AMA PRA Category 1™ CME credits

CME for Physicians:

Functional Blood Chemistry Interpretation

Move beyond “within normal limits.”

This evidence-informed program trains physicians to extract deeper insight from routine labs, detect early physiologic dysfunction, and apply systems-based reasoning to precision patient care.

Complete the program to earn 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ while strengthening diagnostic precision, preventive strategy, and long-term patient outcomes.

Why Physicians Need Evidence-Based Functional Blood Chemistry Interpretation

You've seen the research. Insulin resistance drives cardiovascular disease years before diabetes diagnosis. Subclinical hypothyroidism explains symptoms conventional ranges miss. Inflammation predicts chronic disease long before it manifests clinically.

The evidence is clear: early metabolic dysfunction matters. Yet your medical training taught you to interpret labs through a binary lens, disease present or disease absent, using reference ranges derived from populations that include unhealthy individuals.

As a physician, you're increasingly aware that nutrition, metabolic health, and early intervention have robust research behind them. You want to practice preventive, root-cause medicine. You're tired of seeing symptomatic patients with "normal" labs, prescribing medications to manage symptoms while the underlying dysfunction progresses.
But when you look for functional medicine education, you encounter a credibility problem:
  • Supplement companies masquerading as medical education
  • Practitioners making claims unsupported by peer-reviewed research
  • Complex, expensive specialty testing that patients can't afford
  • Courses teaching "adrenal fatigue," "leaky gut," and concepts that lack rigorous evidence
  • Protocol-driven recommendations that ignore individual variation and medical nuance

You're right to be skeptical. And that's exactly why you need this.


This 10 AMA PRA Category 1™ CME curriculum teaches evidence-based functional blood chemistry interpretation, helping you practice preventive, metabolically-informed medicine using the labs you already order, grounded in peer-reviewed research, without abandoning your medical training.

The Problem: Conventional Lab Interpretation Misses Early Dysfunction

The Clinical Reality Physicians Face

How many times have you seen this scenario?

Patient presents: 45-year-old female, chronic fatigue for 2 years, weight gain despite diet attempts, cold intolerance, brain fog, mild depression.
Your workup: CBC, CMP, TSH, lipid panel, all "within normal limits"
  • TSH: 2.4 mIU/L (reference: 0.5-4.5)
  • Glucose: 95 mg/dL (reference: 70-100)
  • Total cholesterol: 215 mg/dL
  • Triglycerides: 165 mg/dL
  • HDL: 45 mg/dL
  • CBC/CMP: unremarkable
Conventional interpretation: Labs normal. Consider depression screening, offer SSRI.
The problem: The patient's symptoms are real. She knows something is wrong. You suspect something metabolic, but the labs don't support a diagnosis. She leaves frustrated. You're unsatisfied. The underlying dysfunction continues.

What Conventional Reference Ranges Actually Represent

Traditional laboratory reference ranges were designed for one purpose: detecting established disease states that meet diagnostic criteria. They answer the question: "Does this patient have a diagnosable condition requiring pharmaceutical intervention?"

These ranges are:

Broad statistical averages derived from large populations that often include individuals with undiagnosed or early-stage chronic disease

Disease-focused, not health-focused, designed to catch late-stage dysfunction, not early physiological imbalance

Optimized for specificity (avoiding false positives) at the expense of sensitivity (missing early dysfunction)

As a result, patients can experience significant metabolic stress, hormonal imbalance, and nutrient insufficiency while appearing "normal" on standard labs.

The Specialty Testing Trap

Faced with symptomatic patients and "normal" labs, many physicians turn to specialty functional testing:

  • Comprehensive hormone panels
  • Organic acids testing
  • Nutrient micronutrient panels
  • Food sensitivity panels
  • Advanced inflammatory markers

While some specialty tests have clinical utility, over-reliance on them creates new problems:

  • Financial burden - Patients pay $500-$2,500+ out-of-pocket for tests insurance doesn't cover
  • Variable accuracy - Many specialty tests lack robust validation, reproducibility, or clinical outcome data
  • Increased complexity - More data doesn't always mean better clinical clarity
  • Missed opportunity - Standard blood chemistry already contains significantly more information than most physicians were trained to extract

The irony: You're already ordering the most powerful, cost-effective, validated clinical dataset available, comprehensive metabolic panels, lipid panels, CBC with differential, thyroid function tests, but you were never taught how much they can reveal beyond basic diagnostic cutoffs.

Why Most Functional Medicine Education Fails Physicians

The functional medicine industry has a credibility problem that has rightfully made evidence-based physicians skeptical.

The Pseudoscience Problem

Much of the available functional medicine education:
  • Promotes proprietary testing instead of teaching comprehensive interpretation of standard labs
  • Recommends supplement protocols that aren't individualized, evidence-based, or necessary
  • Makes unsupported claims about "adrenal fatigue," "detoxification protocols," and other concepts that lack rigorous research
  • Asks physicians to adopt frameworks that conflict with their medical training and evidence-based practice
  • Prioritizes sales over clinical reasoning, courses designed to sell supplements, not improve diagnostic thinking

What Physicians Actually Need

You don't need another supplement protocol. You don't need to order $2,000 worth of specialty labs on every patient. You don't need to abandon evidence-based medicine.

What you need is:
  • Evidence-based optimal reference ranges derived from peer-reviewed research
  • Metabolic and nutritional physiology that explains lab patterns
  • Clinical reasoning frameworks that enhance your medical training
  • The ability to extract more insight from the labs you already order
  • A way to practice preventive, root-cause medicine without wading through pseudoscience

The Solution: Evidence-Based Functional Blood Chemistry Interpretation

Functional blood chemistry interpretation applies evidence-based optimal reference ranges and physiological pattern recognition to standard laboratory data, the CBC, CMP, lipid panel, and thyroid function tests you already order.

Rather than asking "Does this meet diagnostic criteria?", functional interpretation asks: "Is this marker supporting optimal physiological function, or does this pattern suggest early dysfunction that warrants intervention?"

What Makes This Approach Different

Conventional Lab Interpretation (what you learned in medical school):

  • Uses broad population-based reference ranges
  • Focuses on diagnosable disease states
  • Treats markers in isolation
  • Misses early metabolic dysfunction
  • Leads to reactive care, intervening after disease develops

Evidence-Based Functional Interpretation (what the research now supports):

  • Applies narrower, evidence-based optimal ranges that reflect healthy function
  • Identifies physiological imbalance before disease diagnosis
  • Recognizes patterns across multiple markers and systems
  • Detects early insulin resistance, inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, and nutrient insufficiency
  • Enables preventive intervention when outcomes can still be changed

Conventional Approach

Evidence-Based Functional Approach

Uric acid 7.8 = "High-normal"

Uric acid 7.8 + elevated GGT + low bilirubin = Active oxidative stress with glutathione depletion

Glucose 95 = "Normal"

Glucose 95 + TG:HDL 3.5 + HbA1c 5.5 = Early insulin resistance

Ferritin 22 = "Normal"

Ferritin 22 + fatigue + normal MCV = Iron insufficiency

Total cholesterol 215 = "Borderline high"

TG:HDL ratio 3.7 + fasting insulin 12 = Metabolic dyslipidemia, not genetic hyperlipidemia

For physicians, this approach means:

  • Identifying metabolic dysfunction years before it meets diagnostic criteria
  • Explaining why patients have symptoms despite "normal" labs
  • Intervening early with lifestyle, nutrition, and targeted supplementation (when evidence supports it)
  • Reducing unnecessary specialist referrals and expensive testing
  • Improving patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes

The Evidence-Based Optimal Ranges Difference

Peer-reviewed research on metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, and chronic disease prevention
Physiological studies demonstrating functional thresholds (not just statistical averages)
Clinical outcome data showing improved health markers within these ranges
Mechanistic understanding of how markers relate to cellular and systemic function
Example

Fasting Glucose

Conventional range: 
70-100 mg/dL (disease cutoff: ≥126 mg/dL)
Evidence-based optimal range:
75-85 mg/dL
Why it matters: 
Glucose consistently above 90 mg/dL predicts insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, and diabetes years before diagnosis. Intervention at 92 mg/dL prevents disease; waiting until 126 mg/dL treats disease.
Example

TSH

Conventional range: 
0.5-4.5 mIU/L
Evidence-based optimal range:
1.0-2.0 mIU/L
Why it matters: 
TSH above 2.5 with symptoms often indicates early thyroid dysfunction. Multiple studies show symptom improvement with treatment even when TSH is "normal" by conventional standards.
This isn't guesswork. This isn't pseudoscience. This is applying what peer-reviewed research now shows about early metabolic health.

How Functional Blood Chemistry Changes Clinical Practice for Physicians

#1

Improve Diagnostic Accuracy and Confidence

Early Identification of Metabolic Dysfunction:
  • Recognize insulin resistance patterns 5-10 years before diabetes diagnosis (fasting insulin, TG:HDL ratio, HOMA-IR)
  • Identify oxidative stress patterns that predict cardiovascular disease and accelerated aging (uric acid, GGT, bilirubin)
  • Detect inflammatory patterns that predict cardiovascular disease, autoimmunity, and chronic illness (hs-CRP, inflammatory markers, neutrophil:lymphocyte ratios)
  • Recognize nutrient insufficiency before deficiency states develop (ferritin, B12, folate, magnesium patterns)
  • Identify dehydration patterns affecting metabolic function (BUN:Cr ratio)
Explain "Normal" Labs in Symptomatic Patients:
  • Stop telling patients "everything looks fine" when they clearly don't feel fine
  • Provide physiological explanations for symptoms based on functional patterns
  • Validate patient concerns with objective data
  • Build trust and improve patient satisfaction
Reduce Diagnostic Uncertainty:
  • Use pattern recognition to differentiate between similar presentations (insulin resistance vs. aging, oxidative stress vs. inflammation, dehydration vs. renal dysfunction)
  • Make more confident treatment decisions based on metabolic understanding
  • Document clinical reasoning with lab-based evidence

#2

Practice Evidence-Based Preventive Medicine

Intervene Before Disease Develops:
  • Identify prediabetic patterns years before HbA1c becomes diagnostic
  • Recognize cardiovascular risk beyond traditional Framingham criteria
  • Detect early chronic kidney disease before GFR declines significantly
  • Identify metabolic syndrome components when lifestyle intervention is most effective
Reduce Pharmaceutical Burden:
  • Address insulin resistance with lifestyle and nutrition before metformin is needed
  • Support antioxidant status and reduce oxidative stress before chronic disease develops
  • Manage dyslipidemia through metabolic correction, not just statin prescription
  • Prevent progression rather than managing established disease
Provide Evidence-Based Lifestyle Recommendations:
  • Use labs to guide specific dietary interventions (carbohydrate management for insulin resistance, anti-inflammatory diets for elevated inflammatory markers)
  • Monitor metabolic response to lifestyle changes with objective data
  • Individualize recommendations based on physiological patterns, not generic protocols

#3

Reduce Unnecessary Testing and Referrals

Maximize Information from Standard Labs:
  • Extract significantly more clinical insight from CBC, CMP, lipid panel, and thyroid function tests before ordering specialty testing
  • Use pattern recognition to guide decisions about when advanced testing is truly warranted
  • Save patients money by avoiding unnecessary specialty labs
Make More Confident Referral Decisions:
  • Identify when symptoms are metabolic vs. requiring specialist evaluation
  • Provide specialists with comprehensive metabolic context when referrals are necessary
  • Reduce "normal workup" referrals that frustrate patients and specialists
Optimize Resource Utilization:
  • Use the most cost-effective, validated testing first
  • Reserve specialty testing for cases where standard labs don't provide sufficient information
  • Improve clinical efficiency without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy

#4

Enhance Collaborative Care and Patient Communication

Strengthen Provider-Patient Relationships:
  • Demonstrate that you're listening and investigating beyond surface-level interpretation
  • Provide clear, physiologically-grounded explanations for treatment recommendations
  • Show patients objective data that validates their symptoms
Improve Treatment Adherence:
  • When patients understand the metabolic basis for their symptoms, they're more likely to follow lifestyle recommendations
  • Use follow-up labs to demonstrate progress, maintaining motivation
  • Build trust through transparent, evidence-based communication
Collaborate More Effectively with Other Providers:
  • Speak the language of metabolic physiology when consulting with endocrinologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists
  • Provide comprehensive metabolic context that improves specialist evaluation
  • Position yourself as a knowledgeable partner in integrated care

#5

Practice Defensible Medicine

Document Clinical Reasoning:
  • Use lab patterns to support treatment decisions in medical records
  • Demonstrate evidence-based rationale for preventive interventions
  • Reduce liability by showing comprehensive evaluation beyond basic reference ranges
Support Treatment Decisions with Objective Data:
  • When prescribing off-label or preventive interventions, labs provide clinical justification
  • Document metabolic rationale for lifestyle recommendations
  • Create defensible clinical narratives that withstand scrutiny

Case Study: How Functional Interpretation Changes Patient Outcomes

PATIENT

45-Year-Old Female, Chronic Fatigue

Chief Complaint: Fatigue for 2 years, unrefreshing sleep, weight gain (15 lbs despite diet attempts), cold intolerance, brain fog, mild depressive symptoms

Previous Medical Workup (6 months ago):

  • TSH: 2.4 mIU/L → "Normal thyroid function"
  • Glucose: 95 mg/dL → "Normal blood sugar"
  • Total cholesterol: 215 mg/dL → "Borderline high, watch diet"
  • CBC/CMP: Within normal limits
  • Diagnosis: Possible depression, work-related stress
  • Treatment: Prescribed sertraline 50mg, referred to therapist
Patient returns: No improvement on SSRI, symptoms worsening

Conventional Re-Evaluation Approach:

  • Repeat basic labs: Still "normal"
  • Consider endocrinology referral for "possible thyroid disorder"
  • Increase SSRI dose
  • Order expensive specialty testing: comprehensive hormone panel, cortisol testing, nutrient analysis
  • Patient spends $1,800 on testing, gets conflicting interpretations, remains symptomatic

Evidence-Based Functional Blood Chemistry Approach:

Order: CBC with RDW, CMP, lipid panel with direct LDL, fasting insulin, C-peptide, hs-CRP, LDH, ferritin, vitamin D, B12, folate, magnesium, uric acid, GGT, total protein, albumin

Results with Functional Interpretation:

Oxidative Stress Pattern:
  • Uric acid: 7.8 mg/dL (conventional: 2.5-7.0; optimal: 4.0-5.5 → ELEVATED)
  • GGT: 42 U/L (conventional: <50; optimal: <20 → ELEVATED)
  • Total bilirubin: 0.3 mg/dL (conventional: 0.2-1.2; optimal: 0.6-1.0 → LOW)
  • Interpretation: Active oxidative stress with glutathione depletion, elevated uric acid indicates oxidative stress, elevated GGT suggests water-soluble oxidative stress and glutathione deficiency, low bilirubin indicates fat-soluble antioxidant insufficiency. This pattern often accompanies insulin resistance and inflammation.
Liver Enzyme Pattern:
  • AST: 24 U/L (conventional: 10-40; optimal: 20-30 → optimal range)
  • ALT: 32 U/L (conventional: 10-40; optimal: 15-25 → high-normal)
  • AST:ALT ratio: 0.75 (optimal: close to 1.0)
  • LDH: 165 U/L (conventional: 140-280; optimal: 140-200 → optimal range)
  • Interpretation: ALT slightly elevated suggests early hepatic stress (likely from insulin resistance and oxidative stress), normal AST:ALT ratio rules out significant mitochondrial/alcohol-related damage, normal LDH rules out hemolysis or severe tissue damage
Metabolic Pattern:
  • Fasting glucose: 95 mg/dL (conventional: "normal"; optimal:82-88 → high-normal)
  • Fasting insulin: 14 μIU/mL (optimal: <7 → ELEVATED)
  • C-peptide: 3.2 ng/mL (optimal: 1.0-2.0 → ELEVATED)
  • HOMA-IR: 3.3 (optimal: <1.5 → insulin resistant)
  • HbA1c: 5.5% (prediabetes cutoff: 5.7 → approaching)
  • TG:HDL ratio: 3.7 (optimal: <2.0 → ELEVATED)
  • Interpretation: Early insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia, elevated fasting insulin and C-peptide confirm pancreatic overproduction of insulin, HOMA-IR calculation confirms insulin resistance, TG:HDL ratio supports metabolic dysfunction. This is driving inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism issues.
Inflammatory Pattern:
  • hs-CRP: 3.2 mg/L (optimal: <1.0 → moderately elevated)
  • Interpretation: Chronic low-grade inflammation (likely related to insulin resistance and oxidative stress)
Hydration Status:
  • BUN: 22 mg/dL (conventional: 7-20; optimal: 10-16 → ELEVATED)
  • Creatinine: 0.9 mg/dL (normal)
  • BUN:Cr ratio: 24:1 (optimal: 10-16:1 → ELEVATED)
  • Interpretation: Chronic dehydration, elevated BUN:Cr ratio indicates inadequate hydration, which impairs detoxification, nutrient delivery, and metabolic function
Nutrient Status:
  • Ferritin: 22 ng/mL (conventional: "normal" 12-150; optimal: 50-100 → LOW)
  • RDW: 14.2% (conventional: 11.5-14.5; optimal: <13.5 → elevated)
  • MCV: 88 fL (optimal: 85-92 → optimal)
  • Vitamin D: 28 ng/mL (optimal: 40-60 → LOW)
  • Magnesium: 1.8 mg/dL (optimal: 2.0-2.4 → low-normal)
  • B12: 385 pg/mL (optimal: >500 → low-normal)
  • Interpretation: Multiple nutrient insufficiencies affecting energy production and metabolic health. Low ferritin with elevated RDW indicates early iron deficiency (RDW rises before MCV drops). Normal MCV despite low ferritin suggests iron insufficiency hasn't progressed to anemia yet.
Protein Status:
  • Total protein: 6.8 g/dL (optimal: 7.0-7.5 → low-normal)
  • Albumin: 4.0 g/dL (optimal: 4.5-5.0 → low-normal)
  • Globulin: 2.8 g/dL (calculated; optimal: 2.5-3.2 → optimal)
  • A:G ratio: 1.4 (optimal: 1.5-2.0 → low-normal)
  • Interpretation: Low-normal protein status may reflect poor protein intake/digestion, liver synthesis issues, or chronic inflammation affecting albumin production

Evidence-Based Clinical Reasoning:

Primary drivers: Insulin resistance (confirmed by elevated insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR) → inflammation → oxidative stress → cellular energy deficit
Secondary factors:
  • Oxidative stress (elevated uric acid, GGT, low bilirubin) indicating glutathione depletion and antioxidant insufficiency
  • Chronic dehydration (elevated BUN:Cr) impairing cellular function and detoxification
  • Early iron deficiency (low ferritin with elevated RDW) before progression to anemia
  • Nutrient insufficiency (vitamin D, magnesium, B12, protein status) compounding metabolic dysfunction
  • Early hepatic stress (elevated ALT) likely secondary to insulin resistance and oxidative burden
This explains:
  • Fatigue (cellular energy deficit from insulin resistance + oxidative stress + dehydration + iron insufficiency)
  • Weight gain (insulin resistance preventing fat oxidation)
  • Cold intolerance (metabolic dysfunction + poor circulation from dehydration + low iron)
  • Brain fog (inflammation + oxidative stress + suboptimal nutrient status + poor glucose regulation)
  • Depressive symptoms (metabolic/inflammatory, not psychiatric primary)

Evidence-Based Treatment Plan:

1

Address Insulin Resistance (Primary Driver):
  • Dietary intervention: Low-glycemic, higher protein, adequate healthy fats
  • Exercise: Resistance training + moderate cardio (insulin sensitivity)
  • Consider metformin 500mg if lifestyle alone insufficient after 6-8 weeks

2

Address Oxidative Stress and Support Glutathione:
  • N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 600mg twice daily (precursor to glutathione, evidence for oxidative stress reduction)
  • Alpha-lipoic acid 300mg twice daily (dual antioxidant, improves insulin sensitivity)
  • Selenium 200 mcg daily (supports glutathione peroxidase function)
  • Emphasize dietary antioxidants: colorful vegetables, berries, green tea
  • Monitor GGT and uric acid for improvement

3

 Address Dehydration:
  • Hydration protocol: minimum 2-3 liters water daily (adjust for body weight and activity)
  • Electrolyte balance: adequate sodium and potassium intake
  • Monitor BUN:Cr ratio for normalization
  • Patient education on signs of adequate hydration

4

Nutrient Repletion (Evidence-Based):
  • Iron supplementation: Ferrous bisglycinate 25mg daily
  • Vitamin D: 5,000 IU daily (goal: 50-60 ng/mL)
  • Magnesium glycinate: 400mg daily
  • Methylcobalamin B12: 1,000 mcg daily

5

Monitor & Adjust:
  • Recheck labs in 8-12 weeks: fasting insulin, TG:HDL, uric acid, GGT, bilirubin, hs-CRP, ferritin, BUN:Cr ratio
  • Assess symptom improvement with validated questionnaires
  • Adjust interventions based on metabolic response

What You'll Learn in This Functional Blood Chemistry CME Course

This 10 AMA PRA Category 1™ CME credit curriculum teaches physicians to interpret blood chemistry through metabolic physiology, systems-based pattern recognition, and evidence-based clinical reasoning.

Core Clinical Competencies:

CE Credit Details for Physicians

AMA PRA Category 1™ Credits

10 credits

Accreditation

Jointly accredited by ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC

Format

Online, self-paced with applied clinical examples and case studies

 Certificate

Certificate of Completion provided upon curriculum completion

 Patient Population

Adult populations (pediatrics not included)

Prerequisites

Active pharmacy license; no prior functional medicine training required

How Credits Are Earned:

Physicians earn CME credits by completing the Blood Chemistry Interpretation curriculum through your chosen learning pathway:

Blood Chemistry Interpretation Course

Focused, self-paced foundational course ideal for physicians new to functional lab interpretation

Clinician’s Code Foundations

Comprehensive 6-month functional medicine training (hybrid format with instructor support, case-based learning)

Clinician’s Code Advanced

Advanced mentorship-level program for experienced physicians seeking mastery in complex metabolic cases (hybrid format with instructor support)

AMA PRA Category 1™ CME credits are awarded upon successful completion of the blood chemistry curriculum, regardless of pathway.

Steps to earn your credits:

Step

1

Choose your preferred learning pathway

Step

2

Complete the Blood Chemistry Interpretation curriculum

Step

3

Apply concepts using functional clinical frameworks

Step

4

Receive your Certificate of Completion and CME credits

Why This CME Is Different from Standard Physician Continuing Education

Evidence-Based, Not Protocol-Driven

Most functional medicine education teaches what to do (supplement protocols, treatment algorithms). This curriculum teaches how to think, clinical reasoning based on metabolic physiology and peer-reviewed research. You'll understand the mechanisms, not just memorize interventions.

Grounded in Peer-Reviewed Research

Every optimal reference range is derived from published research. Every physiological explanation is supported by mechanistic studies. Every clinical recommendation is backed by evidence. This is not alternative medicine, it's metabolic medicine applied to preventive care.

Maximizes Standard Labs You Already Order

You don't need to order $2,000 worth of specialty testing. This curriculum teaches you to extract maximum clinical insight from CBC, CMP, lipid panel, and thyroid function tests, the labs you already know, already order, and patients' insurance already covers.

Enhances Your Medical Training, Doesn't Replace It

This approach builds on your existing expertise in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and differential diagnosis. It doesn't ask you to abandon evidence-based medicine, it shows you how to practice preventive, metabolically-informed medicine within an evidence-based framework.

Clinically Practical and Time-Efficient

Education is structured around real clinical scenarios physicians encounter daily. Learn pattern recognition that improves diagnostic speed and confidence without adding hours to your clinical workflow.

Applicable Across All Specialties

Whether you practice family medicine, internal medicine, integrative medicine, or any specialty where you order labs and manage chronic disease, functional blood chemistry interpretation enhances your clinical decision-making.

Who This CME Is For (And Who It's Not)

Ideal for Physicians Who:

  • See symptomatic patients with "normal" labs and want better answers
  • Are interested in preventive medicine but skeptical of pseudoscience-heavy functional medicine courses
  • Want to identify metabolic dysfunction earlier in the disease process
  • Seek CME credits that improve real-world diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes
  • Are frustrated by the limitations of conventional reference ranges
  • Want evidence-based approaches to nutrition and metabolic health
  • Practice or aspire to practice integrative, functional, or preventive medicine
  • Value clinical reasoning over protocol memorization
  • Want to reduce unnecessary specialty referrals and testing

May Not Be a Fit If You:

  • Are only seeking the easiest or fastest CME credits to meet licensure requirements
  • Prefer continuing education focused on new pharmaceutical therapies only
  • Are not interested in preventive or metabolic medicine
  • Don't see value in identifying dysfunction before it meets diagnostic criteria
  • Are satisfied with telling symptomatic patients their labs are "normal"
  • Prefer protocol-driven care over physiological reasoning

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by High Order Health LLC and Pinnacle Conference, LLC. Pinnacle Conference, LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Pinnacle Conference, LLC designates this enduring material for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the lab interpretation I learned in medical school?

Medical school teaches you to identify disease using conventional reference ranges. This curriculum teaches you to identify early dysfunction using evidence-based optimal ranges, allowing you to intervene preventively rather than reactively. It builds on your existing knowledge, doesn't replace it.

Is this "alternative medicine" or evidence-based?

This is evidence-based metabolic medicine. Every optimal reference range is derived from peer-reviewed research. Every physiological mechanism is supported by published studies. This isn't about replacing pharmaceuticals with supplements, it's about identifying metabolic dysfunction early when lifestyle and nutritional interventions (with evidence) can prevent disease.

Will I need to order expensive specialty testing?

No. This curriculum teaches you to extract maximum insight from standard labs (CBC, CMP, lipid panel, thyroid function) before considering specialty testing. You'll learn when specialty tests add value and when they're unnecessary.

Does this conflict with evidence-based guidelines?

No. This approach complements evidence-based guidelines by adding metabolic context. For example, guidelines tell you when to prescribe metformin (HbA1c ≥6.5%); functional interpretation helps you identify insulin resistance at HbA1c 5.5% so lifestyle intervention can prevent diabetes. You're practicing evidence-based preventive medicine.

Will this take more time in clinical practice?

Initially, you'll spend time learning pattern recognition. Once mastered, functional interpretation actually saves time, you'll make faster, more confident diagnostic decisions, reduce unnecessary testing, and have more productive patient conversations because you can explain the "why" behind their symptoms.

Can I use this with my current patient population?

Yes. Whether you see primarily chronic disease patients, acute care, or preventive medicine visits, functional blood chemistry interpretation enhances care across all populations. It's particularly valuable for patients with metabolic syndrome, fatigue, unexplained symptoms, or chronic diseases you're managing.

Is this only for integrative or functional medicine physicians?

No. Any physician who orders labs can benefit. Family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, OB/GYN, sports medicine, functional interpretation improves clinical reasoning regardless of specialty.

How do I document this in the medical record?

Document functional interpretation as clinical reasoning supporting your assessment and plan. Example: "TSH 2.6 with Free T3 at lower end of reference range and clinical hypothyroid symptoms suggest suboptimal thyroid function despite 'normal' TSH. Will trial selenium supplementation (evidence-based for thyroid conversion) and recheck in 8 weeks." Your documentation demonstrates comprehensive evaluation and evidence-based rationale.

What if my patients can't afford lab testing?

This approach actually reduces costs, you're using insurance-covered standard labs instead of expensive specialty testing. Most patients have yearly physical exam labs covered. You're just interpreting them more comprehensively.

Will insurance cover treatments based on functional interpretation?

You're treating clinical presentations (fatigue, metabolic syndrome, subclinical hypothyroidism) with evidence-based interventions (lifestyle, nutrition, targeted supplementation when indicated, medications when appropriate). Documentation of clinical reasoning and metabolic patterns supports medical necessity.

How long do I have to complete the course?

Access varies by learning pathway. The self-paced Blood Chemistry Interpretation Course provides extended access (typically 12 months). Instructor-supported programs (Clinician's Code Foundations and Advanced) follow specific cohort schedules (6-12 months).

Ready to Practice Evidence-Based Preventive Medicine?

If you're tired of seeing symptomatic patients with "normal" labs, if you want to identify metabolic dysfunction before it becomes disease, if you're seeking CME credits that actually improve your clinical practice, this 10 AMA PRA Category 1™ CME curriculum offers an evidence-based path forward.

Stop practicing reactive medicine. Start identifying and treating early metabolic dysfunction with confidence, evidence, and clinical reasoning.

Female practitioner smiling