my comfort zone. After college, I applied to allopathic medical school twice. The first application cycle I withdrew my application after submitting it. Instead of exploring why I had done this after all the long hours and work that went into preparing to apply I ignored my feelings, stayed in my comfort zone and applied again. When I did not get in, instead of getting ready to apply again, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders! This feeling was concerning and I could not ignore it so it was time to finally check in with myself to find out what was going on. I decided to explore other career paths in the medical field. Then one day as I searched I found out about naturopathic medicine and becoming a licensed naturopathic doctor. As I read about it I finally felt at peace. Even though I was still terrified at leaving the allopathic path behind, I knew this was a risk I had to take. I did not personally know any licensed naturopathic doctors but my family and I had been healed many times with what was a more naturopathic approach to medical care. During difficult moments in medical school I did sometimes question if the choice I had made was worth the risk. Should I have chosen a career where it seemed that only 10% of the general population knew that it existed? Or struggled to understand that I wasn’t studying to become an herbalist or a homeopath but a medical doctor. These moments of doubt always disappeared after having positive patient interactions in the clinic and continues to happen as I practice on my own now.

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 been around natural medicine since I was young due to cultural and family traditions, and had always planned to incorporate this approach with future patients when I thought I was going to become an allopathic doctor. But as I was exposed to various clinical settings in college, I started to feel troubled with some of the care patients were receiving. I felt like there was more of a “band aid approach” to care rather than trying to find the root cause of the problem as well as identifying the obstacles to get the body to a healthier state. When I first learned about naturopathic medicine, the principles really spoke to me. The focus on prevention, treating the whole person, finding the root cause of disease and believing in the human body’s capacity to heal itself when provided with the appropriate support are all things that aligned with how I had hoped to practice medicine with my future patients. As a licensed naturopathic doctor have extensive training in evidence-based modalities such as clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine, pharmacology and counseling. I believe in an integrated approach to healthcare and working with other healthcare practitioners to help provide patients with the optimal care they deserve. When meeting with new patients I always work on developing a trust based relationship so we can work together to find the root cause of their health concern. Every treatment plan is individualized because everyone is different. Everyone heals at a different pace and responds differently to treatments. My areas of focus include digestive and thyroid health.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could go back I would 100% percent choose the same profession, There is no other profession with which my values align with so perfectly. I love teaching and supporting patients with a more natural approach to healthcare and working to find the root cause of their symptoms.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I guess my story of resilience would have to be not giving up in finding what the right career choice was for me. It took me 5 years after graduating from college to find naturopathic medicine. I know it has taken others a lot longer to find their right career but for me it was a true test. I was the type of person who had her life planned out and once I realized the plan did not feel right, I had to start all over again which was extremely difficult, especially the effect it had on my mental health. I had never felt so lost and confused about where my life was heading and some days felt I would never figure it out. I am glad I continued searching and checking in with myself what felt right for me. Even when I was set on becoming a Naturopathic doctor and faced questions of whether I would be able to make a living, simply because it was not a well known career. The learned resilience from those “lost years” taught me to ignore the doubt as best as I could and focus on my end goal and the future patients I would be able to help one day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://drzulmymancia.com/
• Instagram: @doctorzulmy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorzulmy
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-zulmy-mancia-nd-310b4585
• Other: Contact Information: Email: [email protected] Phone Number:562-250-4647