In the last couple of years, CMFIM has partnered with the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) to offer a number of scholarships to medical practitioners to study complementary medicine. This program kicked off in 2020; however, before it could get truly going, COVID put a temporary stop to our rollout as teaching events had to be cancelled several times.
In early 2020 we offered the inaugural scholarship to Dr Julie Sladden, a Tasmanian GP; in early 2022 we have offered scholarships to two GPs, Dr Deepa Mahananda in NSW and Dr David Turton in WA, to undertake the Foundations in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (NEM) course (parts 1 & 2) with ACNEM. Because of ongoing COVID concerns for face-to-face teaching the course is now held online.
Scholarship recipients
Dr Julie Sladden
Dr Julie Sladden works as a non-VR GP with her Dermatologist husband at TasDerm in Launceston, Tasmania, providing Nutritional, Lifestyle and Gut Health advice to general and dermatology patients. She holds occasional community talks (eg on the role of nutrition in health and disease) and is working on building relationships with local like-minded health care practitioners.
“Since returning to work as a GP after suffering with breast cancer and an autoimmune disease, I was forced to reconsider how I practised medicine. Endless reading and research opened up the world of nutritional and environmental medicine and I learned how to restore my own health in ways I had not been taught in medical school. Since then I seem to have gathered a following of patients who have been experiencing the positive health effects of changing their diet, environment and lifestyle.
“Over the past few years I have yearned to gain a more solid foundation to complement my reading, research and the odd course/webinar. I am well aware there are significant holes in my knowledge that need addressing if I am to provide my patients with the best possible information, guidance and treatment that I can.
“By undertaking the NEM course I hope to address my knowledge gaps, develop a solid foundation in nutritional and environmental medicine from which to better serve the community, and to help contribute to the growth of this area through education, teaching and building awareness.
“I plan to integrate this new knowledge into my practice by providing more comprehensive care for my patients. This includes expanding the services we offer at the practice for those suffering with chronic immune and dermatology conditions, so that we can offer truly holistic care.”
Dr Deepa Mahananda
Dr Deepa Mahananda is a Director and Principal Doctor at Sydney Low Carb Specialists located in Castle Hill, NSW. She co-founded this clinic 2.5 years ago after seeing the great improvements her patients were able to achieve using a 'food as medicine' approach with conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, hypertension, obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome and menopause. The focus of her current practice is to use the spectrum of therapeutic carbohydrate restriction of prevent and manage chronic health conditions as well as optimise general health and wellbeing. This has involved extensive self-directed education through attendance at relevant medical conferences, completing online courses and reviewing the literature to develop an understanding of the full spectrum of low carbohydrate diets, including ketogenic diets.
Dr Deepa is a Board Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist (credential achieved through the American Nutrition Association and Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She has attained the Sexual Health & Family Planning Certificate as well as Diploma in Child Health (University of Sydney). Dr Deepa graduated from Western Sydney University in 2012 and completed her junior medical officer training at Concord, Canterbury and Broken Hill hospitals. She is passionate about teaching and is a Conjoint Lecturer with Western Sydney University. She is currently leading an educational network for low carb practising GPs in Sydney.
"In the next stage of my career, I would like to not just treat disease but also assist my patients to achieve longevity while maintaining good quality of life. To engage in this work, I believe it is vital to expand my knowledge in the field of nutritional and environmental medicine as these are areas which were not emphasised in the curriculum in medical school or general practice training.
"While I have practised in the cardiometabolic and nutrition space for some time, I am cognisant that my knowledge base remains limited with regards to the gut microbiome, mental health biochemical pathways, immune dysfunction and environmental triggers of health conditions, specifically endocrine disruptors. Additionally further education regarding mould toxin and heavy metals would greatly benefit my patients in whom there are symptoms which appear to be related to such environmental exposures."
Dr David Turton
Dr David Turton is working at Medicann Clinics, where he offers medicinal cannabis consultations; and at Western Australian Deputising Medical Service, doing home visits and telehealth consultations. Among his special interests he lists integrative and complementary medicine, chronic disease prevention, and mental wellbeing.
“Five years ago, I went through my own personal crisis – I stepped away from the conventional role of doctor for two years. I embarked on a journey of healing and self-exploration. Since this time I’ve been continually expanding and embodying the foundations of wellbeing – my evolving health philosophy has led me to a number of daily self-care practices: meditation, breathing techniques, eating high quality nourishing food and water (including liberal use of herbs and spices), avoiding toxins in/on my body, moving my body, ‘feeding my microbiomes’, managing stress and living for the present moment, getting adequate sun and sleep, cultivating a compassionate relationship with myself, practising an attitude of gratitude/humility/integrity, practising awareness of my thoughts and conditioned mind, among many other strategies, including keeping an open mind to the spectrum of healing modalities that exist. Following these principles has made me vastly more serviceable to patients (as per their testimonies) – these practices (in conjunction with conventional medicine) form the staple of what I teach and encourage patients and other practitioners to aspire to. NEM encapsulates so much of what I value and embody. As far as integration, I practise daily what I advocate for, to friends, family, strangers, and patients – it is a way of life! Expanding my approach to wellness via NEM will serve me and others in general practice, integrative practice and daily life.
“I have the deepest desire to assist people to optimize their health and wellbeing through a range of modalities. The last eight years as a doctor have taught me, above anything, that prevention and lifestyle medicine is the key to reducing and preventing dis-ease and promoting a healthy purposeful existence. I intend to be at the forefront of delivering this and I require a strong foundation in nutritional and lifestyle medicine. NEM is the first step in this process.
“Achieving the best quality of life by using a wholistic approach to wellbeing – now there’s a noble goal! Rarely in life there is a panacea, a single remedy for every problem – medicine is no exception – wellbeing therefore is a fusion of different habits, practices and remedies. While a country boy at heart, I’ve made Perth city my home while I build and integrate a robust philosophy of health and wellbeing. To the degree that I have suffered, I stand committed to assist others to extricate themselves from suffering, be it mental physical, emotional or spiritual. My passions lie in helping people prevent and reverse illness and manage their mind, for the best life possible. An integrated approach lies at the heart of my philosophy and I continue to expand my thought horizons day by day. Until the country calls me home, I remain humbly assisting people to transform their lives. I am most grateful to the Chris Miller Foundation for supporting my journey.”
