Considering a Career in Naturopathic Medicine? Start Here.
At the National University of Natural Medicine, our goal is to help all of our current and prospective students to better understand the field of natural medicine, help their patients combat chronic disease, and uplift their communities through their work.
Practicing medicine as a Naturopathic Doctor is more than a career — it’s a calling, and practicing naturopathic medicine requires a unique approach to care, both distinct from and utilizing conventional medicine techniques.
Unlike many forms of conventional care, naturopathic medicine is not a symptoms-based approach. It’s medical science that uses a whole-person approach to optimizing wellness and preventing disease. It is a science, an art, and a philosophy.
It’s a growing profession, filled with opportunity. Here are some interesting trends about Naturopathic Medicine that might help you better understand what a career as an ND could look like for you.
The Demand for Naturopathic Care is on the Rise
Attitudes about healthcare in the United States are rapidly changing.
In the past, more traditional models of healthcare — those that focused primarily on treating the symptoms of illness and disease instead of on their prevention — were more readily accepted by the public.
These days, however, there is a growing interest in taking a more active role in one’s health that goes beyond conventional consideration of diet and exercise. Wearable health trackers, genetic testing, sleep and stress studies — today’s patient is engaged, informed, and demands a personalized approach to their care.
This is precisely how Naturopathic Medicine’s preventative, whole-person approach to wellness is leading the way in today’s landscape of care.
People want personalized care. They want more holistic treatments vs.pharmaceutical medication. They want a greater understanding of what’s happening in their bodies in real-time so they can closely collaborate with their healthcare team to optimize their wellness through a more integrative approach. Naturopathic Medicine is here to meet this moment.
Integration of Naturopathic and Conventional Medicine is Growing
Naturopathy’s integration with conventional medicine is steadily increasing.
This approach is commonly referred to as “integrative medicine” and gives patients and healthcare teams a broader range of options in creating treatment plans, while also giving greater attention to preventative care, helping to alleviate those who suffer from the effects of chronic disease.
The integrative methodology isn’t just being embraced by mainstream healthcare due to patient preference, it’s because it garners results.
Recent studies show that a naturopathic whole-person approach to medicine is effective in treating an array of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease.
People Want Personalized Healthcare More Than Ever
Personalization lies at the heart of Naturopathic Medicine. It is a “whole-person” approach to care.
When treating a patient, NDs focus not just on the underlying physical symptoms that a patient is experiencing, but also on the patient’s mental, emotional, environmental, and nutritional health.
This paints a much richer picture of a patient’s experience, allowing NDs to give greater context to care.
The Department of Veterans Affairs refers to this whole health philosophy as “What matters to you, not what is the matter with you.”
In contrast to many traditional approaches to treatment, Naturopathic Doctors specialize in personalized wellness plans that are unique to the individual and tailored to their health and wellness goals.
Naturopathic Doctors’ Career Options Are Increasingly Diverse
NDs have a wide variety of options to choose from when it comes to their careers.
Clinicians
Many choose the pathway of the Clinician, where they have the option to work in any number of practice settings, including integrative medicine and concierge care. Some states, when specific criteria are met, authorize Naturopaths to practice primary care, as well.
Many NDs choose to open work in specialty practices, where they can focus their education and training on a certain illness or needs of a specific population. These specialties include gastroenterology, oncology, pediatrics, women’s or men’s health , mental health, environmental medicine, and more.
Academics & Research
Many NDs choose to stay in the field of academia and research, where they can use their training to further advancements in the field, including the safety and efficacy of new approaches to treatment.
For example, Dr. Matthew Hicks, a 2017 graduate of NUNM and researcher at our Helfgott Research Center, was recently appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek to the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board (OPAB).
In this appointment, Dr. Hicks will provide recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), based on research into the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin for treating mental health conditions and the delivery of psilocybin services statewide in an effort to make psychedelic therapy more effective, accessible, and equitable.
Entrepreneurship
For some, being a Naturopathic Doctor means working directly with patients in a clinical setting. For others, it might mean an administrative-, academic-, or research-focused career.
Many other NDs choose to use their education, clinical experience, and credentials in order to start successful business ventures.
Think private label wellness products, supplements, or technology, naturopathic consulting, coaching, in-person and online courses, public speaking, wellness retreats, nutrition, skincare, and many more.
Thanks to social media, Naturopathic Doctors have more avenues than ever to connect with the people who need their care the most.
At NUNM, not only do we provide coursework focusing on medicine and patient care, but students are also offered classes on practice management, business, marketing, and other subjects that will prepare them for a number of different career opportunities.
Naturopathic Medicine is a burgeoning field, full of opportunities for prospective students considering a career as a Naturopathic Doctor.
The demand for whole-person, preventative approaches to care is on the rise.
Advances in wearable and diagnostic technologies and evolving patient attitudes require a more personalized method of patient care.
Naturopathic Doctors can create diverse, fulfilling careers that include clinical care across a variety of specialties. They can push the field of Naturopathic Medicine forward through research and academia, or even build successful businesses, based on their unique areas of expertise and influence.
If you’re interested in learning more about how NUNM can prepare you for a future career in healing patients as a Naturopathic Doctor, please contact us today.