Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Timmermans.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Drew. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since high school, my heart was set on practicing medicine in one fashion or another. Initially, I was extremely interested in cardiology and had set my sights on being a cardiothoracic surgeon this was long before I knew what naturopathic medicine even was. In my undergraduate studies, I had the privilege of observing open-heart surgery. However, walking out of the surgery I had a realization that cardiothoracic surgery wasn’t my passion. As I was a collegiate sprinter and had a passion for sports and movement, I had shifted gears towards sports medicine and orthopedics, still with sights on being a surgeon. After I completed m undergraduate studies I applied to medical schools across Canada and the US, and despite having an interview at my alma mater, I was not accepted during my first round applications.
At this time, I decided to take a year off to work as a personal trainer and work on my CV so that I had a better chance of being accepted the following year. However, during that year of working, I started to realize that my passion was not putting patients on medications, but rather that I was excited when I was able to help my clients get off their medications through diet and exercise alone. At this time, a client of mine told me that I should look into naturopathic medicine, as she could see that this field of medicine might be better suited to my passions and interests. six months later I was interviewing at different naturopathic medical schools across the US and Canada and decided to move from a small town in Ontario, Canada to Tempe Arizona to begin my journey to becoming a naturopathic doctor at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
In the second year of my studies, I attended a sports medicine conference in Florida and was introduced to the world of regenerative injection therapies prolotherapy, PRP, and stem cell therapy. Ever since that conference, my main passion and focus have been helping patients resolve their pain, often through the use of those same regenerative injections. After graduating from SCNM, I completed a residency in integrative pain management and regenerative medicine and opened up private practice with my wife, also a naturopathic doctor, in Gilbert AZ.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like all journeys worth traveling, the road has been far from smooth. One of the largest struggles within the naturopathic profession is criticism from the conventional medical system, mainly due to the fact that we practice medicine in a slightly different fashion. While I am a firm believer in the power of both approaches, both conventional and naturopathic, this doesn’t make the sometimes harsh criticisms any easier. My guiding light has always been my patients. There is nothing in clinical practice that could knock me down when my patients are dramatically improving or even resolving their long standing medical concerns after failing conventional treatments.
Please tell us about your practice.
Regenerative Performance is an integrative medical clinic and stem cell center in Downtown Gilbert, with myself and my wife, Dr. Kaitlyn Myers, currently practicing out of the clinic. Our main clinical specialties are pain management, men’s and women’s hormones, neurodegenerative conditions, chronic infections, medical aesthetics, and longevity. We pride ourselves in taking an integrative approach to patient care, utilizing both conventional and naturopathic treatment options when appropriate. Additionally, we strive to empower patients to make changes in their lives that will impact them on a daily basis, not just when they are in the office with us.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife is my biggest supporter by far, and she deserves a great deal of credit for putting up with and helping me see through my crazy ideas! Even if she wasn’t a part of the medical practice, I know that she would still support my crazy aspirations and dreams to help as many people as I possibly can. She is my rock and I wouldn’t be able to do this without her.
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 W Guadalupe Rd
Suite 301 - Website: Regenerative Performance
- Phone: 4805084226
- Email: drtimmermans@regenerativeperformance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regenerativeperformance/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/regenerativeperformance/
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