More about Dr. Clark
I figured we should get more acquainted before you start clicking around my site so firstly, welcome and thanks for dropping in! My full name is Melissa Clark and I was born and raised in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. You may have to give that one a google to find it, but in case you’re feeling lazy its about 15 minutes south of Calgary…and if you don’t know Calgary either then let’s just put a pin in this and check it out later, geography wasn’t my strongest subject either!
Let me answer some questions you may be asking yourself so that we can feel less like acquaintances and more like friends:
Why did I start this website? Well, it’s been a bit of a brainchild of mine for a while and the more I learnt in school, the more eager I became to start sharing that knowledge. So here I am, with a webpage where I can share what I’ve learnt in my career, what my aspirations are as a physician and how I hope to help make the world of healthcare a better place. Additionally, I hope to help inspire you to learn more about your own health so that together we can raise the bar for current doctors and move toward a more collaborative and integrative future.
Why did I choose Naturopathic Medicine? I’m so glad you asked! You may have your own experience with naturopathic medicine or maybe you’ve never heard of it so, I am happy to shed some light onto why I chose this path. I’ve always been interested in pursuing health care. I was injured a lot as an athlete growing up and grew to really love the doctors I got to meet and work with while I healed - so I thought “hey, I’d really love to give back”. When I did my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia I ensured that I took all the prerequisites for medical school and began my path towards becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, I ran into my own health struggles and felt frustrated with the options given. With this frustration I searched for another answer and thus I came across my first Naturopathic Doctor (ND). She sat down with me for an hour and half when we first met, asking about all aspects of my health history and really digging deep into my current condition - at the time I was so surprised that she cut out so much time of her day just to hear my story and to really listen to me. She offered me different blood tests/assays that no other physician had, simply because of her different perspective on my condition. With the results of these tests and some simple changes in my DIET (yes, just what I was eating) I was completely changed. It was in this moment that my goals in medicine changed and I looked deeper into naturopathic medicine. What I found was six principles that NDs follow to guide them through their patient-doctor relationship which really spoke to me. This was a different approach that I had yet to experience and it offered a new perspective where a doctor looks at the patient as a whole and attempts to treat the root cause of their ailment. I was SOLD…and well here I am in my second year, immersed in this alternative path to healing. More details to come in future posts, but I hope this helps shed some light as to why I chose this field!
What kind of information do you plan on sharing? Another fabulous question! I currently specialize in endocrinology and hope to help empower more patients to hop into the driver seat of their health. I plan to share small tidbits of information that can help you with your specific condition and/or overall health. Please know that although I am a doctor, I may not be your doctor and thus it is always important to consult your healthcare provider being starting any new treatment!
I hope you’re feeling as though we are better friends by now - as always if you have any questions for me then feel free to drop into my direct messages on instagram! I look forward to connecting with you more!