Naturopathic medicine is a primary health care profession emphasizing:
- prevention and treatment of disease
- maintenance of optimal health
- promotion of the individual's inherent self-healing process
Naturopathic medicine accomplishes health care using holistic diagnosis in conjunction with the following therapies:
- clinical nutrition
- botanical medicine
- homeopathic medicine
- physical medicine
- lifestyle counseling
- pharmaceutical medicine
- minor surgery
How are naturopathic physicians trained?
All modern licensed naturopathic physicians have Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine degrees from federally recognized medical schools. Their education includes:
- the same premedical undergraduate coursework required by other schools of medicine
- a competitive application and admission process
- graduation from a four-year, federally recognized, naturopathic medical school
- two full years of supervised clinical internship
- optional residency programs
Naturopathic medical students study the same basic and clinical sciences as do other medical students, and in addition, a full spectrum of natural medicines and therapies.
How do naturopathic physicians diagnose and treat people?
As primary care providers, naturopathic physicians use:
- standard medical diagnostic techniques such as extensive health history, physical examination, blood tests, radiology, and other standard laboratory procedures.
- holistic interpretation in order to find the underlying cause of the disease process.
- natural medicines and therapies as the first line of treatment, and rational use of drugs and surgery
With advanced board certifications, some naturopathic physicians also practice as certified specialists.
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