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Education and training

Like a conventional doctor, dentist, or chiropractor, the naturopathic doctor first completes pre-medical studies at university. The naturopathic student then enters into a four-year, full-time medical program at an accredited school of naturopathic medicine. Training includes basic, medical, and clinical science; diagnostics; naturopathic principles and therapeutics; and extensive clinical experience under the supervision of licensed naturopathic doctors. Graduates receive the title "N.D." or Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.

Accredited programs

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) is the only government-recognized accrediting body for naturopathic medical schools in Canada and the United States. The CNME has accredited the following naturopathic medical programs:

• The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (New Westminster, British Columbia)
• The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Ontario)
• The National College of Naturopathic Medicine (Portland, Oregon)
• Bastyr University (Seattle, Washington)
• The University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
• Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (Scottsdale, Arizona)
• The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education has granted candidacy for accreditation to the National University of Health Sciences (Lombard, Illinois)

Upon successful completion of any accredited program, a naturopathic doctor is eligible to sit for NPLEX and take provincial or state board examinations to obtain licensure.

Correspondence programs

None of the CNME-accredited institutions offer any portion of the ND degree via correspondence or the Internet. Graduates of non-accredited institutions, correspondence and/or Internet programs are not eligible to sit for NPLEX, the North American board exams for naturopathic medicine. Graduates of correspondence programs are not allowed to take provincial or state licensing exams. No graduate from these schools has ever been licensed by any provincial or state licensing board. No member of the CAND has received their naturopathic medical training through correspondence courses.

Licensed naturopathic doctors

A licensed naturopathic doctor is one who practices in a regulated province or state or, if practicing in an unlicensed province or state, has obtained and maintains his/her license in a regulated province/state and has completed a four-year, full-time program at an accredited school of naturopathic medicine. Following the completion of an accredited program, NDs must successful complete standardized North American Board exams known as the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) in order to qualify for licensing.

To find out if a naturopathic doctor is licensed, either check with the naturopathic regulatory board of your province or contact the CAND.

Regulated provinces

Currently, legislation for naturopathic doctors exists in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia. New regulations for NDs in Alberta have been prepared and await government approval. All other provinces and territories are actively pursuing regulation.
Currently, 15 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have licensing laws for naturopathic doctors. For more information about the regulation of naturopathic doctors in the United States visit http://www.naturopathic.org (website of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians).