Join Our Team
Functional Medicine Physician
FoundationMED | Raleigh, North Carolina
Part-Time Initially | Potential Full-Time Growth | Employee Position | Future Partnership Track Possible
FoundationMED is seeking a clinically strong, intellectually curious physician who wants to practice medicine in a deeper, more personalized, root-cause model. This is an opportunity to join a growing Functional Medicine practice focused on helping patients who often feel unheard or underserved by conventional medical care.
Our patients are typically motivated adults who have been told they are “normal” or “healthy,” yet continue to struggle with fatigue, insomnia, gastrointestinal dysfunction, metabolic dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues, cardiometabolic risk, methylation concerns, overweight, or early chronic disease patterns.
This is not a high-volume conventional primary care role. It is designed for a physician who wants to spend more time understanding physiology, identifying root causes, interpreting advanced laboratory data, and developing individualized treatment plans.
The Opportunity
The physician will begin part-time with the potential to rapidly grow into a full-time role based on fit, patient demand, and practice expansion. The position is structured as an employee role initially, with a possible future partnership track after several years for the right physician.
The physician will manage their own patient census from the start while receiving training in the FoundationMED clinical model.
Clinical Focus
The physician will evaluate and manage patients using a systems-based Functional Medicine approach, including:
Advanced laboratory interpretation
Nutrition and lifestyle medicine
Cardiometabolic prevention
Insulin resistance, prediabetes, dyslipidemia, and weight/metabolic dysfunction
Hormone imbalance and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Thyroid optimization
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
Fatigue, insomnia, and stress physiology
Methylation and nutrigenomic patterns
Targeted use of medications, supplements, and clinical protocols
Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a physician who is:
Clinically excellent
Intellectually curious
Compassionate and patient-centered
Detail-oriented
Comfortable with complexity
Teachable and open to training in our model
Interested in physiology, biochemistry, prevention, and long-term health optimization Committed to building meaningful therapeutic relationships with patients
Preferred specialties include Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. Prior Functional Medicine training is preferred but not required.
Required Qualifications
Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree
Active North Carolina medical license, or ability to obtain one before starting
Board certification or board eligibility in an appropriate specialty
Strong adult medicine clinical judgment
Excellent communication skills
Interest in Functional Medicine, prevention, and personalized care
Why FoundationMED?
Practice deeper, more thoughtful medicine
Work with motivated patients seeking root-cause answers
Avoid the limitations of high-volume conventional care
Receive training in an established Functional Medicine model
Build your own patient census within a supportive clinical structure
Join a growing practice with meaningful long-term opportunity
Potential future partnership track for the right physician
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Relocation candidates may be considered, although relocation expenses are not covered.
How to Apply
Interested physicians should submit a curriculum vitae and a brief statement describing their interest in Functional Medicine, personalized care, root-cause medicine, and long-term patient relationships. Candidates are encouraged to include any experience with hormone therapy, thyroid management, cardiometabolic prevention, nutrition, gastrointestinal health, advanced labs, or lifestyle-based medical care. Submit to Kathleen Citron RN, Director at info@foundationmed.com
The FoundationMED Approach
FoundationMED utilizes a bottom-up approach that allows us a method to weave our way through the complex maze of events that is human physiology, with the goal being to allow for normalization of your imbalanced physiology and help you on your way to improved health and wellness.
Human physiology is incredibly complex, interconnected, and interdependent. In addition, while the granular details of these complex processes are still being teased out, it is quite clear that there is much we still do not fully understand. One would wonder how anyone can adequately address such a wonderfully complex system. Indeed!
Our core methods require that we work closely, and in concert, with our patients. In fact, the best results require that our patients become fully engaged in the process – this is the very basis of a bottom-up/root-cause approach! Your success as a patient is very much linked to your participation and engagement in the therapeutic process. This is not a passive process where we prescribe a pill or a supplement and all is well.
We do not ascribe to a “treat and street” mentality, nor to a “pill for every ill” because in the VAST majority of time, this simply does not work. No… that method in and of itself has shown itself to be insufficient as shown by the continuing poor ability of traditional medicine to address chronic disease.
Sadly, traditional medicine has become a time constrained, 15 minute visit that focuses on hoping to name a disease and thence prescribe a medication. But what happens if you don’t happen to fall into a neat disease category OR if the prescription offered doesn’t really solve the problem? Well, too many times you are either rotated through a variety of medications, specialists, or even more commonly you become the problem. Frankly, traditional physicians simply do not have the time to explore the underlying physiology (ie the “root cause”) that is driving your problems.
Often the attitude of traditional physicians is to dismiss many addressable problems/complaints as “aging” or “there is nothing wrong with you”.
FoundationMED starts with the conceptualization of full patient engagement and involvement with their treatment. Patients learn about the “5 boxes” of lifestyle concepts (Nutrition, Toxins, Movement/Exercise, Sleep Dynamics, Stress/Stress Management) that have an incredibly powerful impact on their underlying health, well-being AND recovery.
These 5-boxes are the primary focus of our patient’s efforts, and is where they can directly maximally impact basic health and well-being. This is, In fact, a key element for success.
Each and every one of the “5 boxes” themselves have considerable levels of complexity and detail (ie, the boxes are very much interconnected and interdependent). Indeed, it can become a challenge as to how to best direct your efforts. It is here where our superb Health Coach team can have great positive impact with implementation of the therapeutic plan as it relates to the 5 boxes.
Concurrently, our physicians are working to better understand your personal underlying physiology and to address the blockers/confounders to your health recovery or maintenance. Ordering tests is not difficult – anyone can do this. Having a deep understanding of the results of complex laboratory tests (by understanding the underlying physiology on which those tests are based) is another thing altogether – and is something FoundationMED physicians strive to achieve. At the same time, they are working to integrate relevant advanced testing methods that become available.
Our physicians then work to develop a therapeutic plan that integrate multiple layers of information/data in order to basically “remove confounders” and optimize physiology and simultaneously reduce risk. What this means is that issues/processes that serve to inhibit or disallow proper physiology are identified and addressed appropriately.
By using a deep understanding of appropriate advanced testing, along with advanced training and insight through extended patient visits, our physicians work to move/nudge complex physiology to more optimized baseline functioning – with the goal of your improved health and wellbeing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Functional medicine focuses on identifying and treating the root cause of disease, rather than just managing symptoms. It uses personalized treatment plans, advanced lab testing, and lifestyle interventions to restore balance.
Functional medicine is effective for hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, digestive issues, and chronic inflammation. It is also used for preventative health and longevity strategies.
While some functional medicine tests may be covered by insurance, many therapies are considered out-of-network. Our team can help determine which services may qualify for coverage.
The first step is to schedule a comprehensive health assessment with one of our functional medicine physicians. We will review your medical history, perform necessary lab tests, and develop a personalized wellness plan.