Dr. Brendan McCarthy

Class of 2006

I knew about naturopathic medicine when I lived in Seattle, but I didn’t know if I wanted to spend so much time in school at that point in my life. I went to acupuncture school when I moved to Hawaii and studied Chinese medicine. I really enjoyed the biochemistry classes, but I realized that I would be limited to what I was going to learn and what I was able to do. This was the moment I had to decide about making a big investment in my life; a lot of times you don’t go to school again after you have a family and certain success.

My wife was the one behind my decision to go back to school. She gave me so much support and told me to follow my dream. Naturopathic medicine always felt right—it always seemed like I was made to do it, but I never fully knew it until I did acupuncture school, researched more about it, and started really getting into alternative medicine.

While I was going through the admissions process, the staff at Sonoran made me feel really wanted. They were excited to have me and I was excited to become a student. I was also excited about the philosophy and about the goodness of naturopathic medicine. I started the Naturopathic Society my first quarter, started N-ACT my second quarter, and during the rest of my time there, I raised funds and worked hard to bring awareness to naturopathic medicine. It was an exciting time to have the opportunities to be involved.

Several members of the faculty became my closest mentors, and I have remained friends with them to this day. Sonoran’s president, Dr. Paul Mittman, was always accessible to me and helped me with ideas for fundraising and anything else I was involved in. When I was a student starting out in 2003, Dr. Mittman and the board of trustees were tossing around the idea of constructing this new building. Now, their dream has become a reality. Sonoran is a top-notch institution and the new Community Commons Building is a symbol of their progress, as well as the progress made in the field of naturopathic medicine.

Becoming a naturopathic doctor is a calling, and it’s a great one. How many people do you know love their job so much that they get satisfaction in their life because of it? Patients tell me they are feeling good, their results on their lab work are getting better and better, and I love working with them. I feel fed by my work.

When a patient walks in, you need to think, how can I be of service to this person? What do I need to do to make this person whole? My favorite part about being an ND is the results I see in my patients’ lab work. Naturopathic medicine works, and the proof is in the numbers and in the patients I see getting better every day.

Brendan McCarthy, ND, LAc, graduated from Sonoran in 2006 and started his own thriving practice. Protea Medical Center is located at 1949 W Ray Rd, Chandler, AZ 85224. To learn more, visit www.protealife.com.To learn how Sonoran can prepare YOU for a rewarding career in medicine, contact admissions@sonoran.edu or call 480.858.9100.