Graduate Connections

Analia Camarasa, MS-HNFM, IFMCP, CNS, UWS course facilitator, UWS alumni mentor

Why did you choose the field/profession of human nutrition and functional medicine?

My brilliant father used to say, “no one can take away your education.” He understood the true meaning of this having only completed 6th grade. With that in mind, I chose the field of human nutrition and functional medicine out of need, having more health questions than answers for my daughter and myself. I had been suffering with crippling fatigue and gastrointestinal issues since college that conventional medicine could not fix. At a young age, my daughter suddenly developed unexplained large motor tics. It propelled me to seek higher-level education in pursuit of bettering the state of our health. Within two years, I had graduated and was able to take my health to greater heights with the knowledge gained during this very rigorous program. I felt I had a new lease in life.

Briefly share your experience in advocating for state licensure in North Carolina.

During my time at UWS, I took two elective courses through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). These advanced practice modules introduced me to that wonderful educational organization. After graduating from UWS, I was hired to be teaching staff at the master’s program while I continued taking the advanced practice modules from IFM for three years. This experience complemented the education I had gained at UWS very well. In addition, after graduation, I sat for and passed the BCNS exam to become a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). All the while, I was working on the 1,000 supervised practice experience hours required to gain the title of CNS.

What does it mean to you to become the first licensed nutritionist in your state?

With the support of the North Carolina (NC) Board of Dietetics/Nutrition (the licensing board for dietitians and nutritionists in NC), the North Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Nutrition Advocacy Group (now known as the American Nutrition Association) I advocated for about four years to change the NC Dietetics/Nutrition Practice Act. In 2018, after many discussions, meetings and drafting, a new pathway to license nutritionists in the state of North Carolina was enacted. When the opportunity to become a member of the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition dietetics presented itself, I leapt at the chance to help more qualified nutritionists to become licensed in our state. As a result of my education at UWS with a master’s degree in nutrition plus having completed 1,000 hours of supervised

clinical practice experience, I was honored to become the first licensed nutritionist (LN) in the state of North Carolina.

How have you evolved and adapted in your own practice or work during this intense time (pandemic, social upheaval, economic uncertainty)?

The good news is that all of my studying inspired my husband to grow his knowledge of nutrition and functional medicine as well. Aside from being an IFM certified practitioner, he is also a board-certified emergency medicine physician. This means that we when it came to the pandemic, we saw the writing on the wall and begun quarantine before it was required in our state. This lead us to start seeing patients virtually early on, at first over the phone. Soon, we began our first telehealth visits and our patients quickly adjusted to the new normal.

How did your work with UWS help you to become an IFM certified practitioner?

During my education at UWS, I took an elective class in Herbal Medicine. Inspired by the depth of knowledge of HNFM’s professor and western herbalist Jason Hawrelak (ND, PhD), I was accepted into a two-year herbal studies program with Registered Herbalist David Winston. Since graduating from UWS, I have taken many continued education courses and attended many conferences to deepen my knowledge of herbs as it relates to nutrition. I eagerly look forward to be once again a devoted student with the goal of becoming a registered herbalist.

I am so grateful I followed my dreams to earn a master’s degree, to become a CNS, a North Carolina licensed nutritionist, and an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP). Continuously learning and helping one patient at a time gives me immense joy. I am forever grateful to have heeded my father’s advice and have started in this journey with University of Western States’ Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program. It has opened my life to new opportunities, to be of service and touch the lives to the people in my community. 

Retirement Thoughts from UWS Community Members

DCs Ready to Retire? Enriched with knowledge and experience, the UWS alumni community is empowered by our retirees. Learn from UWS chiropractic graduates who have recently completed this chapter of their lives. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

John Strauss, DC

Class of 1978

(retired 2020)

Judy Fox, DC

Class of 1981

(retired 2018) Paul Pirruccello, DC

Class of 1981

(retired 2020)

Stephen Liston, DC

Class of 1993

(retired 2019)

Graduate Connections Continued

What advice do you have for alumni nearing retirement?

Strauss: Make sure that you have your finances in gear and have a plan for either selling your practice or doing what I did – I couldn’t sell my practice because of COVID-19, so I sold my chiropractic equipment on Craigslist. I donated a lot to Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Put money away for savings; do some investments – so you have a little nest egg when you get out.

Pirruccello: I had an interesting discussion with a chiropractic consulting company a few years ago regarding retirement. The one thing that stuck with me was, “don’t feel like you’re leaving something behind. Look forward to where you are heading.” I liked that and I found that to be very helpful when making the decision to retire.

We develop such wonderful relationships with our patients and it can be hard to tell them that you are retiring. I hate disappointing people. However, everyone was so understanding, especially when I told them “where I was heading” in retirement.

Liston: It’s very stressful at first to not be making money; you really need to save up. You have to decide when you’re going to retire and what you’re going to do afterwards – so I did sell my practice and gave a new grad a great deal with no overhead. It’s very hard to sell practices now adays. I was able to cover the financing for them and we’ve both been happy with the arrangement.

Fox: It is important to put aside as much money as possible while you have a reliable income. There’s no better feeling than to have enough money to comfortably live on when you are no longer working.

How has your identity as a chiropractic physician changed in retirement?

Strauss: I feel like they say in the army, you’re obsolete, superseded and no longer needed.

After 42 years of practice I was ready to stop. I know I am still a doctor. I spent a lot of time working on my craft and I was really ready to relax and not worry about my identity.

Pirruccello: I don’t feel that my identity has changed much at all. Now I am a retired chiropractic physician doing part-time medical legal work.

Fox: A good number of my friends are previous patients who have known and trusted me for many years. Several still refer to me as Dr. Judy. One builds such a degree of self-respect and accomplishment during the process of becoming and practicing as a chiropractor that identity never subsides.

“...don’t feel like you’re leaving something behind. Look forward to where you are heading.”

- Paul Pirruccello, DC

Liston: You don’t realize you don’t have to run anymore and now you have to find your new life. I learned from my wife, whatever will be will be. It all seems to work out.

What are you looking forward to now that you’re retired?

Strauss: I think it’s important not to worry about it; chill out. It’s a good thing to clear your mind; all the effort, all the work – just relax and do nothing for a while.

Pirruccello: Time. More than anything, I enjoy having the time to do what I want, when I want. It seems that being in private practice for almost 40 years, I was in constant motion, whether I wanted to be or not. I was always doing things for others before doing things for myself. Now I can go at my own pace and do more things for myself. I also enjoy volunteering my time in the local community. Giving back to others, who have been so generous to me throughout my career. Fox: I’m still rejoicing in the knowledge that every morning I can choose what I want to do with my day. No alarm clocks, few obligations. Time to renew and replenish old relationships that I never had time to do when practicing.

Liston: I’m as busy as I can be! I’ve got an old house I’m fixing up, and some hobbies - like cooking and I do yard art, garden, I tinker with mechanical things and I’m involved with my family. I still would like to do a few more hundred miles of the Pacific Coast Trail; I’ve done half of it so far.

UWS mentor program is a great way to give back during retirement.

Contact alumnirelations@uws.edu to express

your interest. 