What is a licensed naturopathic physician? Naturopathic physicians (NDs) take a holistic approach to healing, and aim to cure disease by taking advantage of the body's self-regenerative powers and harnessing the restorative power of nature. Naturopathic physicians endeavor to treat the whole person by taking into account the emotional, genetic, and environmental factors that have influenced their state of health. Naturopathic physicians emphasize natural remedies. NDs predominantly utilize natural medicines and procedures. Naturopathic physicians work to identify and eliminate the cause of disease, and are guided by seven basic principles:

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 a 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 (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). A naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician. Additional information on naturopathic schools can be found at www.aanmc.org.

Doctors of naturopathic medicine (NDs) are trained as primary care providers and, as such, their scope of practice may include...

Nutrition
Botanical medicine
Physical medicine
Homeopathy
Physical and clinical diagnosis
Laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging
Emergency medicine
Psychology
Pharmacology
Minor surgery
Acupuncture and Oriental medicine*
* Only in scope of practice in a few states.

Naturopathic physicians learn to treat all aspects of family health and wellness, from pediatrics to geriatrics. They tailor their therapies to meet the individual needs of each patient, factoring in physical, social, emotional and spiritual aspects before prescribing a course of treatment. Because they view natural remedies as complementary as well as primary, naturopathic physicians cooperate with other medical professionals, referring patients to allopathic medical doctors, surgeons and other specialists whenever appropriate. Naturopathic physicians are rigorously trained.

Licensed naturopathic physicians have attended four-year professional-level programs at accredited institutions, where they have been educated in the same basic sciences as allopathic physicians. Some member schools in the AANMC actually require more hours of basic and clinical science than many top allopathic medical schools.
During their first two years of study, the curriculum focuses on basic and clinical sciences, covering...

Biochemistry
Human Physiology
Histology
Anatomy
Macro- and Microbiology
Immunology
Human Pathology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology

For at least the final two years of their medical program, students intern in clinical settings under the close supervision of licensed professionals.
Students of naturopathic medicine use the Western medical sciences as a foundation on which to build a thorough knowledge of holistic, non-toxic therapies and develop skills in diagnosis, disease prevention and wellness optimization.
While earning their degree, doctors of naturopathic medicine learn virtually all the modalities of proven natural therapies...

Clinical Nutrition
Botanical Medicine
Homeopathy
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Lifestyle Counseling
Massage
Physical Medicine
Hydrotherapy

Graduates from naturopathic medical schools must pass the comprehensive naturopathic physicians licensing examinations (NPLEX) to be licensed as primary care physicians. Candidates for full licensure must also satisfy all licensing requirements for the individual state or province in which they plan to practice.
Today's naturopathic physicians artfully blend modern, cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with ancient and traditional methods. They offer the world a healing paradigm founded on a rational balance of tradition, science and respect for nature.