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Britt Marie Hermes

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Britt Marie Hermes
Hermes speaking at QED 2016 in Manchester, England
Born
Britt Marie Deegan

1983 or 1984 (age 39–40)[1]
California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materBastyr University (N.D.)
Years active2011–2014 (naturopathic doctor); 2015–present (blogger)
Known forNaturopathy, scientific skepticism, blogger
WebsiteNaturopathicDiaries.com BrittMarieHermes.org

Britt Marie Hermes (née Deegan) is an American former naturopathic doctor who became a critic of naturopathy and alternative medicine.[2][3][4][5] She is the author of a blog, Naturopathic Diaries, where she writes about being trained and having practiced as a licensed naturopath and about the problems with naturopaths as medical practitioners.[1][6]

Hermes's writings offer rare insights into the education and practices of licensed naturopaths in North America,[1][7][8][9] and she is a powerful voice in taking on alternative medicine.[1][10] Hermes has been dubbed a whistleblower on the naturopathic profession[6][11] and a "naturopathic apostate".[1][9]

Early life, education and career

Hermes was born and grew up in California.[6] In high school, she suffered from psoriasis and became interested in natural medicine as a way to treat herself after a bad experience with a medical doctor, which led her to study naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington.[1][12]

Hermes received her N.D. in 2011 from Bastyr University.[2][13] She completed a one-year residency at a naturopathic clinic in Seattle focused on pediatrics and family medicine.[2][14] Prior to graduating from the N.D. program, Hermes travelled to Ghana and Nicaragua with other students from Bastyr to provide naturopathic care to rural communities.[15]

Hermes moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she worked in an outpatient naturopathic clinic.[2] 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,[14] she decided to leave the practice of naturopathy.[2]

She reported her boss, Michael Uzick, to the Arizona authorities for importing and administering a non-FDA approved substance called Ukrain to terminally ill cancer patients.[1][6][17] Uzick was given a letter of reprimand by the Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Board of Examiners.[18] Hermes characterized this disciplinary action as a "token punishment"[19] and a "slap on the wrist."[20] She reported that a former president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians recommended that she not report Uzick to the authorities, which cemented her departure from the naturopathic profession.[19][20][21]

As of May 2016, Hermes is a Master of Science student in biomedicine at the University of Kiel in Germany.[2][5] She studies the mammalian microbiome.[1]

Naturopathic Diaries

Hermes receiving the 2016 Ockham Award for Best Blog given by The Skeptic magazine at QED[1][22]

In 2015, Hermes started the blog, Naturopathic Diaries,[23] that is "aimed at contextualizing the false information proliferated by the naturopathic profession."[4] Hermes is concerned with a lack of informed consent when naturopaths practice and the failure of naturopaths to employ science-based medicine.[3][14] Her blog provides an insider's perspective on how naturopaths practice and are trained.[1][24] Naturopathic Diaries was given the 2016 Ockham Award for Best Blog by The Skeptic magazine.[22][1]

Hermes has documented that naturopathic organizations make misleading claims about naturopathic education in comparison to the training of medical doctors.[2][4][14] She contends that accredited naturopathic programs do not adequately prepare students to become competent medical practitioners.[2][14][25] Hermes argues that naturopaths are not able to recognize serious health conditions and treat according to the standard of care due to inadequate medical training.[14][16]

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.[2][16] She has characterized naturopathic methods, especially ones using vitamins and supplements, as lacking adequate scientific evidence and based on exaggerated health claims.[2][4][26] Hermes’s views are consistent with and elaborate upon previous criticisms of naturopathic education and practice.[6][7][9][24][27]

Advocacy

Hermes believes that naturopathic doctors are misrepresenting their medical competency to the public and lawmakers.[2][10][14] She maintains the following policy positions on the regulation of naturopathic doctors:

  • Naturopaths should not be permitted to use the title "doctor" or "physician" because this misleads patients into thinking naturopaths have sufficient medical training.[6][14]
  • Naturopaths should be prohibited from treating children.[10][14] She highlights the case of the Canadian toddler who died and whose parents faced criminal charges for not providing him with prudent medical care for his fatal bacterial meningitis, which included seeking treatment by a licensed naturopath in Alberta who prescribed him a tincture of echinacea.[14][16][27]
  • Naturopaths should not be granted medical licenses and where they are already licensed, their scope of practice should be reduced.[23][25]

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 of gaining licensure in 50 U.S. states by 2025 and participation in Medicare.[6][21][28] Naturopaths, including the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, have accused her of defamation against the naturopathic profession.[6][21]

Hermes also contributes to Science-Based Medicine,[6][29] KevinMD,[30] Science 2.0.,[31] and Forbes.[12][32]

Criticism

One site has criticised her to an extent. Brittmariehermesfactcheck.com has criticised her by pointing out inconsistencies.[33][34]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thielking, Megan (20 October 2016). "'Essentially witchcraft:' A former naturopath takes on the field". STAT. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Belluz, Julia (2 September 2015). "Why one naturopath quit after watching her peers treat cancer patients". Vox.
  3. ^ a b Spitzer, Gabriel. "This Ex-Naturopath Turned Back To Science-Based Medicine, And Paid A Price For It". Sound Effect. KPLU.
  4. ^ a b c d Haglage, Abby; Mak, Tim (25 May 2016). "Inside Donald Trump's vitamin 'scam'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b Robins, Rebecca (17 May 2016). "Funded by vitamin makers, naturopaths push to expand in US". STAT. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Senapathy, Kavin (31 May 2016). "Why is Big Naturopathy afraid of this lone whistleblower?". Forbes. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b Novella, Steven (10 March 2015). "Naturopathic Delusions". NeuroLogica. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ Campbell, Hank (13 September 2015). "Would the last naturopath to exit please turn out the lights?". American Council on Science and Health. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Gorski, David (13 March 2015). "A naturopathic "apostate" confirms that naturopathy is a pseudoscientific belief system". Respectful Insolence. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Hutchins, Aaron (11 January 2017). "Gluten-free baby: When parents ignore science". Maclean's. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  11. ^ Gentry, Carol (1 December 2016). "Despite Skeptics, Alternative Doctors 'Detoxifying' Blood With UV Rays". Health News Florida. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  12. ^ a b Mustain, Patrick (10 January 2017). "Doctors Hate Him! The One Weird Trick That Gave Us President Trump". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  13. ^ Hermes, Britt Marie (13 March 2015). "ND Confession, Part 1: Clinical training inside and out". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jim Brown (10 April 2016). "Former naturopathic doctor calls for an end to naturopathic pediatrics". The 180. CBC.
  15. ^ "'We're grateful for the chance to do this'". Bothell Reporter. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  16. ^ a b c d Kirkey, Sharon (4 April 2016). "Should naturopaths be restricted from treating children after tragic death of Alberta toddler?". National Post. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  17. ^ Hermes, Britt Marie (13 October 2016). "Naturopathic Medicine Week And The Problem of Endemic Quackery, Like Ozone Therapy". Forbes. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Dr. Michael Uzick disciplinary actions". Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  19. ^ a b Hermes, Britt Marie (21 June 2016). "How A Former Naturopath Can Help Unravel The Trickery of Alternative Medicine". Science 2.0. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  20. ^ a b Hermes, Britt Marie (29 January 2016). "The shocking confessions of a naturopathic doctor". KevinMD.com. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Ernst, Edzard (14 June 2016). "Naturopaths: rubbish at healthcare, excellent at character-assassination". Edzard Ernst. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  22. ^ a b "The Ockham Awards 2016". The Skeptic Magazine. 26 (2). 2016. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  23. ^ a b Bellamy, Jann (4 May 2015). "Naturopathic Diaries: Confessions of a Former Naturopath". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  24. ^ a b Lowe, Derek (25 October 2016). "Regrets of a Naturopath". In the Pipeline. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  25. ^ a b Iranpour, Neda (23 March 2016). "Should Naturopathic Doctors Have More Rights?". CW6 San Diego. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  26. ^ Mills, David (2 June 2016). "Exactly How Bogus Were Those 'Trump Vitamins'". Healthline. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  27. ^ a b Cliche, Jean-François (2 May 2016). "Interdire la naturopathie aux moins de 18 ans?" [Prohibit naturopathy to those under 18 years?]. La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  28. ^ Novella, Steven (24 May 2016). "Naturopaths are not doctors". NeuroLogica. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  29. ^ Britt Hermes. "Author archive". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  30. ^ Britt Marie Hermes, ND. "Author archive". KevinMD.com. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  31. ^ "Britt Marie Hermes". Science 2.0. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  32. ^ Hermes, Britt Marie. "Britt Marie Hermes". Forbes. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britt Marie Hermes Factcheck.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Unkown. "Unknown writer". Retrieved March 29, 2017. {{cite web}}: Text "Britt Marie Hermes Factcheck" ignored (help)
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