Dr. Scott Moser was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno and his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University. Dr. Moser completed his clinical rounds at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, Consejo Counseling & Referral Service, the 45th Street Homeless Youth Clinic, and the Lake City Senior Center. After owning a solo practice in Seattle for two years, he now enjoys working in an integrative setting at the Alaska Center for Natural Medicine in Fairbanks, Alaska. He enjoys reading, running, and exploring the last frontier with his wife and two kids.

Scott’s Path & Approach to Health

I knew at an early age that I wanted to be a doctor. As I got older, however, I became disheartened by the state of our healthcare system. I met few doctors who enjoyed their work and met even fewer people who liked the care they received. I was even discouraged by many physicians in pursuing a career in medicine. They told me that while they loved their patients, medicine was becoming too much of a bureaucracy. This meant less time with patients and more time with paperwork.

In search of another path, I chose pharmacy. Pharmacy provided a way for me to interact with patients on a frequent basis and play a key role in their healthcare. The problem was that it wasn’t a primary role and I saw the negative effects of medications. While many people need and benefit from medications, there are also many who experience a decline in health. How many times have you heard or even experienced the need to take a drug to counter the side-effects of another medication? I also saw a common theme with people coming into the pharmacy. They largely did not want to take medications and there was this sense of disempowerment linked to a belief that their health was dependent on a pill. I began to realize that it was difficult to make a difference in people’s lives being the middle man.

Luckily, I worked with a pharmacist who told me about naturopathic medicine. As I began to research it, I was instantly drawn. Once again, I was on another path.The first thing that drew me in was its principles of treating the whole person, finding the root cause of disease, and its focus on prevention. Also, I was intrigued by the use of food and plants as medicine. I quickly questioned why this was considered “alternative medicine.” Shouldn’t this be where we start and drugs be the alternative?

The word doctor is derived from the latin word docere, which means teacher. One of the primary roles of a naturopath is to educate. Educating patients seems to have disappeared from mainstream medicine. This is mainly because the current system only allows many doctors to spend an average of 5 minutes with their patients. I have found that when people are educated about their health concerns they are empowered and start making better choices. Naturopathic doctors spend on average 30 minutes with their patients. This means you will be heard.

My education at Bastyr has not only provided me with sound knowledge in conventional medicine and therapies but has given me so much more. Nutrition, botanical medicine, physical medicine, hydrotherapy, counseling, and homeopathy are just a few of the tools I have to treat my patients. I recognize that all my patients are individuals, thus require individualized care. Along with teacher, I see myself as a coach. I believe in developing a partnership with patients, challenging and encouraging them to to achieve optimal health.