Dr. Hilts Achieves Official Certification in Functional Medicine

 

Starting in 2018, I began taking the series of courses offered by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). At first, I thought this training would mainly help me with my most complex, hard-to-diagnose patients. But the further I got into the training, the more I realized something important: every patient benefits from being viewed through a functional medicine lens — not just those with complicated conditions, but healthy patients too.

I finished the course series in 2021 but have continued advancing my training since then, including completing my Personalized Medicine certifications. I wanted to pursue the highest level of training available in functional medicine specifically, so this year I decided to complete the certification process by taking IFM's comprehensive 4-hour examination. After months of studying and three more months of waiting for results, I'm pleased to announce that I am now an IFM-certified physician.

Why This Matters to You

This certification isn't just a credential — it reflects a continued commitment to getting to the root of your health concerns, rather than simply treating symptoms as they appear. My goal has never been just to help you avoid illness. It's to help you truly thrive.

That's also why I've chosen to integrate functional medicine into my family practice rather than convert to a stand-alone functional medicine model, as many practices do today. This means you can access this deeper, more root-cause-focused approach to care while keeping it part of an ongoing, affordable relationship — not a specialty service reserved for a few.

And that continuity matters. Functional medicine works best as an ongoing relationship, not a one-time fix. My aim isn't to treat a single issue and move on — it's to walk with you through your health over time, addressing what's not optimal before it becomes a bigger problem, and keeping you well for the long run.

For those interested, the certification requirements are rigorous. To achieve this designation, a physician must complete:

• The foundational Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP) course.
• All six Advanced Practice Modules (covering Gastrointestinal, Environmental Health, Immune, Hormone, Cardiometabolic, and Bioenergetics).
• A comprehensive 4-hour written certification examination.

Please reach out if you have any questions about this exciting announcement.

Have a great day!

Dr. Hilts