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Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care profession, emphasizing prevention, treatment, and optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods and substances that encourage individuals’ inherent self-healing process.  The practice of naturopathic medicine includes modern and traditional, scientific, and empirical methods.

Naturopathic practice includes the following diagnostic and therapeutic modalities: clinical and laboratory diagnostic testing, nutritional medicine, botanical medicine, naturopathic physical medicine (including naturopathic manipulative therapy), public health measures, hygiene, counseling, homeopathy, and acupuncture.

Naturopathic physicians combine the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, naturopathic physicians help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the naturopathic physician’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping to create a healing internal and external environment.

Naturopathic physicians work in private practices, hospitals, clinics and community health centers. NDs practice throughout the United States and Canada. Qualified naturopathic physicians undergo rigorous training before they become licensed health-care practitioners.

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Education

A licensed naturopathic physician (ND) attends a four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school, studying basic sciences similar to an MD but with a focus on holistic, nontoxic therapies, disease prevention, and wellness optimization. Naturopathic Doctors are trained as primary care doctors, requiring a Bachelor’s degree for entry. The curriculum includes basic sciences (Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, etc.) in the first two years and internships, practicums, and clinical sciences in the final two years. These cover various natural medicine approaches like Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Homeopathy, Physical Medicine, Natural Childbirth, and Lifestyle Counseling. Naturopathic physicians must pass professional board exams for state or jurisdiction licensure as primary care general practice physicians.

The following philosophy and principles of practice will be incorporated into your individual health plan.

A licensed naturopathic physician (ND) attends a four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school, studying basic sciences similar to an MD but with a focus on holistic, nontoxic therapies, disease prevention, and wellness optimization. Naturopathic Doctors are trained as primary care doctors, requiring a Bachelor’s degree for entry. The curriculum includes basic sciences (Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, etc.) in the first two years and internships, practicums, and clinical sciences in the final two years. These cover various natural medicine approaches like Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Homeopathy, Physical Medicine, Natural Childbirth, and Lifestyle Counseling. Naturopathic physicians must pass professional board exams for state or jurisdiction licensure as primary care general practice physicians.

  1. Primum No Nocere – First, do no harm
    • Promote effective healthcare with the least risk for each patient. This is done by utilizing methods and medicinal substances that decrease the risk of harmful side effects, avoiding suppression of symptoms, and acknowledging and working with the individual’s self-healing ability.
  2. Vix Medicatrix Naturae – The healing power of nature
    • Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and facilitate the inherent self-healing process in each person.
  3. Tolle Causam – Treat the cause
    • Naturopathic physicians strive to identify and remove the underlying cause of illness while avoiding the suppression of symptoms.
  4. Docere – Doctor as teacher
    • Naturopathic doctors act as role models for patient education and encourage self-responsibility for health.
  5. Tolle Totum – Treat the whole person
    • Each person is unique with their own physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social factors affecting their health. Naturopathic doctors treat each patient as an individual.
  6. Prevention is the Best Cure
    • Risk factors and susceptibility to disease are assessed, and interventions are made to help prevent illness.

Licensing

Is your Naturopathic Doctor really a Naturopathic Doctor? To be a Naturopathic Doctor, you must have attended one of the seven accredited naturopathic medical programs in North America. This differentiates practitioners with training and expertise from those who may have minimal to no training. This helps patients discern who truly has expertise in the field. It is now popular to say you practice naturopathic medicine—yet anyone can say so, whether they studied for a weekend, online, or ten years. Naturopathic medicine encompasses other catchphrases and certifications that practitioners are using, such as natural medicine, holistic medicine, integrative medicine, and functional medicine—these things are all taught at a naturopathic medical school and fall under the field of naturopathic medicine.

AANMC Member Schools:

  • Bastyr University – Washington
  • Bastyr University – California Campus
  • National College of Natural Medicine – Portland
  • National University of Health Sciences – Illinois
  • Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine – Arizona
  • University of Bridgeport – College of Naturopathic Medicine – Connecticut
  • Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine – Ontario
  • Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine – British Columbia

Currently, 17 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have licensing or regulation laws for naturopathic doctors. In these states, naturopathic doctors are required to graduate from an accredited four-year residential naturopathic medical school and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) to receive a license. For information about the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination Board (NPLEX) and the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE), please see the AANMC education page.

Licensed naturopathic physicians must fulfill state-mandated continuing education requirements annually and will have a specific scope of practice defined by their state’s law. The states that currently have licensing laws for naturopathic physicians are:

A licensed naturopathic physician (ND) attends a four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an MD but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness.

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Hawaii
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • United States Territories: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

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