NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
BECOME A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR IN A FOUR-YEAR MEDICAL PROGRAM
Licensed naturopathic doctors earn a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degree, which includes over 4,100 hours of total instruction with 1,200 hours of hands-on clinical training. ND degree programs must meet the standards established by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), a governing body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Learn more about the CNME’s program standards.
As the U.S. healthcare system evolves, there’s more need than ever for qualified doctors who can serve the diverse needs of our patient populations. Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained to diagnose and treat illness. Like MDs, NDs are primary care physicians―a patient’s first stop for medical care. Unlike MDs, NDs take a whole-person approach to wellness: They listen to and collaborate with their patients to choose the best approach to care.
NDs are in demand as primary care doctors, research scientists, specialists in hospital settings, and more.
LaKota Scott wants Native women to have better access to medicine.
Growing up in the Diné (Navajo) Nation, LaKota Scott saw a real need for medicine that blended traditional wisdom, modern science and collaborative patient care. For her, naturopathic medicine offered the best of all worlds. A recipient of a Scholars for a Healthy Oregon – Naturopathic Physicians Opportunities (SHONPO) scholarship, LaKota aspired to practice medicine within indigenous communities after graduation. In her final years at NUNM, LaKota preceptored with Zaagi’idiwin, a doula training and maternal health organization working with midwives in the Diné (Navajo) Nation.
“I realized that they [Native peoples] needed someone who understood not only their language but also their cultural values and belief systems—that was missing in the care they received from non-Native medical providers. Naturopathic medicine resonated with the way I grew up and the way I understood healing culturally.”
-LaKota Scott, ND (’ 20)
After graduating from NUNM, LaKota earned a Master of Public Health at the University of North Dakota. She now practices naturopathic medicine at Blossom Clinic in Portland, Oregon.
THE MOST IN-DEMAND NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS GRADUATE FROM NUNM
As North America’s oldest naturopathic medical school, we have over 65 years of history educating today’s leading naturopathic doctors. You’ll learn from renowned faculty that shaped the modern practice of naturopathic medicine—a practice that blends the best of conventional health care with the best of traditional nature cure.
Our naturopathic medicine degree program prepares graduates with the skills to thrive in a complex healthcare landscape. Students at NUNM learn a broader range of medical skills than any other naturopathic medical school, including experience with transgender medicine and end-of-life processes. Upon graduation, NUNM alumni are highly qualified for competitive residencies. In fact, more than 50% of all U.S. naturopathic residents are NUNM alumni.
CLINICAL TRAINING WITH THE MOST DIVERSE PATIENT POPULATION OF ANY NATUROPATHIC MEDICAL SCHOOL
Students at NUNM learn real-world clinical skills starting in year one, completing more than 1,200 clinical learning hours upon graduation. Our on-campus teaching clinic is certified as a Tier 4 Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH). In addition to being recognized as a leader in patient-centered care, this designation allows us to serve Oregon’s Medicaid population. More than 50% of our patients are on Medicaid and for some, coming to our clinic may be the first time they see a doctor of any kind. For our students, this provides exposure to treating patients with acute, complex and chronic symptoms.
Our commitment to Portland’s underserved population runs deep. Our community clinic sites allow us to meet patients where they are in their cultural and residence communities. At NUNM, you’ll get real-world experience with the most diverse group of patients of any naturopathic medicine program, practice first-hand how to diagnose patients whose symptoms may be complicated by mental illness, respond compassionately to those who may have experienced medical trauma, and partner with hospitals and community programs to provide the best treatment.
The mission of the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) program at NUNM is to educate and train physicians in the art, science and research of naturopathic medicine.
Medical Knowledge: Apply appropriate biomedical knowledge and clinical skills to patient-centered naturopathic primary care.
Patient Management: Apply the philosophy of naturopathic primary care to effectively encourage prevention, treat health problems, and foster optimal health.
Communication and Collaboration: Apply communication skills that result in an effective connection with patients, their loved ones, and other health professionals.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: Appraise, assimilate and apply scientific evidence to improve patient care.
Ethics and Professionalism: Demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population.
Practice Management and Business Skills: Identify opportunities and develop resources for establishing and maintaining a viable career using your naturopathic medical education.
Systems-Based Practice: Effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value
COMPLETE THE FIRST YEAR OF YOUR NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE DEGREE ONLINE
NUNM offers students the option of completing their first year of the naturopathic medicine (ND) program at NUNM entirely online. Students will complete the first 25% of their degree from home, reducing the costs of relocating to and living in Portland. This rigorous online curriculum matches the intensity of our on-campus program, while increasing access to our students who cannot or choose not to attend their first year in-person.
To date, there are no accredited naturopathic schools that allow students to complete their entire four-year degree solely through distance learning. NUNM’s first-year online program bridges that gap by allowing the first three terms of our nationally recognized and accredited ND program to be completed remotely. If you have been wondering how to jump-start your career in natural medicine, our online ND program for first-year students is the perfect solution.
Learn about our first-year online ND program!
LEARN UNDER THE BROADEST SCOPE OF PRACTICE IN NORTH AMERICA
Our campus in Portland, Oregon, gives students the unique opportunity to experience the forefront of natural medicine education in the epicenter of the modern U.S. natural medicine movement.
In Oregon, naturopathic medicine is widely practiced and naturopathic doctors are welcomed at all levels of the healthcare system. Our students have access to mentors at integrative clinics, in large hospital systems, and educational partnerships with conventional medical schools like Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
Our research institute leads the way in evidence-based natural medicine study. We have over $3 million in grants and a number of studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Oregon has the broadest scope of naturopathic licensure in the U.S. This means that our students get more hands-on experience with more medical skills and modalities than any other naturopathic school. Oregon licensure empowers naturopathic doctors to fully participate in their patients’ care, from preventive pediatrics to prescribing pharmaceuticals, to performing ultrasounds. Learn more about Oregon’s scope of practice and why it matters for medical education.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN CAREER PATH
NUNM students can pursue areas of focus within the field of natural medicine. With additional degree programs, certificate tracks and faculty mentors, our students have the option to specialize in:
Nutrition
Global health
Chinese medicine and acupuncture
Integrative medicine research
Midwifery and obstetrics
Homeopathy
Shiatsu
Oncology
Physical medicine and bodywork
Gastroenterology
Pain and opioid management
START A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR
NUNM students are ready for a successful career. In the first year after graduation, more than 90% of our ND graduates have jobs using their degree.* Our curriculum prepares students to pass licensure exams, match with postgraduate residencies, and start a practice.
In their final year, students take a 70-hour course to prepare them for the NPLEX licensing exam and, in 2017, our graduates scored an average of 96% on the NPLEX II.
Our graduates are uniquely qualified to serve in a wide variety of healthcare careers and positions, from primary care doctors in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), to complementary providers in leading oncology hospitals.
*This data was created using a snapshot of employment outcomes collected 15 months after graduation.
See how NUNM alumna Stephanie Culver, ND (’14), is building a career that blends professional excellence with family life.
WONDERING WHAT YOUR CAREER AFTER NUNM COULD LOOK LIKE?
Specialist in an integrative cancer clinic. Watch the video.
Best-selling author and expert in women’s health and Post-Birth Control Syndrome. Read the story.
Dean of students for health and well-being at a leading liberal arts college. Read the story.
Provider in a functional and regenerative medicine clinic. Watch the video.
Leading expert, speaker and lecturer on functional gastroenterology. Read the bio.
Medical director for a certified laboratory revolutionizing the way hormones are tested. Read the story.
