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Frequently Asked Questions
What is naturopathic medicine?
What
education and training do naturopathic doctors have?
How
are naturopathic doctors regulated?
When would
someone go to a naturopathic doctor?
What
is the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?
Why
would I see a naturopathic doctor when I can get good advice about
natural products from my health food store?
Do
you work with other health care professionals?
What
diseases do you treat?
What
is naturopathic medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a
distinct system of primary health care that addresses the root causes
of illness and promotes health and healing using natural therapies.
Naturopathic physicians integrate standard medical diagnostics with
a broad range of natural therapies.
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What education
and training do naturopathic doctors have?
Naturopathic
physicians have a minimum of 7 years of post-secondary education
including:
- At least 3 years of university including
prerequisites in biology, psychology, English, general chemistry,
organic chemistry and biochemistry. Most naturopathic physicians
have an undergraduate degree.
- Four years of naturopathic medical education
from one of six recognized schools in North America.
Click here for a list of accredited schools. These schools
are carefully regulated to ensure a high quality, standardized
education. The education required to become a licensed naturopathic
doctor is rigorous and includes four intense years of theoretical
learning and clinical training. Upon completion of this education,
naturopathic physicians are qualified to work as primary care
physicians. As an example, my education at the Boucher
Institute of Naturopathic Medicine was divided into academic
and clinical streams.
- Academics – 3500 classroom
hours divided amongst:
• health sciences – much
like the curriculum at a conventional medical school, the first
two years of naturopathic medicine are spent gaining an in depth
understanding of physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pathology,
microbiology, neuroanatomy, physical clinical diagnosis, differential
diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging
•
therapeutic modalities – throughout the four years there
are courses in botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy,
psychology, Traditional Oriental Medicine and physical medicine
•
clinical sciences – building on the foundation of basic
medical sciences, third and fourth year students take courses
necessary to be a primary care physician such as pharmacology,
dermatology, environmental health, gynecology, oncology, obstetrics,
pediatrics and geriatrics
• professional development
– this includes courses in ethics, personal wholeness, jurisprudence
and practice management
- Clinical training –
1200 hours in the teaching clinic, treating patients under the
supervision of a licensed naturopathic physician and 300 hours
observing naturopathic doctors in their own offices.
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How are naturopathic
doctors regulated?
To be licensed to practice naturopathic
medicine in BC you must:
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When would someone go to a naturopathic
doctor?
Naturopathic doctors are unique in health care
because their training combines conventional medical sciences and
diagnostic tools with a broad scope of therapies. The ability to
integrate different philosophies and practices gives us many tools
to work with. This allows greater flexibility and creativity when
approaching complex subjects like health and disease.
Common reasons people visit a naturopathic doctor:
- they experience a major health crisis
and want to explore their treatment options
- they are fed up with being sick or in pain
- they are overwhelmed by the growing mountain
of health products they think they should be taking and want a
professional to help them prioritize
- they want a comprehensive disease prevention
program
- they choose to have a naturopathic doctor
as their family doctor
I encourage people to see an ND before their
health is in crisis. Minor health problems are symptoms of imbalance
- a warning sign from your body that it is not functioning as well
as it could. The earlier you address a health concern, the easier
it is to treat.
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What is the
difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?
Homeopathy
is a specific system of medicine that uses diluted potencies of
natural substances to stimulate the body to heal itself. Naturopathy
is a medical practice that integrates a wide variety of therapies,
including homeopathy, to treat the cause of an individual’s
symptoms.
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Why would I
see a naturopathic doctor when I can get good advice about natural
products from my health food store?
Naturopathic doctors
are primary care physicians. This means they base recommendations
on a diagnosis or probable cause of a problem, rather than symptoms.
For example, fatigue can be caused by hundreds of different factors
– from sleep disturbance to anemia to cancer. A naturopathic
doctor considers medical history, physical exams and appropriate
laboratory testing in their assessment to determine what treatment
will be the most appropriate, safe and effective. Treatments are
individualized and take into account your whole history. A further
benefit of consulting a naturopathic doctor is that your response
to therapies are monitored and adjusted as needed.
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Do you work
with other health care professionals?
Quality health
care involves teamwork and communication. I refer patients to other
professionals when I feel their experience or training would be
beneficial and I am happy to work with your other health care providers
at your request. Because naturopathic medicine has so many tools,
your treatment can be individualized to complement other therapies
you may be receiving. An example of complementary medicine is pre
and post surgical support to help reduce your chance of complications
and help you heal faster.
It is important to recognize that all systems
of medicine have their strengths and weaknesses. During a life-threatening
event, like a major trauma or meningitis, there is no question that
conventional medicine has powerful tools and resources that will
save your life. Specialists like oncologists, endocrinologists or
gynecologists, have a focused body of knowledge that allows them
to be experts in a specific area of medicine. Similarly, doctors
of Chinese medicine, chiropractors and medical herbalists, are all
trained to be experts in their chosen philosophy and therapy. Naturopathic
doctors are trained to be primary care doctors that can integrate
a number of different philosophies and therapies. By understanding
both conventional and alternative treatments, we can help our patients
combine the best of both worlds.
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What diseases
do you treat?
I treat people rather than diseases. There
is no cookbook protocol or magic natural bullet that will cure all
IBS, osteoarthritis or cancer because everyone is an individual
with different factors that need to be addressed. The therapies
I choose are targeted at removing a person’s unique obstructions
to healing and adding things that promote optimal health. This treatment
approach can be applied to anyone who would like to improve his
or her health.
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