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James Forsythe, md, HMD, was a standard allopathic physician before he also became boarded as a homeopathic physician. He is respected for his treatment of cancer and the legal use of human growth hormone. For a number of years, he served as the only oncologist in northern Nevada who would treat cancer patients who were also under the care of an alternative medical physician. He started the oncology units at all 3 major hospitals in Reno, Nevada, as well as the Veterans Hospital Oncology Clinic. He also was the founding father for Reno's Ronald McDonald House. Most notably he warned of the "Cancer Cluster" in Fallon, Nevada, due to high levels of arsenic in the groundwater. He has addressed practitioners all over the world and is the author of numerous books and book chapters. ( Altern Vier Health Med. 2015;21(2):54-59.)
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (ATHM): How early in life do you remember wanting to become a doctor?
Dr Forsythe: I think it was somewhere around the eighth or ninth grade, as I recall. My main motivation came from a friend of mine. My family had moved from Michigan to Southern California and the father of one of my friends was a cancer doctor-a surgeon, though. I was always impressed with his presence and bearing and the way he carried himself. I do not know just how to describe it... he had an aura about him that was magical, and I thought he was neat guy.
Before that time, I probably would have been thinking that I wanted to be a movie director, at one time, and an engineer. You know how kids are: They go through all of these things. Being a doctor at that time seemed like it was something I could do. I would have to put my nose to the grindstone, so to speak, and really work hard with my grades. I really thought I could do it. I never lost that motivation and I never wanted to change my majors or deviate from that at all-from the eighth or ninth grade through where I am now.
ATHM: After you decided that you were interested in medicine, were there any experiences you had along the way toward medical school that...