It gives me great pleasure to inform you that my daughter Dr. ⁱⁿ Valeria Schachinger has been enriching our practice as a medical partner since the beginning of November. Read the interview to get to know Dr. ⁱⁿ Valeria Schachinger.

Please describe your career as a general practitioner.

After graduating from high school, I trained as an Ayurvedic therapist in Switzerland and then wanted to start studying medicine, but the entrance exams put me off. Instead, I started studying genetics in Salzburg in 2006. It was a very interesting course, but I soon realised that I didn't want to spend my professional future in a laboratory, but rather working with people. So I studied medicine in Graz from 2008 to 2014 and also used the study time to do many internships abroad, including in Taiwan, Hamburg, the Seychelles and in various hospitals in Austria. From 2015 to 2018, I trained as a general practitioner in Salzburg in various hospitals. And since November 2018, I have been allowed to expand and apply my knowledge in the direction of complementary medicine here in the ordination in the Haus der Gesundheit as my father's medical partner.

What motivates you to work in a complementary medicine-oriented general practice?

This is a topic I could talk about for hours now. On the whole, I think that medicine has to evolve with the changing times. Many patients suffer from illnesses or have complaints that today's "lifestyle" brings with it and they often don't find a hearing or a way to get better in the hospital or in conventional medical practices. This simply requires holistic medicine, and that is what my father has been offering for many years, in a very minimalist summary. I have seen how many people he has helped with it. Orthodox medicine exists anyway, thank God, but I think it is also very important that there are more good complementary doctors.

Your areas of interest in medicine? Privately?

My greatest area of interest is to support patients, no matter what age, to get more in touch with themselves again and in this way to make them understand that they themselves have the greatest influence on maintaining their health. As an Ayurvedic therapist and daughter of an Ayurvedic doctor, I personally have the best experience with Maharishi Ayurveda and have seen that this teaching is one of the most comprehensive. In my private life I prefer to spend time in the fresh air, especially in the mountains. That's why I have a teary eye, because in Ried the mountains are unfortunately a bit scarce.

What are your professional goals?

At the moment, I try to set my goals in the short term. For the time being, I am working on mastering the transition from hospital to a complementary medicine practice well and finding a good middle ground between complementary and conventional medicine. And I would like to deepen my Ayurveda training and complete the orthomolecular medicine diploma in the coming year. One of the more distant professional goals is certainly to expand the practice to Salzburg.

How difficult is it for you to work together in a family business?

I can't say too much about that at the moment. So far, no difficulties have arisen. I think it's nice that so many family members work in the business. To avoid friction, open communication is the most important thing. How well the cooperation will work in the long run remains to be seen, but I don't have any major concerns.