What does it take to be a Naturopathic Doctor?

Did you know that Naturopathic Doctors have to attend  Medical School, just like conventional Medical Doctors?  There are Seven Colleges in North America that are accredited.  Here is information from the AANMC website about those colleges.

  • Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington, and San Diego, California.  Bastyr University is recognized globally for its rigorous curriculum and NIH-funded research. Students learn to view nature as the ultimate teacher of science and thrive on the free exchange of ideas within a nurturing community.
  • Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  The Boucher Institute is recognized for its innovative curriculum, mentorship model of education and small class sizes. The campus is located in beautiful British Columbia, where naturopathic physicians enjoy one of the widest scopes of practice in North America, including prescription rights.
  • Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  CCNM is Canada’s premier institute for education and research in naturopathic medicine, offering new thinking, new research and new approaches to health care.

Licensing varies from one state to another, so it is important to know where your Naturopath got his/her education.  If you are looking for someone with rigorous training in basic sciences,  supervised clinical hours, board exam certification, then ask which school she/he attended.  In states where there is no formal licensing, anyone can call him/herself a Naturopath.  This leads to confusion for the public, but also for the medical community.

Check out credit hours for Naturopathic Medical Schools compared to conventional Medical Schools here.

The following states licence NDs – although their scope of practice varies from one state to another.

  • 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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