[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi  – ok so this really depends on what you want to be learning/working, how long you want to study for, what you can afford, and where your current nutrition/functional medicine education is at.

Some basic nutrition education is recommended before jumping into functional medicine education.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend you look at basic nutrition programs first. A few B Better members are studying at IIN – it’s the most well known nutrition health coaching program. I personally preferred studying at Nutritional Therapy Association (NTP) and can say it was a turning point for me. No prior nutrition education is needed, which is why it’s a great starting place for many with an interest in getting into this field. I loved the depth of information they taught us. I also did the “functional” track which allowed me to also learn hands-on clinical skills. I had to travel 3 times that year to the US and Canada for hands-on clinical workshops and exams. But if you’re not planning on working with clients 1-1 in person, then this won’t be necessary. A fully online/remote option is available.

From there, you can add functional medicine certifications or programs that help with labwork interpretation. Many NTP graduates continue with Restorative Wellness Solutions (RWS). But some choose Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN).

If you’re looking for a certified title (certified nutritionist) that allows you to register with the health authority and work in clinical settings, then I would encourage you to go the University route. The University of Western States has an online masters program in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. I did consider this program, but opted for the School of Applied Functional Medicine instead because I did not care for the degree/title.

I’m not familiar with the one you suggested above, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. There are so many options today which is great to see. Maybe @Daniel  can also suggest a few different FM schools.

But what I highly recommend you do is put together an excel sheet to compare the many different schools and what they offer. Include columns for curriculums, accreditation, pricing, program duration, online/offline, etc. and once you narrow it down based on your needs, contact those schools and ask for student referrals. Speak to other students who have gone through those programs.

I’m also going to ping @Bahareh  who recently started stuying functional medicine as well. She is in a similar situation to you in terms of just starting out, so I’m sure she’ll also have some interesting insights to share with you.

I’m excited for you!! Let’s keep the conversation going.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

I’m so excited for you. It seems like you’ve found your new calling!! Welcome to the #foreverstudent club!! You’ll never stop learning in this field. 😊