A message from our president, David J. Schleich, PhD

We’re here to help our students succeed in reaching their dreams. Take a close look at our website; talk to our counselors; ask a thousand questions. Become a healer at this pivotal time in our nation’s history as health care continues to transform. More and more, everything depends on superb clinical and theoretical knowledge, all focused on the patient.

Since 1956, NUNM has led and innovated in natural medicine education. Our programs, clinics, institutes, continuing education, research and community outreach are robust and thriving. NUNM’s clinical doctorates in naturopathic medicine and in classical Chinese medicine are top of field. The university’s medley of master’s and bachelor’s programs are exemplary in their relevance to the North American healthcare terrain, as wide ranging in disciplines as they are richly developed in content and teaching methodologies. NUNM is known as the “educator of choice” in the natural medicine field. There are plenty of new terms out there to describe what NUNM has been doing for over sixty years [integrative medicine, holistic medicine, functional medicine].  We are, though, the real deal.

Our growing campus footprint in downtown Portland is a bustling center of teaching, learning, research and community activity. The NUNM Naturopathic Medicine doctoral degree program is the oldest accredited program of its kind in North America. It has spawned similar programs all over the United States and Canada over the years. Our accredited College of Classical Chinese Medicine, founded in 1995, has a long, robust connection with China’s Guangxi College, celebrating and expanding the classical roots of the medicine. It is unique in the land.

NUNM’s School of Graduate Studies provides master’s degrees in Research, Nutrition, Integrative Mental Health and Global Health. Our master’s program in Integrative Medicine Research is utterly unique in America, a superb opportunity for students to design and execute natural medicine research under the guidance of world-class researchers. Students interested in pursuing careers in nutrition will receive a foundation in holistic nutrition and food systems, complemented by skill-training in cooking, teaching, research, and nutritional counseling in NUNM’s two state-of-the-art teaching and research kitchens. Then, there’s the Helfgott Research Institute itself. Since 2003, it has been championing critical research in natural medicine. Our students and faculty work side-by-side on contract and NIH-funded studies, producing leading-edge research and inquiry. Our School of Undergraduate and Part-Time Studies has three programs: Integrative Health Sciences, Nutrition, and Integrative Therapeutics (Massage Therapy). Both Schools contemplate several more new programs being developed over the next five years.

NUNM’s Health Centers, both on campus and across the municipal region of Portland, provide excellent clinical education for our students and outstanding natural medicine care for thousands of patients each year. Our medical services are in high demand at our main centers and in our allied community clinics throughout Portland. In these venues, under the caring supervision of our esteemed faculty, NUNM students experience a remarkable array of presenting conditions from diverse patient populations.

The NUNM family of institutes are renowned for their pioneering outreach, education, research and community education programs: Women in Balance, Traditional Roots, Food as Medicine, Age Wise, and the forthcoming Spirituality and Medicine Institute. As well, NUNM’s Continuing Education Department provides educational symposia in a wide range of health fields annually such as Food As Medicine, Autoimmune Disorders, Optimal Aging, Medical Herbalism, SIBO, Pain Management, Integrative Endocrinology, Medical Cannabis, Gastroenterology, Integrative Mental Health … and more!

NUNM PRESS now has fifteen titles in its repertoire, on medical specialties, the history and philosophy of natural medicine and its modalities and specialties, sustainable agriculture, international development, and more. The NUNM Career Services Department is at your service, helping you in every way we can to get into your professional life successfully and to succeed. Our Student Services Department is extraordinary, ready to guide and help all along your path.

NUNM’s faculty are the best I’ve ever had the privilege of working with over many years. They are so motivated, dedicated, truly excellent educators. They are internationally recognized for knowing what and how to teach. Never fear, they will put you through your paces to prepare you for an outstanding career in natural medicine—and they’ll do it with skill, sensitivity and tenacity. They’re deeply committed to the mission of the university in the classroom and the clinic, powerfully serving the professional formation of natural medicine in America and beyond.

All of this happens in a progressive city known for its healthy lifestyle and leadership in sustainability. Portland is surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Northwest. You can see the snowy cap of Mount Hood from our classroom and clinic windows, Oregon’s highest peak and one spot among many within the rich tapestry of ecosystems just an hour from our rapidly evolving campus. Come join us. Bring your hiking boots, your snowboard or surfboard—and your sense of adventure. Your life is about to transform, personally and professionally. It all starts in Portland.  We’re waiting for you.

David J. Schleich, PhD
President