Well, most prescription drugs come from nature, like penicillin from orange peels and taxol from yews. If it makes you feel better, there's a pharmacist here who started a series of comics and books against pseudo-science, it's called "The Pharmafist", it's really nice and funny, and it's accessible to most people. here's the URL: [thepharmafist.com]

As for anti-vaxers, faith healing practitioners and homeopathy fanatics, there's not much to do, facts and logic can't fight faith and conspiracy theories, unfortunately, or we'd be a whole lot more on this website.

Natural medicine has some good points. eating right and all that. remember that medicine started as a natural science. Mixing different natural ingredients to create a cure (chemistry). Things that were thought to be magic and witchcraft are not understood to be chemical reactions and medications are formed. There is a difference between drinking some teas with healing properties and eating fruits with high amounts of vitamin c's to battle a cold and being stupid and trying that same remedy as a cure for pneumonia. One can change his or her diet and exercise as a way to control diabetes. That to me is still part of modern medicine. However if the doctor says you have an advance form of a disease, a few leaves and diet is not the way to go. Take your medicine,

I am an advocate for natural remedies when appropriate. That being said, I do not go that route anymore as I have stage 4 kidney disease and don't want to chance a natural remedy shutting down my kidneys. What a lot of people seem believe is that natural means harmless. Just because it is a natural remedy does NOT mean it will not harm your body. Also, if you have any chronic illnesses it is best not to try any natural remedies without consulting a physician.

As an AML survivor I have a lot to say about bedside manner. As a patient on and off for 3 long years in a teaching hospital-a good one-Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon,NH physicians should pay more attention to the patient's wishes. If a patient expresses a need, interest or fear the physician should respect that. The worst pain I ever received was when a med student literally yanked a valve out of my back after catherization for fluid in the lungs. He refused my pleas for anesthesia/pain killer and told me to hum. I will never trust again. You may be a physician just starting out-but the patient is their own boss. Anyone else agree?

It is with the utmost respect that I wright to you and applaud your dedication in the medical field! As you are aware great strides have been made in every aspect of medicine, some from research and others from field observations. I urge you not to discount alternative forms of healing as they are brought to your attention. Aspirin was a natural medicine as was heroin & many other drugs. Chinese medicine as been proven effective and though different complements our studies. Continue on your path Doctor as a healer and a student.
Respectfully John C. Manning
PS I teach T'ai Chi Ch'uan

I agree entirely with your concerns. Please try to have the caring and respectful directness to teel your patents (when needed) that they are being damned fools, when they are. I will never forget a daring and blunt doctor I had who was a survivor of the Bataan death march. Also, please join forces with all forces you can to blunt the greed of the pharmaceutical companies. The best of luck! Do good!