Are you passionate about natural healthcare practices and interested in a career that prioritizes holistic, preventative care? Naturopathic medicine offers a unique path for those looking to help others achieve wellness by focusing on the root causes of health issues instead of just treating the symptoms. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained healthcare providers who use a combination of natural therapies, lifestyle counseling, and patient-centered care to support the body’s healing abilities.
This post takes a closer look at naturopathic medicine, what NDs do, and the steps you’ll need to take to become one. If you’re considering a career in healthcare and are intrigued by the idea of a career that’s focused on holistic healing and wellness, read on to find out if naturopathic medicine could be your calling.
What Is a Naturopathic Doctor?
What Do Naturopathic Doctors Do?
Where Do Naturopathic Doctors Work?
How to Become a Naturopathic Doctor
Rewards & Challenges of a Career As a Naturopathic Doctor
Is Naturopathic Medicine the Right Path for You?
What Is a Naturopathic Doctor?
Naturopathic doctors are licensed healthcare practitioners who treat patients through natural approaches and believe that taking a holistic view of patients’ health needs is essential to providing personalized care. Through their practice, NDs blend traditional healing methods with modern medical science to address the root causes of illnesses instead of simply alleviating their symptoms, working in conjunction with the body’s inherent ability to heal itself.
At its core, the naturopathic approach to medicine — and by extension, an ND’s practice — is guided by six core principles:
- First, Do No Harm: NDs prioritize gentle, effective therapies and avoid invasive procedures whenever possible.
- The Healing Power of Nature: NDs support the body’s natural self-healing processes through targeted, natural treatments.
- Identify and Treat the Cause: Rather than creating treatment plans to address symptoms, NDs work to identify and treat the underlying cause of patients’ ailments.
- Doctor as Teacher: NDs educate patients about their health, empowering them to take an active role in maintaining their own well-being.
- Treat the Whole Person: NDs recognize that there are multiple elements that contribute to overall patient health, including physical, mental, environmental, and hereditary factors, addressing all during treatment instead of only one.
- Prevention: Even though treating illnesses is part of what NDs do, they are mainly focused on preventative care, helping patients adopt healthy habits and lifestyle changes that lower the risk of future ailments.
What Do Naturopathic Doctors Do?
As primary care providers (PCPs), NDs provide many of the same services as traditional PCPs, but with a focus on natural, holistic practices. Some typical responsibilities of NDs may include:
- Patient Evaluations and Diagnostics: Like medical doctors, NDs assess patients’ overall health by performing physical exams, evaluating their medical history, interpreting test results, and employing other diagnostic tools.
- Developing Personalized Treatment Plans: Using a blend of traditional and modern approaches, NDs create tailored treatment plans that may include nutritional guidance, lifestyle counseling, and natural remedies.
- Utilizing Natural and Complementary Therapies: NDs rely on various natural therapies to treat patients, including (but not limited to) herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, and hydrotherapy. These treatments are intended to support the body’s healing process and reduce dependency on conventional medications where appropriate.
- Lifestyle Counseling: A significant aspect of naturopathic care is teaching patients about how to make healthy lifestyle choices. To this end, NDs will often provide guidance on stress management, exercise habits, and sleep quality to equip patients with tools they can use to improve their overall wellness.
NDs frequently collaborate with other healthcare providers to create comprehensive care plans that combine naturopathic techniques and the principles of conventional medicine. Similar to their traditional counterparts, NDs can choose to specialize in areas of interest, such as family medicine, women’s health, nutrition, or chronic disease management, tailoring their approach to meet the unique needs of the patients they serve.
Where Do Naturopathic Doctors Work?
Even though the most common paths for NDs lead to private practice or joining larger naturopathic clinics, it is possible to find employment as an ND in other settings, such as:
- Integrated healthcare centers, where NDs collaborate with medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other specialists to offer patients multidisciplinary care.
- Hospitals and specialty clinics, some of which employ NDs to complement conventional treatment plans — especially when it comes to chronic pain management, cancer support, and rehabilitation.
- Community clinics frequently offer options for alternative medicine, and hire NDs to provide accessible care and education on preventative health and natural therapies.
- Educational institutions or research labs. Some NDs choose not to practice, preferring to help teach the next generation of naturopathic practitioners or conduct research or clinical trials that study the efficacy of natural treatments.
Legal Scope of Practice
Even though NDs are licensed medical practitioners, there are strict regulations and legal restrictions that govern the practice of naturopathic medicine in the United States. While naturopathy is legal in most of the country, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee are the exception, meaning that NDs will not be able to find employment or open their own practices in these states.\
How to Become a Naturopathic Doctor
The path to becoming an ND begins with education — specifically earning a bachelor’s degree. Although there’s no required concentration, degrees in the sciences can provide a solid foundation for the material you’ll encounter in medical school. Once you’ve earned your bachelor’s, the next step is to complete a 4-year naturopathic medical program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). These programs are known for meeting rigorous educational standards and are widely recognized by licensing boards.
Whether you plan to begin working as an ND right after medical school or continue on to residency, you’ll need to first take and pass the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX). The exam is made up of 2 parts — the Biomedical Science Examination and the Clinical Science Examination. Both are administered in person over a 4-day period twice a year, in February and August.
Once you pass the NPLEX and begin to practice, like other medical professionals, you’ll be expected to stay updated on the latest research and medical practices in the field. To this end, many licensing boards require NDs to earn continuing education credits in order to maintain their licenses.
Rewards & Challenges of a Career As a Naturopathic Doctor
A career as an ND can be highly rewarding, offering the chance to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. However, it also presents certain challenges that are important to be aware of.
Rewards of a Career in Naturopathic Medicine
- Helping patients stay healthy: As an ND, you’ll play an active part in improving your patients’ health and overall quality of life. For those patients that return to your practice year after year, you’ll be able to see your work pay off.
- The holistic, patient-centered approach: Naturopathic medicine provides an opportunity to focus on the whole person, not just isolated symptoms. If you’re drawn to natural and preventive healthcare, the ability to take a perspective that aligns with your personal values can be deeply satisfying.
- Opportunities for specialization and growth: Like other doctors, NDs can specialize in various fields, allowing them to follow their interests and passions. Additionally, NDs have options for continued professional development through residency, certification, and continuing education opportunities.
- Flexible practice settings: Even though many NDs choose to go into private practice, this isn’t the only route available. Integrative healthcare centers, hospitals, community health organizations are only a few of the other places where NDs can work.
Challenges of a Career in Naturopathic Medicine
- Licensing and regulatory limitations: Naturopathic licensure laws vary significantly. In some states, NDs have a wide scope of practice, but in others, their ability to practice may be limited or restricted altogether. Understanding these limitations and adapting to local laws can be a challenge.
- Financial and time investment: Becoming an ND requires a considerable commitment of time and money, including the cost of both your undergraduate and postgraduate medical education as well as licensing exams. If you plan to work for yourself, it can be difficult to establish a financially sustainable practice, particularly in areas where naturopathic services are not widely accessed or covered by insurance.
- Overcoming public misconceptions: While naturopathic medicine has gained widespread acceptance, misconceptions about its methods and effectiveness still remain. You may need to advocate for your profession and educate patients about the value of holistic, evidence-based approaches to healthcare.
- Emotional demands: Working closely with patients can be rewarding but also take a toll emotionally — especially when dealing with chronic illnesses or complex health conditions. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential to avoid burnout.
Is Naturopathic Medicine the Right Path for You?
If helping people achieve whole-body wellness and preventing illness through natural practices sounds appealing to you, then pursuing a career in naturopathic medicine could be the right path forward. This field offers opportunities for those passionate about using natural therapies, patient education, and preventive care to make a meaningful impact on patients’ well-being.
One of the best ways to determine if becoming an ND is truly for you is by speaking with an advisor. Advanced eClinical Training offers support for prospective pre-med students through our personalized mentorship program, where you’ll be matched with a medical professional who can provide the guidance you need to make an informed decision about your future in healthcare. Working with a mentor can help you align your strengths and goals with the right educational path and professional opportunities.
Our mentors are here to help you learn more about naturopathic medicine or other healthcare specialties. Enroll today to get the advice you need to get started.
