Introduction • Naturopathic Medical Education • Naturopathic Physician's Oath

Introduction

Naturopathic Medicine is a primary health care profession – the philosophy, science, and practice of preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions of the human mind and body. It is a profession distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. German physician Benedict Lust brought Naturopathic Medicine to the United States in 1892 and as he defined it, is the use of nontoxic healing methods derived from the best traditional healing systems from around the world. Naturopathic Medicine has been a provincially regulated form of medicine since 1926 under the provisions of the Health Professions Act of British Columbia.

Naturopathic physicians are licensed to diagnose and treat patients using natural alternatives to drugs and surgery. Naturopathic physicians work with their patients to prevent and treat acute and chronic diseases, restore health, and establish optimal fitness by supporting the person's inherent self-healing processes. Natural therapies including clinical nutrition & diet therapy, botanical (herbal) medicine, nutriceuticals (vitamins & minerals), homeopathy, hydrotherapy, spinal manipulation, and acupuncture are employed to achieve the above goals.

Links to Naturopathic Medical Associations

• College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC)
• British Columbia Naturopathic Association (BCNA)
• Canadian Naturopathic Association (CNA)
• American Association of Naturopathic Medicine (AANP)
• Naturopathic Medical Education: Comparative Curricula. This table compares naturopathic medical education with the conventional medical programs at three major U.S. schools.

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Recommended Reading

General Health

• Eating Alive by John Matsen
• Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Joe Pizzorno, N.D. and Michael Murray, N.D.
• Total Wellness by Joe Pizzorno, N.D.
• Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Tori Hudson, N.D.

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Naturopathic Medical Education

A licensed 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 nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to the standard medical curriculum, the Naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology and counseling. A Naturopathic physician must complete rigorous professional board exams for licensure in the state or jurisdiction as a primary care physician. In British Columbia, this includes both written and oral exams.

Links to Naturopathic Medical Education

• Bastyr University
• Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
• National College of Naturopathic Medicine
• Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
• University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine
  
  
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