The Unique Approach of Naturopathic Medicine, Part 3: Training

In this article, I will discuss the training that naturopathic physicians receive to become licensed in their state. It's important to note that these laws vary from state to state, and in some states, no licensing is available. In unlicensed states, individuals may advertise as naturopaths even if they have not attended an accredited medical school. You can visit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website for more detailed information on this topic and a map of licensed and unlicensed states. Currently, efforts are underway to expand the licensing of naturopathic physicians to additional states and campaign for federal recognition.

Medical School:

It's important to note that naturopathic physicians have completed a doctorate in naturopathic medicine, which requires at least eight years of higher education - four years for a bachelor’s degree and four years for medical school. During medical school, future naturopathic physicians learn the basics of primary care medicine and naturopathic medical philosophy and treatments.

Every primary care medical program teaches students how the body works, how it can go wrong, and how to evaluate a patient’s needs through interviews, physical exams, and diagnostic procedures. After that, students learn how to diagnose the patient’s issue, prescribe appropriate treatments, and refer them for more advanced care when needed. Naturopathic medicine is no different.

In addition to standard medical care, naturopathic students also learn about naturopathic medicine, including naturopathic medical philosophy, nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and physical medicine, which includes skeletal adjustments. Some of this learning happens in the classroom and in hands-on labs. Additional training includes spending time observing practicing doctors in the community. Finally, clinical training comes through experience working with actual patients under the careful supervision of attending doctors.

The workload is intense, and students spend between 24-32 hours each week in lectures, labs, and clinics. They must also attend to all required readings, projects, and studying, which can add another 40+ hours of work each week. During the Summer of their second year of education, most students will sit for their biomedical board exams, which includes everything they need to know about human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, histology, and pathology.

Nearing and after graduation, many students experience burnout, but the journey doesn’t stop here if they want to be licensed.

Licensing:

After graduation from medical school, to be licensed, naturopathic physicians must take and pass their clinical board exams and any additional examinations required by their state, such as knowing the laws that regulate their license and demonstrating proficiency in understanding the pharmaceutical medications they are authorized to prescribe. This testing takes place over 3-4 full days. If they haven’t done so already, the biomedical board exams must be taken and passed before they can sit for the clinical exams.

After six weeks of waiting, results are released, and if they were passed, the licensing process can begin.

Once licensed, a naturopathic physician must maintain their license through an annual renewal process. This process includes fees, a review of their personal and professional record, and continuing education requirements. In Oregon, actively licensed NDs must earn 32 hours of continuing education annually.

As you can see, becoming a licensed naturopathic physician takes ongoing time, dedication, and financial investment.

Why is this important?

All this information is essential so that you can feel confident and comfortable seeking the care of a naturopathic physician. Many professions specialize in a piece of what naturopathic physicians do, but none link them all together like we do.

Most medical doctors do not practice or understand nutrition, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, or physical medicine. Most practitioners of these disciplines are not trained in medical care. When you work with a naturopathic physician, you are working with someone who has received training in the above.

Don’t think this means you will get the same care from every naturopathic physician. We all specialize and use different tools. For instance, some naturopathic physicians specialize in one area, such as gynecology, gastroenterology, or mental health. Some naturopathic physicians apply the principles of naturopathic medicine to primary care and work extensively with insurance and the medical model. Some naturopathic physicians don’t provide primary care but specialize in other areas, such as herbal medicine, homeopathy, or nutrition. After graduation, what we choose to focus on helps us hone our craft and become mature doctors.

But, we all underwent the same initial training, which makes us uniquely equipped to handle the health crises of our time.

There are many challenges to receiving care from a naturopathic physician and practicing as one. I'll talk about these more in a later article.

Until then,

To our health!