Education

[kkty77]

Hey Shelley,

I was wondering where you and your staff aquired all your knowledge. I am very interested in naturopathic medicine and was wondering what would be a good graduate school to check into? I have checked with the listed schools with the AANMC, are any of these good in your opinion? Thanks for your help!

[shelley]

We've all done lots of reading and experimentation. I think one thing that's very important to accuracy is a willingness to give up certain ideas when they don't really support us.

When deciding what to do for a living, you have to look at the bottom line, whatever that is for you. The problem with being a naturopath is that unless you are an AMA board certified doctor first, you will have to rely on your patients having funds because you won't be able to qualify for most insurance. Most non-AMA doctors try to charge outrageous service fees, 200 bucks or more, for each visit and few people can afford that now that gas is so expensive. A good alternative is the nurse practioner route. More and more insurances are recognizing the cost savings of consulting with a nurse practitioner on wellness matters.

Lots of people call themselves naturopathic doctors and use the initials after their name, but many of them only went through a short certification program and really don't know all that much about the body, they just know a little bit about Ayurvedic medicine and perhaps Homeopathy, a bit of nutrition, herbs. This puts them in the same trap as regular doctors: they follow the protocols without knowing the why's, and don't do what it takes to improve upon the protocols. This leaves you vulnerable to selling products and services that might actually hurt people.

Did you take pre-med courses as an undergraduate? There are good schools out there. If you're serious and don't mind relocating, look into Bastyr University in Seattle. It has an excellent reputation. My favorite juicing book was written by two of their alumnae. I forget where I put it, FAQ or main pages perhaps, but there should be a list of books and sites that are required reading for anyone who wants good information on various subjects regarding real health. Let me know if you can't find it, I can always re-post it.

Hope that helps!

[kkty77]

Thanks for the info! Yes I am pre-med but actually want to help my patients by empowering them with the knowledge of how their body works. I have checked into Bastyr already and it does look like a good school. Would that school have the accreditation I need? Nurse Practitioner would be nice but I didn't take the nursing route. I have seen some chiropractors who practice naturo med too but they seem to be more along the lines of the people you described in your post. I just think preventative medicine is the way to go and this is a great way to start.