by zip code, county, town, physician's name, type of practice, or specialty.

Education & Training

Naturopathic physicians undergo training that is similar in structure and scope to that of medical and osteopathic doctors. Naturopathic medical colleges are four-year graduate schools with rigorous admissions requirements comparable to other medical schools. The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degree is awarded after classroom, clinic and practical study. ND's are trained in medical sciences including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, cardiology, neurology, radiology, minor surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, embryology, pediatrics, psychology, pharmacology, minor surgery, dermatology, and clinical and physical diagnosis. The training also includes extensive study of naturopathic philosophy and therapeutics including therapeutic nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, ayurvedic medicine, hydrotherapy, manipulative therapy, and counseling. Because coursework in natural therapeutics is added to a standard medical curriculum, naturopathic doctors often receive significantly more hours of classroom education in these areas than the graduates of many leading medical schools, including Yale, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins.

Comparative curricula of top ND and MD schools (from the AANP)
Comparison of ND and MD training and scope

Like many states and provinces, Washington's laws require graduates of naturopathic medical schools to pass rigorous board examination in order to qualify for licensure. Washington NDs must also complete 20 hours per year of continuing education training in order to maintain their license.

Naturopathic Medical Schools

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) presides over the accreditation process of four-year, graduate-level programs in naturopathic medicine. Students and graduates of programs accredited or preaccredited (candidacy) by CNME are eligible to apply for the naturopathic licensing examinations administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). The following is a list of the naturopathic schools in the U.S. and Canada that are recognized by the CNME.

Accredited Programs
Bastyr University Naturopathic Medicine Program 14500 Juanita Drive, N.E. Kenmore,Washington 98028-4966 425.823.1300 425.823.6222 fax
Accreditation granted April 1987 and last reaffirmed November 1999. The next full-scale evaluation is scheduled for May 17-19, 2004, with a decision on continued accreditation to be made in September 2004. The university has institutional accreditation with the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency.
The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine 1255 Sheppard Avenue East North York, Ontario M2K 1E2 Canada 416.498.1255 416.498.1576 fax
Accreditation granted September 2000. A focused evaluation visit is scheduled for December 2003 or early 2004. A full-scale evaluation visit is scheduled for spring 2005, with a decision on continued accreditation to be made in September 2005. The college is recognized by all provinces that license naturopathic practitioners. Prospective students who plan to practice in the U.S. should contact their states' naturopathic licensing boards for information on the licensing eligibility of the college's graduates.
National College of Naturopathic Medicine Naturopathic Medicine Program 049 S.W. Porter Portland, Oregon 97201 503.499.4343 503.499.0022 fax
Accreditation granted April 1991 and last reaffirmed September 2000. A focused on-site evaluation is scheduled for October 27, 2003. The next full-scale evaluation will be in spring 2005, with a decision on continued accreditation to be made in fall 2005. The college has candidacy status with the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency.
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences 2140 E. Broadway Road Tempe, Arizona 85282 480.858.9100 480.858.0222 fax
Accreditation granted November 1999. The next full-scale evaluation visit is scheduled for fall 2004, with a decision on continued accreditation to be made in September 2004. The college has candidacy status with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency.
Candidate Programs
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine 200-668 Carnarvon Street New Westminster, BC V3M 5Y6 604.777.9981 604.777.9982 fax
Candidacy granted December 9th, 2003. The next full scale evaluation for continued candidacy is scheduled for fall 2005.
College of Naturopathic Medicine University of Bridgeport 60 Lafayette Street Bridgeport, Connecticut 06601 203.576.4109 203.576.4107 fax
Candidacy granted March 2001 and reaffirmed April 2003. The next full-scale evaluation for continued candidacy is scheduled for spring 2005, but the college may apply for accreditation before then, in which case a full-scale evaluation would be scheduled instead for initial accreditation. The university has institutional accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency.
Certified Residency Programs
CNME also certifies postdoctoral programs in naturopathic medicine. Among these programs are naturopathic residencies that provide licensed naturopathic physicians with postgraduate training in naturopathic family care and other specialties.
Naturopathic Medicine Residency Program Bastyr University Bastyr Center for Natural Health 1307 N. 45th Street Seattle, Washington 98103 206.834.4124 206.834.4107 fax
Certification granted March 2002. The next evaluation visit for continued certification is scheduled for spring 2005.
Family Practice Residency Program National College of Naturopathic Medicine 049 S.W. Porter Portland, Oregon 97201 503.499.4343 503.499.0022 fax
Certification granted November 1999 and last reaffirmed August 2001. The next evaluation visit for continued certification is scheduled for spring 2004.