Becoming a Naturopathic Physician
After completion of standard
premedical undergraduate coursework, a
naturopathic physician (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level
naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic
sciences as an M.D. but also studies holistic and natural approaches to
therapy with a strong emphasis on
disease prevention and optimizing
wellness. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the
naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training
in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine,
psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle
changes in support of their personal health). The naturopathic program
includes two full years of supervised clinical training. Completion of
optional residency is also available to some graduates. A naturopathic
physician takes a rigorous national licensing examination so that he or
she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care
general practice physician. Additional information on naturopathic
schools can be found at http://www.aanmc.org/.
-Excerpted from The Princeton Review’s
“Best 168 Medical Schools”
The Naturopathic Difference...
The Princeton Review has just published and released their new edition of “Best 168 Medical Schools, 2007 Edition” (October 2006). The book includes med school applicant information and advice, as well as a chapter which profiles each of the six naturopathic medical schools. One excerpt comparing and contrasting the three major medical fields’ states:
“Naturopathic physicians (NDs) take a holistic approach to healing, and aim to cure disease by taking advantage of the body’s self-regenerative powers and harnessing the restorative power of nature. Like osteopaths, naturopathic physicians endeavor to treat the whole person by taking into account the emotional, genetic, and environmental factors that have influenced their state of health. Unlike osteopaths, however, naturopathic physicians emphasize natural remedies. NDs also differ from allopaths (MDs); rather than limiting their treatment to synthetic drugs and invasive procedures, NDs predominantly utilize natural medicines and procedures. Naturopathic physicians work to identify and eliminate the cause of disease, and are guided by six basic principles:
- Do no harm
- Utilize the healing power of nature
- Identify and treat the causes
- Treat the whole person
- Focus on preventive medicine
- Practice doctor-as-teacher”
Excerpted from
“Best 168 Medical Schools, 2007 Edition”
Chapter 3 So You Still Want to Be a Doctor, p. 24
By Malaika Stoll, The Princeton Review
Q&A How Are Naturopathic Doctors Educated?
Q. Are naturopathic physicians recognized as health care providers by the federal government?
A. Yes. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET program, the nation’s primary source of occupational information, issued report 29-1199.04, designating - Naturopathic Physicians as a profession in 2009. The O*NET program, which is the gold standard for professional data collection, will be collecting information on the naturopathic profession, This new definition is dramatically expanded from the previous definition, and reflects the extensive scope of practice of naturopathic doctors who have attended accredited naturopathic medical schools.
Q. How does the Department of Labor define “naturopathic physician”?
A. The Department of Labor defines naturopathic physicians as follows:
“Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases using a system of practice that is based on the natural healing capacity of individuals. May use physiological, psychological or mechanical methods. May also use natural medicines, prescription or legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other natural remedies.”
Q. How many additional naturopathic physicians does the Department of Labor project are necessary to meet the nation’s future health care needs?
A. The Department of Labor
projects a need of 19,000 additional naturopathic physicians by 2016.
For more information on Naturopathic
Education, visit the American Association of Naturopathic
Colleges at http://www.aanmc.org/.
We'd love to hear from you!
The Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians
200 East Roosevelt Road
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: 630.889.6446
Email: info@ilanp.org