Not a whole lot, unfortunately. There is no board certification for the disease, no school, nothing. It's the whole reason I started inCYST. I was appalled at the things I was hearing women say they had been taught by specialists. When I looked on the Internet, I saw a lot of supplement companies filling in the gap. And, of course, using the gap as a way to line their own pockets. Many of the health professionals people turn to in order to get help don't accept insurance. I realized that women with PCOS are very easily taken advantage of without getting much in return for their investment. And now that PCOS is gaining attention, and the economy is struggling, I'm seeing a lot more colleagues advertise that this is a specialty service they provide.
If you've found someone on the Internet who is advertising that they are a specialist, don't assume that means much at all. Take the time to ask them what they did to become specialized.
You can be assured that anyone whose name appears on this blog has worked hard to be informed. The dietitians you see, have taken courses on sleep disorders, dermatology, and biochemistry, not just nutrition. The psychologists and even our dermatologist, Dr. Van Dyke, have taken the time to understand nutrition for PCOS.
We have all committed to that, because we collectively wanted to raise the bar, and we wanted you to know, for sure, if you asked someone in California, Virginia, New York, or Chicago, for help, you'd get a well-informed person who is passionate about understanding what can best help you.
Of course, there are people who do not belong to inCYST who are very good at what they do, with lots of great credentials and training. I can't speak for them. What I can say is, that they should be able to, without hesitation, when asked, provide you with a description of the qualifications they have that allow them to make the claims that they do. And women with PCOS should not be afraid to ask that question before making their first appointment.