Becoming a Naturopathic Medicine Doctor
Naturopathy Schools, Career, Licensure, Accreditation and Salary Info
Naturopathy Schools, Career, Licensure, Accreditation and Salary Info
Naturopathy Schools | Natural Healers Career Resource Center
| | "Health is the integration of all aspects of our being and the art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind." |
Wellness is not only a way of life, it is also an excellent career choice. Adapt the wellness lifestyle and learn about naturopathic medicine careers, education and licensure to learn the steps that need to be taken to become a naturopathic medicine doctor.
Naturopathic Medicine Careers and Education
A Typical Day For a Naturopathic Doctor
Licensed naturopathic doctors work as primary care physicians. Like most physicians, the majority of their day is spent seeing patients in a medical office. A typical patient visit lasts for 30 minutes, but a first visit may run between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the complexity of the case. A patient visit usually includes patient diagnosis, discussion of possible naturopathic treatments, counseling about lifestyle or nutrition, prescription of natural remedies, and/or referral to other medical specialists, if necessary. When appropriate, the ND may also perform treatments in their office, such as hydrotherapy.
Deciding Whether You Want to Become an ND
If an ND career intrigues you, you need to learn the education required to become a naturopathic doctor. For example, an ND degree can be as rigorous as an MD degree, so you have to decide whether your naturopathy practice will be more clinical or traditional in nature. The education information below will provide a more in-depth naturopath career-training overview to help nourish your ND career knowledge and provide you with naturopathic medicine school insight.
Undergraduate Majors For People
Considering Becoming Naturopathic Doctors
Naturopathic school undergraduate degree programs include a minimum of 20 semester or 30 quarter credits of standard pre-medicine classes, such as chemistry, biology, botany, anatomy and physiology. Other than that, they encourage students to come from a well-rounded academic background. While many applicants have a pre-med BS, this is not a requirement. As long as you can fulfill the science prerequisites, major in an area that interests you. Right now, a popular undergraduate degree among naturopathic medicine doctor applicants is a psychology degree .
Naturopathy Schools' Tuition and Financial Aid.
Tuition, fees and supplies generally run $15,000 to $20,000 per year at the residential colleges. The accredited naturopathic colleges qualify for the usual state and federal financial aid including Stafford loans, work-study and other programs. The majority of students at these colleges receive some type of financial aid assistance.
Here are some organizations that offer financial aid for naturopathic medicine students. Learn more by clicking on each type of loan opportunity listed below.
StudentLoan.com
A service of Citibank, this site provides extensive information about the various types of student loans you may be qualified to receive.
FinAid.org
FinAid is a comprehensive public service website dedicated to helping students find financial aid and scholarships.
SallieMae.com
Sallie Mae is the nation's largest source of funding and servicing for higher education loans.
Teri.org
TERI (The Education Resource Institute) provides education financing and information services to students and their families.
Ed.gov
The Department of Education provides detailed information about federal student aid.
Schools Accredited by The Council
on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME)
The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education provides a seal of education approval by researching and accrediting qualified naturopathic schools. The below schools are either accredited or are candidates for accreditation by the CNME:CNME Accredited Schools
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Bastyr University
- National College of Naturopathic Medicine
- Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences
- The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
CNME Candidates for Accreditation
Naturopathy Home-Study Schools or External-Degree Programs and Accreditation
The CNME is aware of several correspondence schools that offer an ND degree. Some are exempt from state regulations because they claim a religious purpose or they do not recruit students from their home states.
Correspondence programs do not prepare students for practice as licensed naturopathic physicians, and the programs are not eligible for affiliation and accreditation with CNME. In states without licensing laws, it is not illegal for graduates of ND correspondence schools to use the ND initials after their names; they may not, however, legally represent themselves as physicians or engage in the practice of medicine unless they are otherwise licensed as medical practitioners.
Although correspondence courses can be effective in many disciplines, they may not be adequate in preparing students to become physicians, since the graduates of these programs are not considered a part of the naturopathic medical profession. The accrediting agencies listed by ND correspondence schools are not recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, so students need to research their school and training program to make sure they're getting the education they need to become a true naturopathic doctor.
Naturopathy Schools and Length of Study
A naturopathic doctor must go through medical school as well as specialized training in holistic medical practice. Most naturopathic medicine programs are structured as four-year programs, although it is not unusual for students to take five years to complete their training. This is all in addition to undergraduate study.
Naturopathic Laws and Licensure
States That License Naturopathic Physicians
Twelve states and four provinces allow the practice of naturopathic medicine: Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Manitoba, Montana, New Hampshire, Ontario, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also have licensing laws for naturopathic doctors.
Many states have realized that having physicians trained in preventive medicine and health promotion is a wise choice, and are now considering naturopathic legislation.
The Value of Attending a School That
Leads to Naturopathic Medicine Licensure
The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) strongly believes in and advocates for state licensing of naturopathic physicians in all 50 states. The AANP believe that other programs, such as certification and registration, do not go far enough.
With the cost of health care slowly spiraling out of control there is a renewed interest in the development of a patient-centered system of health care delivery focused on restoring individual and community health while preventing illness. The drive for licensure of NDs is a sign of the times. Licensure creates accountability supported by law, affirming that people who are licensed are under the scrutiny of a board of examiners.
Certification, on the other hand, does not carry with it the scrutiny of a licensing board nor regulation of any sort. Unlike licensing boards, certifying organizations usually does not have members other than those they have certified. They also do not carry the weight of law. Certification, at its best, merely indicates that the person certified has completed a course of study. It says nothing about the quality of that course of study. And there is no ongoing system to make certain of adherence to standards of practice.
The Responsibility of NDs
While anyone can educate themselves in the general knowledge of health and illness, a physician must be educated to be able to recognize, differentiate and diagnose serious illness. They must also develop the social insight necessary to understand and utilize technical advances in the healing arts, and cooperate fully and legally with voluntary and public agencies that work in community health.
The modern ND is trained in basic medical science and conventional diagnostics, and is qualified through licensing to scientifically apply natural therapeutics in the treatment of disease and restoration of health. The public has the right to know that those offering such services are competent as physicians, duly licensed as such, and are willing to be held accountable for their actions and results.
Naturopathic Medicine Practitioner Salary
The average income of naturopathic doctors or practitioners tends to fall in the low- to mid-range of family practice doctors, according to a survey done by the AANP. According to the AANP, naturopathic doctors make an average of $80,000 a year, with a range anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 per year, depending on an NDs experience, costs of overhead and amount of specialization.
If qualified, and with the right patient networking, naturopaths have the ability to make a very good and rewarding living promoting good health and wellness.
Find a Naturopathic School in Your Area
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Sources:
Jones, Rosemary. Educational and Career Opportunities in Alternative Medicine. 1999-2007.
Linkroll.com, 2007-2009.
American Association of Naturopathic, 2005.
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, 2006.
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