Still, one trend among M.D.'s practicing alternative medicine is not good news and that is the tendency of some medical doctors to embrace the techniques of alternative medicine without the spirit and ethos of a holistic approach to health care. This particular group of doctors who call themselves "alternative medical doctors" define alternative medicine simply as any treatment "not widely taught at U.S. medical schools or generally available at U.S. hospitals."8 Patients who are treated by these physicians have no guarantee that such a doctor using alternative treatments will also treat them in the spirit of a holistic approach to health care. Such a doctor may not treat their patients as human beings or even be interested in their thoughts and feelings about treatment. These doctors, even though they may be using alternative/unconventional techniques, may still see you only as a diagnosis — not as a person.

The fact is that this can be true for any practitioner of any alternative medical treatments, not just medical doctors. The difference is that most practitioners of alternative medical systems and modalities are, more often than not, committed to the ethos of the holistic approach to health care. They are taught to use this approach as the rationale for the application of the techniques of alternative medicine in which they are trained.

In other words, because most systems and modalities of alternative medicine are rooted in an ethos similar to those outlined above by the AHMA, the chances are much higher that a practitioner trained in an alternative system or modality of healing will have incorporated an appreciation for these ethics as part of their training and have a deep commitment to them in his or her practice.

This may not be the case for the Western-trained conventional biomedical doctor who, historically, has had no training in applying the principles that make up the ethos of a holistic approach to health care. In fact, some conventional doctors are now taking courses to learn the techniques of alternative medicine without training to appreciate the ethos of holistic approach to treatment so vital for the healthy application of alternative treatments.

Butch Levy, M.D., L.Ac., of Lakewood, Colorado, and a competently trained and licensed acupuncturist, agrees and says, "Most western doctors have a hard time letting go of their Western paradigm, which is the basis of their medical education, so they can really learn a new way of healing. If they cannot do this, even for a little while, they cannot gain a new understanding. They need to learn to say, 'I understand this concept. Now I have to go on and learn a different way to think as opposed to adapting alternative medicine to how Western medicine thinks it should be.'" 9

Regrettably, a lot of Western doctors are afraid to do this — to learn another system of medicine on the terms on which it was developed. In order for M.D.'s to practice "high quality" alternative medicine, they have to be willing to change not only what they have been doing, but also how they view the body, what healing is, and the role that a patient plays in the healing process.

Dr. Levy made an initial commitment to do just that when he began studying Chinese medicine. He says, "When I studied Chinese medicine, I made a commitment to myself not to bring a Western paradigm to my study. I went into it saying, 'I don't know anything about this. I have to be willing to start over again. I am going to learn this based on how the Oriental people view this, rather than trying to turn this medicine into conventional medicine or "Western" medicine using Eastern concepts.'"10 Unfortunately the broad scope of practice granted to an M.D. by their license allows them to take short, consolidated courses on complex systems of alternative medicine and then immediately offer them to the public. Dr. Levy feels, "No one, not even an M.D., can just take a weekend course in acupuncture and really call him- or herself a competent acupuncturist. I think this practice of M.D.'s taking quick classes and then practicing alternative techniques without responsible training is an important issue for both the public and the state licensing bodies to look at."11