To not want to see a GP who had a qualification in Homeopathy?

[cordiality]

I've been offered an appointment with a newnGP at my surgery instead of my usual one, 'as she's a woman' (not that I requested that, but that's another issue entirely!)

I looked her up on their website and, among other specialities, she is a qualified homeopathic practioner.

Am I BU to think that you either practice mainstream medicine or homeopathy (which I, possibly wrongly, consider as being a bit 'woo') and to think that she's not the sort of doctor I would want to see?

Am perfectly open to being told I'm wrong by the way!

"IF you were a total atheist, and knew your GP was religious would that be different? They believe in something you believe to be "woo" so does that make them incapable of prescribing medicine?"

I'm a life-long non-believer and no, I wouldn't mind being treated by a religious doctor because his belief in God would not be proof positive that he has slept through chemistry, biology pharmacology and all other related lessons. Which he would have to, in order to think homeopathy can possibly work.

YABU and prejudiced, since you haven't had an appointment with this doctor yet.

Not sure why posters are homing in on the homeopathic qualification rather than the training required to become a GP - presumably she spent longer on her conventional training. And you don't know what her views on homeopathy are in relation to her views on traditional medicine.

I would say she's definitely worth seeing, because her different qualifications make her sound interesting and possibly quite open-minded. Not that I believe in homeopathy myself. Also any other doctors you see might well have views on medicine that aren't necessarily the same as yours.

i suspect that by now the op has been told how unreasnable she is being.

extra qualifications wont detract from the fact that she is a qualified doctor and gp. Would you refuse to see her because she had also done a flower arranging class? or believed in open marriages? whatever, as long as she is qualified and certified to do the job, then you are being some sort of ist.

A scientist?

Homeopathy is in direct opposition to science, to chemistry, physics, and biology. Flower arranging is not.

I would not want a creationist teaching my children Biology, I would not want a conspiricy theorist teaching History, I would not want a Scientologist midwife and I do not want a homeopathic doctor.

OGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh LONGTALLJOSIE QUOTE OF THE WEEK FOR YOU PLEASE!

Longtalljosie

Quidco - No, actually, the majority seem to be saying YANBU.

My Dad is both a GP and a Homeopath. He is the least "woo" person I know.

really cote? how unMN of mumsnetters

Acupuncture is as proven as homeopathy - ie, not proven at all.

In studies, people were just as likely to "improve" when an actor stuck needles in them randomly, as when so called trained acupuncturists stuck them in the "proper" places.

To answer your question OP - I don't know. I'd like to say I'd give a GP who believed in homeopathy a try (after all, lots of very intelligent and qualified people believe in all sorts of silly things without it impacting on their efficiency at work), but given a straight choice between a "woo" one and a sensible one, I'd probably end up going to the sensible one.

I can't remember when the programme was on TV (some years ago) but I do remember it being about homeopathic vets. A farmer had treated half his herd of cows with allopathic drugs and half with homeopathic and the ones treated with homeopathy had less mastitis than the others. I don't think cows know the difference so I felt that even if it wasn't definitive, it was interesting and left me with a more open attitude.

I have also read that homeopaths take more interest in you as a whole person and not just the first symptom you present, so it could be that this doctor will " hear" you properly.

I have no personal experience with homeopaths - never been able to afford one, or had a GP with the training.

the op says the doctor is qualified in homeopathy, not that she believes in homeopathy. Big difference. Just ask my sister, a surgeon who wouldnt have surgery on her own foot after snapping her achilles tendon, or for pain in her shoulder. She would happily suggest it to patients on the nhs because as a trained doctor and surgeon, its one of the treatment options she is duty bound to do, but refused it for herself because of the number of problems she had seen with it.

That M&W link should have come with a warning! I almost passed out laughing

She must be worried about us all going a bit terroristy then, since they buried Osama Bin Laden at sea.

Longtalljosie Nice one! :o

quidco, the op says the doctor is qualified in homeopathy, not that she believes in homeopathy.

You mean she memorised all their woo and pretended to think it made sense in order to fool the instructors and examiners. She did this to get another qualification which she has no intention of ever using since she knows it's fake.

Does this sound likely and if it were would you trust such a person?

Naetha - If you dad is not "woo", how exactly does he reconcile his scientific GP training & knowledge of pharmacology, biology, chemistry and the complete & utter lack of proof, not to mention a rational explanation, of homeopathy?

at BitOfFun.

A homeopathic GP who is firstly qualified as a GP, then separately as a homeopath, will be interested in the cause of your symptoms and won't just slap drugs on the symptoms. That's got to be better in my book. A homeopathic GP will also ask you if you would like to be treated conventionally or with homeopathy and will honour your choice.

YABU

"A homeopathic GP who is firstly qualified as a GP, then separately as a homeopath, will be interested in the cause of your symptoms and won't just slap drugs on the symptoms."

This undertone on many of the pro-homeopathy comments that only a homeopath is interested in doing anything other than throwing drugs at a patient is without foundation. Any good GP will be interested in the cause of your symptoms. If you have a GP who isn't then you should ditch them (even if they are quite clear that homeopathy is "woo"). On the other hand, having someone interested in the cause of your symptoms who isn't swayed by evidence isn't particularly helpful from a medical perspective.

Agh! Again, I don't think it is SAFE to present a choice between conventional treatment and homeopathy as equivalent. Because they fucking aren't.

A GP who thinks that giving a hug and some water to a patient is ok rather than advising them based on evidence isn't worth seeing. Don't get me wrong - I think some doctors would do well to start taking a more holistic approach to their patients BUT that does not include getting all tree huggy and abandoning the core principles of the medical profession. At the heart of it doctors are scientists and my job is to help patients get medical treatment not line the fucking pockets of a hooey organisation that believes that dilution is the solution to the world's ills.

BTW Springy I am interested in the cause of symptoms thank you very much. I'd be a pretty shit doctor if I wasn't.

YANBU

Avoid. A doctor who doesn't understand science. Crazy.

I'm not interested in homeopathy at all but a doctor could very well present alternative treatment choices whilst spelling out the fact that homeopathy isn't scientifically tested to patients.

Perhaps patients want to hear more about this kind of stuff. Not necessarily take it as treatment.

Most people have access to google and can take themselves to a qualified homeopath. If they are rich enough to fart about taking time off work for stuff that doesn't work instead of having appropriate treatment, they are rich enough to go to a private homeopath and stop wasting NHS resources.

at the idea of a qualified homeopath. It's really important to be properly qualified before you give people some water.