Dr. Buscher's Biography

Dr. Buscher is board-certified by the American Board of Environmental Medicine and is a fellow in the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.  He is past president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, where he was a long-term faculty member and program director for the basic instructional courses, which trains physicians in the field of environmental medicine.

Dr. Buscher has been in active practice over 35 years.  His focus is on using innovative, complementary, nutritional and environmental aspects in treating medical conditions.

Background

My interest in medicine started while serving as a medical corpsman in the Navy and Marine Corps. I did my undergraduate work at the City College of New York, where I majored in biology and minored in chemistry. I graduated from medical school at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  While in medical school I developed an interest in nutrition, but courses in this field were not very useful. 

I spent the next three years working as a family doctor in Alaska and became board-certified by of the American Board of Family Practice.  I was medical director of the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center and on the staff of Providence Hospital and the Anchorage Community Hospital.  I also was medical director of the Drug Dependency Clinic, Alcohol Rehabilitation Center, STD clinic and Free Clinic.  Within three years I got burned out and disillusioned with the practice of medicine and decided to leave Alaska.  I was going to find a more meaningful way of practicing medicine or quit.

Just before I left Alaska, although I didn't recognize it at the time  I was blessed with a divine appointment.  Robert Marshall, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine from the University of Chicago interviewed for my position.  I was perplexed as to why an over qualified professor would want to replace a family practitioner in Alaska.  The reason - his wife couldn't live in Chicago because of the pollution nor in the suburbs because of the pesticide/herbicides used on the lawns.  They were considering moving to Alaska where the air quality was better. Although I never heard of a condition like this before, it didn't really surprise me, nevertheless, their story really intrigued me and sparked my interest.  Dr. Marshall said the physician who diagnosed his wife was well ahead of his time; Theron Randolph, M.D., a Harvard trained allergist eventually becoming to be known as the "Father of Environmental Medicine".

I knew that I had to know more about Dr. Randolph, so I read several of his publications and then contacted him.  He kindly interviewed me and then blessed me with a fellowship to study under him at his hospital unit at the Human Ecology Research Foundation for the next year and a half.  During this time I had to totally revamp  my medical thinking as I became profoundly aware that by far most of the patients I had been previously treating were sick because of what they were eating or exposed to in their environment.  Due to Dr. Randolph's knowledge, experience and patient tutoring I was "born again" into medicine with a brand-new mindset. Now I knew how to unravel the causes of my patient's health problems  rather than cover over their symptoms with medications. The medical field became exciting for me once again. Thank you Dr. Randolph.

After my life-changing experience with Dr. Randolph I completed two years of residency training in Occupational Medicine at the University of Washington, confirming much of what Dr. Randolph taught me.  My next five years were spent with Jonathan Wright, M.D., another blessing and turning point in my career. Jonathan's genius and willingness to teach me the basics of nutritional medicine broadly expanded my knowledge in the art and science of medicine.  I am deeply indebted and thankful to all my professors, mentors, colleagues and friends who have given so much to help me be a more knowledgeable physician.

I am married to Molly Jensen. Molly has an active biblically based counseling practice at our clinic including individual, group, marriage and family therapy. We have two grown children and five grandchildren. Some of my interests outside of medicine include church based activities, hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing and organic gardening.