Dr. Julia BuchkinaMD, MPH · Family Medicine Physician · Functional Medicine
Looks for the root cause instead of a one-size-fits-all protocol, takes two hours for a first visit, and is upfront that functional medicine is slow medicine.
The conversation
16 minutes with host Joe Brown. Start anywhere: chapters on the right.
- 0:00Functional medicine: getting to the root cause
- 0:39Welcome & meet Dr. Julia Buchkina
- 1:16What to look for in a functional medicine doctor
- 2:02Green flags & red flags
- 4:16What functional medicine is (and isn't)
- 5:53What happens at your first appointment
- 8:07When your labs keep coming back normal
- 9:39The first food change: alcohol & sugar
- 10:58Why she avoids the word "diet"
- 12:29Working with a health coach
- 14:18Why it's "slow medicine"
- 15:22Wrap-up
For general information, not a substitute for advice from your own doctor.
How she thinks
about care
- Education
- MD and MPH, University of Iowa
- Residency
- Family medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
- Certification
- Functional medicine certification, Institute for Functional Medicine
- Practice
- Founder, Upstream Functional Medicine, Iowa City
Background from upstreamfm.com.
Dr. Julia Buchkina, MD, MPH, is a family medicine physician who practices functional medicine and the founder of Upstream Functional Medicine in downtown Iowa City. She earned her medical degree and master's in public health at the University of Iowa, completed her family medicine residency at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, and earned her functional medicine certification from the Institute for Functional Medicine. Before starting Upstream, she worked as an academic family doctor.
Her practice looks for the root causes of what's making a patient feel unwell. First visits run about two hours, after detailed intake paperwork covering personal and family history. As a physician she can prescribe medication when it's appropriate, and she builds nutrition plans with a health coach who helps patients put them into practice day to day.
Summary written by Top Providers from her podcast interview and her practice website.
In her words
Verbatim from her podcast interview.
Functional medicine is getting to the root causes of what is making you sick.Dr. Julia Buchkina, Top Providers Podcast
One green flag is that they don't use the same protocol on everybody.Dr. Julia Buchkina, Top Providers Podcast
I try to avoid the word diet, because there's so much stigma with just the word diet.Dr. Julia Buchkina, Top Providers Podcast
It's really important that people know that functional medicine is not a quick fix.Dr. Julia Buchkina, Top Providers Podcast
Clips
Under a minute each, cut straight from the interview.
Shorts0:36What functional medicine actually is
Her plain-English definition of functional medicine, and her answer to a common question: isn't that what all doctors are trying to do? General information, not medical advice.
Shorts0:30Green flag: no one-size-fits-all plan
Why the same diagnosis can have different causes in different people, and why she sees one plan for everyone as something to notice.
Shorts0:23Labs normal, but you still don't feel well?
She hears this often and calls it legitimately frustrating. How you feel is worth talking through with a doctor who listens, even when your results look fine.
Shorts0:43Why she avoids the word "diet"
Why she talks about a long-term nutrition plan instead of a short-term diet that feels like punishment.
Shorts0:28Not a quick fix
Why she calls functional medicine "slow medicine," and why she wants patients to know that before a first visit. Everyone is different.
The practice
Details checked against upstreamfm.com.
Upstream Functional Medicine
Serves Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa.
- Address
- 221 E College St, Suite 211, Iowa City, IA 52240
- Phone
- (319) 471-4727
- Hours
- Monday–Friday9 AM – 7 PM
Keep listening
