Our Interview With Dr. Revée Barbour (Dr. Ray)

Dr. Revée Barbour (Dr. Ray), ND, is a naturopathic physician and founder of an award-winning private practice dedicated to providing holistic, patient-centered care.

What motivated you to pursue a career in medicine?

I was fascinated by medicine and human biology as a young child. I knew I wanted to become a doctor when I was age 5, and my parents strongly encouraged me. As I grew, I saw the truth of how health disparities and inequities negatively affect Black people and other marginalized groups. From there, it became my mission to become a doctor who provides high-quality care to people historically underrepresented and underserved. 

What do you wish you had known about the medical school application process before you applied?

I wish I had known there were various fields of medicine available. When I first applied to medical school after college, I only knew about allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. I initially applied to osteopathic medical schools, thinking that the curriculum offered opportunities to learn more nutrition and lifestyle medicine, but I quickly realized those skills would not be emphasized. It required extra due diligence to learn about naturopathic medicine as an option, but once I did, I applied, and the rest is history. 

What was the biggest challenge that caught you off guard when you sat down to write the MCAT?

There wasn’t anything that caught me off guard, but the test itself was a challenge. I took prep courses and heavily studied for the MCAT. I took the MCAT twice, but was neither happy with my scores nor felt they reflected my full acumen demonstrated by my cum laude B.A. degree. I think the MCAT test is culturally biased, and it doesn’t account for students whose learning styles may require extra time to process when answering certain questions. Also, I can confidently say that the MCAT does not determine your success in medical school. I was very successful in medical school, and I own an award-winning medical practice, but if I were solely judged by my MCAT scores and not my other strengths, then I would have been denied the opportunity to become a physician. 

How much work experience did you gain before applying to medical school? What opportunities did you pursue, and what helped you the most during the application process?

I gained a lot of work experience before I attended medical school. I worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and at two different high-volume pediatric private practices as an administrative assistant, administrative coordinator, and front office manager. Those career opportunities gave me incredible skills and exposure to clinical operations and patient care. As a result of meeting amazing doctors and clinical staff members, I received wonderful letters of recommendation, shadowing opportunities, and mentorship, which all benefited me in the application process. 

Did you have any setbacks or rejections during the med school admissions process, and what did you learn from those experiences?

Yes, I was not accepted into medical school the first time I applied. Although it was a very disappointing experience, I did not let the rejection stop me from trying again. I learned the importance of resilience, perseverance, and determination in adversity. Because I didn’t stop pursuing my goals, I eventually aligned with the right opportunities and was accepted into medical school. And ultimately, the rejection did me a favor because I ended up where I was supposed to be rather than where I thought I wanted to be. 

What led you to specialize in Naturopathic Medicine? What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue your specialty? 

I chose to specialize in naturopathic medicine because it offers patients minimally invasive treatment options and opportunities to support their health beyond pharmacotherapy and surgery. More people are interested in natural options for their healthcare, and it’s important to connect them with doctors who have this expertise and can advise them safely. 

If someone is interested in naturopathic and functional medicine, I strongly encourage them to pursue it. Take the time to book with a naturopathic physician to learn firsthand what this type of care is and what we do. Then, arrange a time to visit an accredited medical school offering this training. Do not be deterred if your current state doesn’t yet offer licensure. I’m from a state (Virginia) that doesn’t offer licensure to naturopathic doctors yet, but I obtained medical licensure in states that do, California and New Hampshire. I also live in New Hampshire, where NDs have a large scope of practice that is comparable to MDs and DOs. More people are learning about this field of medicine, and large healthcare systems such as Oregon Health & Science University and City of Hope are already employing NDs on their clinical staff. 

If someone wants to start their own practice, what does that path look like after finishing medical school?

After medical school, it’s important to first get experience working in private practice so you know what it takes to start one. It’s helpful to find a good mentor and get experience with operational management to learn how to successfully run a medical practice. It is also helpful to take business classes because there are many aspects to running a private practice that you don’t learn in medical school. In general, starting any business is no small feat, and it requires a good business plan, start-up capital, licenses, and permits to operate. You can launch a practice within 6 - 8 weeks, depending on how you choose to run your business. From there, practice growth takes time to build, especially if you’re not using health insurance for in-network patient referrals, so you need to consider what marketing tools and network referrals would be most beneficial for practice growth. Because revenue streams may be quite low in the beginning, you may need to moonlight or have alternative streams of income to support yourself while you build your business. 

What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to start their practice today?

Starting your own practice is a wonderful accomplishment and the path to practice ownership looks different for everyone. Choose what makes sense for you and persevere through the tough times because they will eventually lead to your biggest success. 

Inspira Advantage is proud to interview experts like Dr. Ray to help future doctors understand the challenges and rewards of a medical career. Learn more about how our experts can help you get into medical school today.