weight loss clinic?

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Hi all,

Anyone worked for a weight loss clinic as an NP (eg, Medi Weight Loss)? Pros/cons...I realize this may be a limited scope of practice, but the schedule works and considering it as a first job. I spoke with the owner and he said lots of counseling, prescribing phentermine and phendiemetrazine primarily. What have your experiences been?

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Anyone??

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

You seem scattered with the places you are interviewing. I know schedule is an issue for you but please consider what your preferences are and try to find a job in an area that appeals to you and you have a flair for. Throwing darts at a dart board probably isn't a great strategy.

I have no experience in this specialty but personally am not in favor of attempting weight loss via medication. I'm guessing there is less "counseling" and more prescribing which from the research I'm aware of is rarely effective long term and can be detrimental.

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Jules A. Could you reach out to me via allnurses. I'm unable to private message at the moment. Thanks

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Hey Jules A, I can't respond to private message. Could you email me instead please. [email protected].

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Hi,

I have worked for a weight loss clinic. I was hired to do physicals, review labs, and address any health complaints that clients were associating with the program. Once employed there was increasing pressure to prescribe weight loss medication (even when not appropriate) and also to push the programs products. I also later found out that other staff members (people who are not licensed medical care providers, nutritionists, dieticians) were billing encounters under my name for clients I hadn't even seen on the days of billing. I told the own that this was insurance/healthcare fraud and that if it didn't stop I would quit. It didn't stop and I had no choice to leave. I worked so hard to be an NP, I just couldn't have this job jeopardizing my clinical decision making or legal standing.

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Wow, I'm thinking I want to shadow another NP there before actually taking the job. Thanks for your constructive feedback.

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