Today we’d like to introduce you to Ari Kasprowicz.
Ari, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From a young age, I new I wanted to land a job in the healthcare field. Having grown up on the East Coast, I wasn’t familiar with anything other than Western Medicine, so naturally, that is what I found myself working towards while in college. At that time, I was a scholarship athlete for a D1 running program. The pressure to perform both in school and on the track was in full charge, and I very quickly ran myself into the ground. Having suffered injury after injury, serious illness, and being shuffled around from doctor to doctor, I soon began to realize this system of healthcare is broken.
A 10-day bout of hospitalization from pneumonia and a stress fracture in my sacrum was enough to earn me a medical disqualification from running. This was both the biggest devastation and biggest blessing that could come my way. My dreams of running professionally had been squashed, but I had finally been given the “wake up call” to realize that:
A) My health was on a steep decline, and my lifestyle and approach to health MUST change immediately to prevent any further damage.
B) The current Western healthcare system is not designed to adequately support a state of “health”. It is reactive rather than proactive, it suppresses symptoms rather than treating the root cause, it is great at acute but lacks the tools and the time to treat the chronic.
This lack of optimal care is at no fault of the doctors, rather the system within which they work. However, I knew instantly that I didn’t want to work within that system. I also knew that I wanted to be able to utilize tools, such as exercise and nutrition to help my future patients achieve a greater state of health. It was at that point that my academic counselor recommended that I look into Naturopathic Medicine, a profession that I had never heard of before that time. After 3 hours of research, I felt instantly that this profession was made for me!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
On my road to becoming a doctor, I would say, Yes. I’ve been blessed with a relatively “smooth road.” I was lucky enough to excel in medical school, have the honor to work with a number of great mentors, and have been given incredible job opportunities.
In my health journey, not at all. For me, this very intimately ties into my profession and has shaped me into the doctor I am today. It is what drives my passion to help my patients and has given me profound insight into aspects of health that I would not otherwise have. From developing an autoimmune disorder to being told for over 10 years that I’ll never be able to bear children, to suffer from adult acne (and much more), I’ve had quite a “rocky road.” Once again, I view all of my health challenges as blessings. There is no greater motivation to become an expert in something, than in an area where you are struggling yourself.
My biggest advice to women out there who are just starting their journey is that it is just that: “A journey.” With any journey, there are bumps in a road and will be a wrong turn or two. Take every challenge and setback that you face as a blessing, because those challenges are truly what help you evolve both as a professional and as a person. It may sound cheesy, but it is true! When you fail at something, you have been given a second opportunity to study that situation and try again. The more you struggle, the more you learn; the more you learn, the closer to an expert you become. Not only does this help you excel, but it also allows you to help others in a similar situation. In essence, setbacks can build both humility and excellence… so embrace them!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Beyond Optimal – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a Naturopathic Doctor who loves hormone balancing, autoimmune disorders, natural dermatology, gastrointestinal health, and cardiovascular medicine. Broad range, right? Well yes, because as a Naturopathic Doctor, I see the individual as a whole person, understanding that all systems are intimately connected. Each of these areas or health mentioned, I’ve struggled with personally. Working through my own complex case, I’ve come to love connecting the dots in other complex cases. With a background in research, there is nothing more exciting to me than a case where I don’t initially know the all the answers. I never shy from a challenge, and I genuinely look to gain new insight from each and every patient.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
As a physician, you’re forced into a role of leadership. It is your job to lead your patient to a state of health. Being both female and younger than the majority of my patient population, I’ve definitely dealt with insecurities in this authoritative role. In our field, it is very important that your patients are absolutely CONVINCED in your recommendations, as the treatment requires much effort on the patient’s part. If a patient has any lingering doubt, the therapy won’t be followed through as recommended.
I was recently told by a male colleague of mine that he has seen many extremely intelligent female doctors fail by being “too empathetic.” He went on to encourage me to go in my future visits with 1) confidence 2) poise 3) authority 4) evidence and 5) a strong delivery.
Fortunately, I’ve found that many of my patients aren’t phased by my gender or my age. However, I can also say that I’ve taken my colleagues recommendations to heart and have seen much better patient compliance, especially with my male clientele.
Pricing:
- Initial Comprehensive Consultation: $275-290
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beyondoptimalnutrition.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.arikasprowicz/
Image Credit:
Brooke Ziegler, Matthew Calhoun
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