Submitted
Dr. Dave Hamilton
Helping the Body Heal Itself By Jennifer Poff Cooper
Naturopathic medicine is an up-and-coming form of treatment that individualizes patient care. “Everyone is a puzzle,” said Dr. David Hamilton, Naturopathic Physician, and putting together the pieces is his favorite part of the job. “We meet people where they are,” said Hamilton, whose practice is called Of The Earth Wellness. Part of that is addressing not just patients’ health concerns but integrating the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, which all need to be in balance, according to Hamilton, a Tidewater native who completed his undergraduate work at Lynchburg College (now Lynchburg University). He began
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medical school at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Blacksburg but took a leave of absence for family reasons. He found that getting back there required “jumping through a lot of hoops,” so when a mentor suggested naturopathic medicine, he was intrigued. He investigated the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona and found the first two years were exactly like a traditional medical school. He moved west in 2008 to enroll in their four-year, federally accredited doctoral program.