about naturopathic medicine
Q: What is Naturopathic Medicine?
A: Please go here to read more about naturopathic medicine.
Q: How are Naturopathic Doctors trained?
A: NDs obtain comprehensive and rigorous training in educational structure similar to that of medical doctors. Applicants to the Naturopathic Medical Program require a premedical Bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution to even be considered for admission. The number of required courses actually surpasses those required by conventional medical schools in the province of Ontario. Applicants’ academic history, personal essay, references, autobiographical sketch, and interview are all used to select qualified candidates who would be able to withstand the challenges of the intense workload typical of this program and make excellent naturopathic doctors in the future.
Four years of full-time study at an approved college of naturopathic medicine are required for graduation. Colleges are accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The four-year program incorporates over 4500 hours of classroom training in basic medical sciences, clinical sciences, and naturopathic therapies as well as 1500 hours of supervised clinical experience. Course work includes biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology, physical and clinical diagnosis, integrated clinical pathology & diagnostic assessment, ethics and jurisprudence, health psychology, Asian medicine, botanical medicine, homeopathic medicine, clinical nutrition, physical medicine, naturopathic manipulation, massage, hydrotherapy, maternal and newborn care, paediatrics, and emergency medicine. Graduates receive the designation, Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) after approximately 6000 hours of academic and clinical training.
Following the completion of their program, NDs must successfully complete the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) to qualify for licensing in Ontario. NPLEX is the international licensing and board examination used by all regulated provinces and states across North America. NDs are also required to earn continuing education credits on an ongoing basis to maintain their registration and good standing with the regulatory body. They are licensed with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO).
Q: What types of patients can Naturopathic Medicine treat?
A: All ages and types of patients: women, men, and children. Patients who suffer from both acute and chronic conditions can benefit from naturopathic medicine. We also see many patients who come in specifically for health promotion and prevention of future diseases.
Q: What conditions can be treated with Naturopathic Medicine?
A: We treat both acute and chronic diseases. Trained as general practitioners, we treat the full range of health concerns from acute upper respiratory infections to cardiovascular disease.
Q: Do Naturopathic Doctors have specialties?
A: Naturopathic Doctors sometimes have a “special interest” in a certain treatment modality, disease, or group of people, however, this isn't classified as a specialty. At this time, none of the naturopathic colleges in North America offer specialist training beyond the naturopathic doctor program, however, many NDs continue their education beyond graduation in certain aspects of healthcare that most interest them.
Q: Is Naturopathic Medicine scientific?
A: There is an enormous body of evidence supporting Naturopathic Medicine, which is rapidly growing. Much of our work is based upon validated diagnostic questioning and physical examination as used by medical doctors as well as lab testing and logical, scientific analysis. Most treatments have undergone rigorous scientific testing in clinical trials and are scrutinized very carefully for safety and effectiveness in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals. Naturopathic treatments do not always display such drastic positive results due to their individualized nature, and thus it is harder to apply the same scientific methods of conventional medicine to naturopathic medicine. However, there is no doubt that naturopathic medicine is an evidence-based medicine.
Research is encouraged and facilitated at the top naturopathic colleges. The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine has a very active research department conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of naturopathic treatments. It is eligible for grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It is currently partnered with many major medical research institutions and has collaborated in the past with McMaster University, the University of Oxford, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Care Centre, Ottawa General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and John Hopkins University.
Q: Is Naturopathic Medicine safe?
A: Naturopathic Medicine has an excellent safety record, which is understandable given the emphasis on natural, non-toxic medicines and gentle, non-invasive treatment. Naturopathic Doctors are knowledgeable about contraindications between naturopathic and conventional treatments and any interactions that are known to occur. In addition, they are extensively trained in the recognition and diagnosis of health conditions and know which of those are outside their scope of practice and when a referral to another healthcare practitioner is required.
Q: What is the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?
A: There are two major differences. First of all, homeopaths only use homeopathy while naturopathic doctors use homeopathy as just one of their treatment modalities, the others being clinical nutrition, lifestyle counselling, as well as botanical, Asian, and physical medicine. Second, homeopaths are regulated and licensed in Ontario under the Homeopathy Act and by the College of Homeopaths of Ontario, which is completely separate from the Naturopathic Doctor regulatory body and procedures. Only those individuals who graduate from an accredited naturopathic college, pass rigorous licensing exams, maintain membership with the regulatory body, and obtain continuing education credits on an ongoing basis can call themselves Naturopathic Doctors.
Q: What is the difference between a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (Naturopathic Doctor) and a Doctor of Natural Medicine?
A: Unlike a Naturopathic Noctor (N.D.), a Doctor of Natural Medicine (D.N.M.) is not regulated and licensed in Ontario. Anyone, regardless of training and education can call themselves a Doctor of Natural Medicine. There is no independent regulatory body that ensures that these individuals have appropriate training.
The regulatory board for naturopathic doctors in Ontario is the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO). This is a government-appointed board that is independent of any naturopathic associations and its job is to protect the rights of the public and ensure a high standard of patient care.
Q: How does a Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) compare to a medical doctor (M.D.)?
A: Naturopathic Doctors have similar training in medical and clinical sciences (ex. anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, physical & clinical diagnosis, and integrated clinical pathology) and in addition, they have extensive training in a full spectrum of natural medicines and therapies. Both types of doctors rely on diagnostic reasoning in the medical interview and physical exam as well as laboratory testing in order to arrive at a diagnosis. It is largely in form of treatment where they differ.
N.D.s and M.D.s are both primary health care providers. Due to the organization of the medical system, however, M.D.s often do not have the time they would like to spend with patients, and are therefore pressured to do their work quickly. N.D.s have fewer time restraints and are therefore able to, on average, spend a much longer time with patients, which allows them to thoroughly investigate the root cause of a problem and effectively treat it. Although both professions engage in symptomatic treatment, it seems to be more of a focus of the allopathic medical community. Naturopathic Doctors tend to focus more on the cause of a given problem and are typically more dedicated to the prevention of disease and the optimization of health. They often individualize treatments as one size typically does not fit all.
A: Please go here to read more about naturopathic medicine.
Q: How are Naturopathic Doctors trained?
A: NDs obtain comprehensive and rigorous training in educational structure similar to that of medical doctors. Applicants to the Naturopathic Medical Program require a premedical Bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution to even be considered for admission. The number of required courses actually surpasses those required by conventional medical schools in the province of Ontario. Applicants’ academic history, personal essay, references, autobiographical sketch, and interview are all used to select qualified candidates who would be able to withstand the challenges of the intense workload typical of this program and make excellent naturopathic doctors in the future.
Four years of full-time study at an approved college of naturopathic medicine are required for graduation. Colleges are accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The four-year program incorporates over 4500 hours of classroom training in basic medical sciences, clinical sciences, and naturopathic therapies as well as 1500 hours of supervised clinical experience. Course work includes biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology, physical and clinical diagnosis, integrated clinical pathology & diagnostic assessment, ethics and jurisprudence, health psychology, Asian medicine, botanical medicine, homeopathic medicine, clinical nutrition, physical medicine, naturopathic manipulation, massage, hydrotherapy, maternal and newborn care, paediatrics, and emergency medicine. Graduates receive the designation, Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) after approximately 6000 hours of academic and clinical training.
Following the completion of their program, NDs must successfully complete the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) to qualify for licensing in Ontario. NPLEX is the international licensing and board examination used by all regulated provinces and states across North America. NDs are also required to earn continuing education credits on an ongoing basis to maintain their registration and good standing with the regulatory body. They are licensed with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO).
Q: What types of patients can Naturopathic Medicine treat?
A: All ages and types of patients: women, men, and children. Patients who suffer from both acute and chronic conditions can benefit from naturopathic medicine. We also see many patients who come in specifically for health promotion and prevention of future diseases.
Q: What conditions can be treated with Naturopathic Medicine?
A: We treat both acute and chronic diseases. Trained as general practitioners, we treat the full range of health concerns from acute upper respiratory infections to cardiovascular disease.
Q: Do Naturopathic Doctors have specialties?
A: Naturopathic Doctors sometimes have a “special interest” in a certain treatment modality, disease, or group of people, however, this isn't classified as a specialty. At this time, none of the naturopathic colleges in North America offer specialist training beyond the naturopathic doctor program, however, many NDs continue their education beyond graduation in certain aspects of healthcare that most interest them.
Q: Is Naturopathic Medicine scientific?
A: There is an enormous body of evidence supporting Naturopathic Medicine, which is rapidly growing. Much of our work is based upon validated diagnostic questioning and physical examination as used by medical doctors as well as lab testing and logical, scientific analysis. Most treatments have undergone rigorous scientific testing in clinical trials and are scrutinized very carefully for safety and effectiveness in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals. Naturopathic treatments do not always display such drastic positive results due to their individualized nature, and thus it is harder to apply the same scientific methods of conventional medicine to naturopathic medicine. However, there is no doubt that naturopathic medicine is an evidence-based medicine.
Research is encouraged and facilitated at the top naturopathic colleges. The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine has a very active research department conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of naturopathic treatments. It is eligible for grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It is currently partnered with many major medical research institutions and has collaborated in the past with McMaster University, the University of Oxford, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Care Centre, Ottawa General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and John Hopkins University.
Q: Is Naturopathic Medicine safe?
A: Naturopathic Medicine has an excellent safety record, which is understandable given the emphasis on natural, non-toxic medicines and gentle, non-invasive treatment. Naturopathic Doctors are knowledgeable about contraindications between naturopathic and conventional treatments and any interactions that are known to occur. In addition, they are extensively trained in the recognition and diagnosis of health conditions and know which of those are outside their scope of practice and when a referral to another healthcare practitioner is required.
Q: What is the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?
A: There are two major differences. First of all, homeopaths only use homeopathy while naturopathic doctors use homeopathy as just one of their treatment modalities, the others being clinical nutrition, lifestyle counselling, as well as botanical, Asian, and physical medicine. Second, homeopaths are regulated and licensed in Ontario under the Homeopathy Act and by the College of Homeopaths of Ontario, which is completely separate from the Naturopathic Doctor regulatory body and procedures. Only those individuals who graduate from an accredited naturopathic college, pass rigorous licensing exams, maintain membership with the regulatory body, and obtain continuing education credits on an ongoing basis can call themselves Naturopathic Doctors.
Q: What is the difference between a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (Naturopathic Doctor) and a Doctor of Natural Medicine?
A: Unlike a Naturopathic Noctor (N.D.), a Doctor of Natural Medicine (D.N.M.) is not regulated and licensed in Ontario. Anyone, regardless of training and education can call themselves a Doctor of Natural Medicine. There is no independent regulatory body that ensures that these individuals have appropriate training.
The regulatory board for naturopathic doctors in Ontario is the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO). This is a government-appointed board that is independent of any naturopathic associations and its job is to protect the rights of the public and ensure a high standard of patient care.
Q: How does a Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) compare to a medical doctor (M.D.)?
A: Naturopathic Doctors have similar training in medical and clinical sciences (ex. anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, physical & clinical diagnosis, and integrated clinical pathology) and in addition, they have extensive training in a full spectrum of natural medicines and therapies. Both types of doctors rely on diagnostic reasoning in the medical interview and physical exam as well as laboratory testing in order to arrive at a diagnosis. It is largely in form of treatment where they differ.
N.D.s and M.D.s are both primary health care providers. Due to the organization of the medical system, however, M.D.s often do not have the time they would like to spend with patients, and are therefore pressured to do their work quickly. N.D.s have fewer time restraints and are therefore able to, on average, spend a much longer time with patients, which allows them to thoroughly investigate the root cause of a problem and effectively treat it. Although both professions engage in symptomatic treatment, it seems to be more of a focus of the allopathic medical community. Naturopathic Doctors tend to focus more on the cause of a given problem and are typically more dedicated to the prevention of disease and the optimization of health. They often individualize treatments as one size typically does not fit all.
