Dr Julia Buchkina, MD is by far, the absolute best Doctor I have ever worked with! What makes her special? First, she is a Certified Functional Medicine MD and is focused on identifying the root causes of ailments and disease. Her business name, “Upstream Functional Medicine”, is fitting as she is looking upstream to solve problems at their source, rather than just temporarily plugging holes downstream. Second, she is highly intelligent, yet is wonderful in choosing her words to explain things in layperson terms. I am floored how every question that I ask she responds with a very solid, factual, science-based answer. Third, her personality/disposition/bed-side manner is amazing. Her energy is very calming, she is patient, respectful, and an expert listener! Fourth, she and her family practice what she teaches. She is a busy working mom, yet manages to encourage her patients by explaining how she personally lives a healthy lifestyle and demonstrates ways to cook healthy meals, exercise and practice relaxation techniques. Fifth, she remembers what you tell her! Either her mind is like a steel trap, or she has an excellent system for tracking everything you tell her about your history. She is unlike other doctors that spend 50% of the visit trying to remember your story. Sixth, she educates you. She wants you to succeed in the long term and has a great patient portal where you can either watch live lectures or listen to them afterward. I have learned so many new health tips and tricks by taking advantage of her classes. Seventh, her staff & technology is fantastic. In previous doctor’s offices I may have found a doctor I liked but their office and nursing staff were not up to par. Not the case at Upstream! The Nurse/Health Coach is super knowledgeable and on the same page with Dr Julia and the Office Manager keeps things flowing smoothly behind the scenes. When they say they are going to email you a document or call you back about something, they do it without you having to follow up with them! Dr Julia’s confidential texting app (Spruce) and secure online portal provide me the opportunity to communicate when I have a quick question that isn’t urgent. Eighth, you can work with Dr Julia long distance. While her practice is in Iowa, I live in Arizona. So as long as I physically see her one time per year, all the rest can be done via phone or Skype/Zoom calls. A lot of her care is based on discussing the progress of lab work, diet and supplements which can be completed locally where you live. I’m sad my 3-month consult package has come to an end :( but Im planning to execute everything Dr Julia has taught me, and consult with her on a periodic basis in the future to ensure I stay on track. She is top notch!