Britt Marie Hermes
| Britt Marie Hermes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Britt Marie Deegan California, U.S. |
| Residence | Kiel, Germany |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bastyr University (N.D.) |
| Known for | Naturopathy, skepticism, blogger |
| Website | http://www.naturopathicdiaries.com |
Britt Marie Hermes (née Deegan) is an American, former naturopathic doctor who became a critic of naturopathy and alternative medicine.[1][2][3][4] She is the author of a blog, Naturopathic Diaries, where she writes about being trained and having practiced as licensed naturopath and about the problems of regulating naturopaths as medical practitioners.[5][6][7] Her criticism of naturopathy has gained attention from the skeptic movement,[8][9][10][11][12] policy makers,[13][14] and the media.[15][1][2][16][17][15][18][19][20] She has been dubbed a whistleblower on the naturopathic profession[7] and a "naturopathy apostate."[9]
Education and career
Hermes received her N.D. in 2011 from Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington.[1][21] She completed a one-year residency at a naturopathic clinic in Seattle focused on pediatrics and family medicine.[1][15]
Hermes relocated to Tucson, Arizona where she worked in an outpatient naturopathic clinic.[1] After witnessing illegal and unethical treatments of cancer patients and discerning that such practices were common in her field,[16] due to poor education and low professional standards,[15] she decided to leave the practice of naturopathy.[1]
She reported her boss to the Arizona authorities for importing and administering a non-FDA approved substance called ukrain to terminally ill cancer patients.[22][7] This naturopath, Michael Uzick, was given a letter of reprimand by the Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Board of Examiners.[23]
Hermes is now a Master of Science student in biomedicine at the University of Kiel in Germany.[1][4] She was born and raised in California.[7]
Advocacy
Hermes now advocates for science-based medicine.[15][2]
She contends that accredited naturopathic programs do not adequately train students to become competent medical practitioners.[1][15] She has described her experiences observing licensed naturopaths frequently misdiagnosing patients and providing inappropriate medical advice, such as advising against vaccinations and treating cancer with alternative methods.[1][16] Hermes’s views are consistent with previous criticisms of naturopathic education and practice.[8][9][24][7]
Hermes has pointed out that naturopathic organizations make misleading claims about the quality of naturopathic education in comparison to the training of medical doctors.[1][15][3] She opposes legislative efforts to expand the licensing of naturopaths and increase their medical scope of practice.[17] She does not believe naturopaths should be permitted to use the title "doctor" or "physician."[15][7]
After the parents of a Canadian toddler were convicted for failing to provide him with prudent medical care, which including seeking treatment by a naturopath in Alberta,[25] Hermes has called for governments to prohibit naturopaths from treating children.[15][16]
Hermes started a Change.org petition "Naturopaths are not doctors" to raise awareness of the shortcomings of naturopathic medicine and the naturopathic profession's political agenda.[7][26]
In addition to writing for her blog, Naturopathic Diaries, she has written for Science-Based Medicine[7][27] and KevinMD.[28]
References
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