Holistic medicine—Benefits for the physician and the patient

Being a long-time supporter of holism in medicine, I was pleased to read the editorial on holistic Indigenous medicine[1] but was chagrined to read the article about our pediatrician colleagues’ struggles with pediatric mental health.[2] The editorial on Indigenous health spoke of a proud and empowered re-emergence into a larger, more inclusive Two-Eyed Seeing medical model. Pediatricians, on the other hand, seem to be sinking into heartbreak and dispiritedness. Would more helpers be the solution? Who could afford them? I think that as heartfelt practitioners, we are all stymied at this point. What will this 60% of the pediatrician population look like in 10 to 15 years? Who will family physicians be seeing in their offices?

Most Indigenous medicine philosophies (e.g., First Nations, Taoist, Vedic, Tibetan) are wisdom based and holistic. They originate from a nondual experience of reality. From that point of view, the world is sacred, interconnected, friendly (i.e., discerning but not against), and generous (i.e., basically good). What if medical students were continuously exposed to and tutored in this path of self-cultivation (i.e., “Physician, heal thyself”; e.g., Ken Wilber’s integral theory to grow up, clean up, wake up, and show up, or other traditional models found in tantra, shamanism, etc.) alongside their traditional Western training? It boggles the mind! Yet, marinating in this Two-Eyed Seeing approach for 6+ years might strengthen young physicians, giving them resilience and humor—the heart and the spirit we are seeking—and enabling them to stand in the chaos of suffering and proclaim “I am the doctor and I am the medicine.”
—Jim Tucker, MD
Victoria

This letter was submitted in response to “Traditional medicines and healing practices” and “Community-based consultant pediatrician perspectives on child and youth mental health in British Columbia.”

References

1.    Aldred T. Traditional medicines and healing practices. BCMJ 2026;68:6-7.

2.    Schrewe B, Tsai S, Evoy B. Community-based consultant pediatrician perspectives on child and youth mental health in British Columbia. BCMJ 2026;68:29-35.