Introduction to The Integrative Gyn with Dr Whitney West

Dr. Whitney West discusses her journey into integrative medicine, emphasizing the importance of treating the whole person rather than just symptoms. She shares her personal health challenges and the motivation behind her practice, particularly focusing on women's health and the unique experiences of African American women. The discussion highlights the shift in patient attitudes towards wellness and the need for a more holistic approach to healthcare.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Integrative GYN Podcast
02:57 The Evolution of Integrative Medicine
05:12 Personal Journey to Medicine
07:52 The Shift Towards Wellness
14:13 Conclusion and Future Directions

Takeaways

Dr. Whitney West emphasizes the importance of integrative medicine.
She shares her personal health challenges as a motivation for her practice.
The conversation highlights the unique health experiences of African American women.
There is a growing demand for holistic approaches to health.
Patients are increasingly seeking wellness rather than just symptom relief.
Nutrition is a critical component of health and wellness.
Dr. West aims to empower her patients with knowledge.
The healthcare landscape is changing, with younger patients presenting with more complex issues.
Optimal health should be the goal, not just survival.
The podcast aims to provide meaningful alternatives that complement traditional medicine.

“You’ve been listening to The Integrative Gyn with Dr. Whitney West — because your health deserves more than fifteen minutes.”

The information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. This podcast does not establish a physician–patient relationship and should not be used as a substitute for individualized medical care. Always consult your own physician or qualified healthcare professional regarding medical decisions or concerns specific to your health.

Transcript

Have you ever left your doctor's office with more questions than answers? Have you ever felt unheard or rushed through your appointment? You are not alone. And that is why I created the Integrative GYN Podcast, because your health deserves more than 15 minutes. I'm Dr. Whitney West, a board certified gynecologist and fellowship trained integrative medicine practitioner. And after over two decades in Western medicine, I realized how much Western medicine was failing at offering and maintaining wellness. Standard Western medicine is great at treating crises. So why integrative medicine? So what is it first? It's a bridge. It's an approach that combines conventional medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies like acupuncture, mind-body practices to treat the whole person for optimal health rather than just treating symptoms.

Why integrative medicine? Well, we got to go back to the beginning where when I first actually wanted to be a doctor, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Well, no, I did want to be a veterinarian. So I was about maybe seven or eight years old. And I knew at that point I wanted to help animals, I guess, at that time. Fast forward, you know, as I got older and the time was approaching for me to go to college, you know, my dad was kind of in my ear talking about, why don't you think about people medicine? And, and then, you know, he was, you know, then he said, what, what about holistic medicine? And at that time, and I won't, I won't date myself, but at that time, there, it wasn't really a, a, there wasn't real definition for holistic medicine. there weren't, at least I didn't know about the schools for naturopathic doctors. And again, I believe at that time, and we're talking over 35 years ago, almost 40 years ago, now that the schools were limited and minimal. And I think over the last, 20 years or so, the education for holistic, functional medicine, integrative medicine, natural paths has improved significantly because the research for those practices has increased. So there's more research going on, at least people are paying attention and they're doing the studies. And it, you know, for those of you who are, are listening right now, I don't know how much medicine or pharmaceutical history you guys know, but a lot of the medicines that we take today are based off of herbal medicine. So they are just made in a factory, a pharmaceutical company or whatever found it  and adulterated it. And now here we are with these medicinal versions of roots and herbs and that kind of thing. So this is not hocus pocus. This is not voodoo stuff or whatever. And I am absolutely educated and trained and know how to do research and read journal articles and obviously make smart decisions. And I have over almost 30 years now that I've been a gynecologist. So my transition into integrative medicine came because I felt like I was missing something in the exam room. I'm sitting there talking to patients who have all these problems going on and they're on multiple medications and I felt like I wanted to help them more than I actually could at that point. 

So like I said, going back to, know, my father was in my ear whispering why don't you do people medicine and why don't you do holistic care and that kind of stuff. 
I didn't know what that meant at the time. So I kind of, didn't say I brushed it off, but it just kind of, you know, went in the back of my mind. Got into my first year of medical school, did a class on, it was a speech class, a public speaking course. And they asked us to pick a topic and we did. So at the time I was in New York and I did my speech on the homeless in New York and then others did obviously different things. One of the other speeches was on animal rights. And when I got finished with mine, I got a lot of people saying, why did you do this talk and aren't those homeless people lazy and don't they just want to be there, just want to take our money and they don't want to work and that kind of thing? Well, when the classmate of mine who did the speech on animal rights got finished. They were like, OH  my God, some people were crying. And there was much more uproar about a mouse dying because of testing and cosmetics than there were for the thousands of human beings on the streets of New York City. So I made a decision at that time and decided not to go to veterinary school. And at that moment, I believed that people needed me more than animals did. So I ended up going to medical school. then I was torn between doing pediatrics and obstetrics. And the reason for that is because I did not feel comfortable with the other choices. So internal medicine, I felt like you were there with a patient for 25 years and you would never get them well. Like you're always pushing medicine. And that's kind of how I saw it. At least with obstetrics and gynecology, you know, the patient comes in with a problem or an issue or even something more fun like pregnancy and they get to take home a prize at the end and you get to get them well. So I felt like that was more my speed than internal medicine. And then I like surgery. So It was fun. It was fun. I felt like I was good at it. 

So in addition, I love children and knew I wanted to have my own one day. So I said, well, I don't know. Maybe do I want to do pediatrics? Well, I decided that wasn't the route for me. Like I said, I like the hands-on physical aspects of obstetrician I'm sorry, obstetrics and gynecology. So here I am now, almost 30 plus years later. And I feel like I am where I'm supposed to be. Like this is my calling and I am who I am because I made the decision that I did back then.

So integrated medicine. So here I am, you know, in the midst of seeing patients with the same issues. And I will say that over the last probably, I'm gonna say 10, 15 years or so, patients have changed. I feel like there are a lot more sicker patients and they're younger and sicker. And then with the the push of social media and I'm gonna call it, Dr. Google, then there's been a lot of folks who come in and they, you know, demand a lot more based off of less information. Again, so this is why I'm here because I feel like I have, I won't say like this wealth of knowledge, but I do have a lot. I've seen a lot. I've taken care of a lot of patients. And I've had this transition where I have moved from just treating symptoms to wanting patients to get to wellness. And I have met more patients now who want to be well and not just want to fix things when they're sick. So that's where I am. where we are right now.
So thank you for joining me on this first episode of the Integrative GYN Podcast. My goal with this show is to bring you the vital information that has been lacking for far too long and to offer a meaningful alternative to the status quo. So while Western medicine provides us with security, we are here to aim higher. Because we shouldn't just be surviving, we should be thriving. Optimal health is the foundation of longevity, and you deserve a road map to get there. That isn't dictated by a 15-minute timer. In the episodes to come, we will continue to dive deep into issues that are truly on our hearts and minds with open, honest conversations and practical science-backed tools you can start using today.

I'm Dr. Whitney West and I'll see you on the next episode.
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