The Whole Tree or a branch?

The world of Natural Medicine is getting confusing, almost tricky to decipher. 

What is the difference between a naturopath, a functional medicine coach/ practitioner/doctor and a Naturopathic Functional Medicine doctor?

Ready to go down the rabbit hole? Keep reading~ 

Functional medicine practitioners, naturopaths, health coaches and certified nutrition specialists are not licensed nor trained to diagnose or treat disease. Their education is an online certification program, no clinical experience, no national regulation, state licensing nor mandatory continued education.

Anyone may call themselves a functional medicine practitioner, a health coach or a naturopath because there is no national or state regulation or licensing. 

Dr. Jeffery Bland is a PhD of biochemistry. Dr. Bland says in his article:

The Natural Roots of Functional Medicine:

Functional Medicine was  birthed from the roots of Naturopathic Medicine. 

Dr. Bland was a member of the Board of Trustees of Bastyr University, the first federally accredited university in the United States offering a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine.  After years of being a (my) professor at Bastyr University, and other schools, he went on to create The Institute for Functional Medicine, an online nutrition certification program to educate healthcare practitioners who often have had only one elective basic nutrition class. 

6 online classes: 

Naturopathic doctors / physicians are premier functional medicine, biomedical doctors. 

We receive our Doctorate in Naturopathic/Functional Medicine from a federally accredited brick and mortar medical school with clinical rotations and or residencies and are licensed by state regulated boards as primary care doctors to find the cause and eliminate disease. 

Naturopathic Doctors from the minute we enter a naturopathic program are immersed in the principles of naturopathic medicine: 

1- First, Do No Harm (Primum non nocere)
Naturopathic physicians choose the most non-invasive and least toxic treatments necessary for each patient.

2- The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatrix naturae)
Naturopathic doctors recognize the body’s inherent ability to heal itself.

3- Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle causam)
Naturopathic physicians identify, address and remove the underlying causes of disease.

4- Doctor as Teacher (Docere)
Educating and supporting patients on personal health management is an important role for naturopathic doctors. They empower patients to take responsibility for their own health. They also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship.

5- Treat the Whole Person (Tolle totum)
This is a holistic concept that recognizes the body as an integrated whole. Naturopathic doctors treat the patient, not the disease. A naturopathic assessment addresses the nutritional status, lifestyle, family history, physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental and social factors in a person’s life.

6- Prevention (Praevenic)
Naturopathic doctors promote a focus on overall health, wellness and disease prevention.

Accredited naturopathic medical schools are four-year, in-residence, hands-on medical programs consisting of a minimum of 4,100 hours of class and clinical training. During naturopathic medical school, we are educated in the biomedical sciences as well as the latest advances in science in combination with natural approaches to therapy. We also study disease prevention and clinical techniques.

A review of some but not all of the courses we study concurrently for 4 years:

• Clinical Functional Nutrition-food as medicine, fasting, diet as medicine
• Cardiology, Immunology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Urology, Gynecology, Dermatology, Pathology, Physiology, Anatomy, etc. 
• Pediatric medicine
• Geriatric medicine
• Neuroscience
• Organic and Biochemistry
• Functional Biomedical Nutritional Science- nutrient deficiency and disease manifestation
• Functional Laboratory and Clinical Diagnostics - 
• Environmental Medicine- epigenetics - environmental toxins and disease manifestation
• Pharmacology
• Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine
• Homeopathic medicine
• Botanical medicine- Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic
• Physical medicine-manipulation, hydrotherapy, massage and energy work
• Counseling-Mind/body/spirit connection
• Minor surgery
• IV/injection therapy
• Midwifery (can be trained and licensed with extra course work)
• We complete 2 + years in clinical rotations/residency
•  We pass the NPLEX-I and II licensing exam administered by NABNE-North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners - to become a Board Certified Naturopathic Physician.

Who regulates Naturopathic Medical Schools? 

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, a non-profit organization founded in 1978, is an accrediting agency for doctoral programs in naturopathic medicine (ND programs) in the U.S. and Canada. Graduation from a CNME-accredited ND program qualifies an individual to take the NPLEX licensing exam and to become a licensed naturopathic physician in the U.S. and Canadian states and provinces where naturopathic medicine is regulated.

The CNME is recognized as an accrediting agency for ND programs by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), and thus meets the DOE’s stringent regulatory requirements. 

To verify your doctor is a licensed naturopathic (functional by default) medicine doctor, ask/read in their bio which accredited naturopathic medical school they received their doctorate (see list below) and in which state they are licensed. A bonafide ND who has had over 8 years of formal college and doctoral training will certainly make this very clear.  If you have to surf and surf to figure it out, there is a great chance they are NOT a licensed ND.

Naturopathic Medicine IS THE Premier Functional Medicine

A functional medicine practitioner, even when they are a licensed MD, DO, DC, etc., is schooled in only a BRANCH of Naturopathic Medicine. 

A Naturopathic (Functional) Medicine Doctor is the Whole Tree.

 According to the AANMC: 

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care that concentrates on whole-patient wellness while emphasizing prevention and the process of self-healing through the use of natural therapies. Naturopathic medicine attempts to find the underlying cause of the patient’s condition rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. 

Naturopathic physicians are clinically trained primary care physicians who have graduated from a four-year naturopathic medical school. They work with patients in all aspects of family health to identify the underlying causes of disease and provide evidence informed therapies to help facilitate the body’s ability to restore and maintain optimal health.

Bastyr University

Seattle, Washington, and San Diego, California

 Bastyr University is recognized globally for its rigorous curriculum and NIH-funded research. 

Learn About Bastyr

Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine

British Columbia, Canada

The Boucher Institute is recognized for its innovative curriculum, mentorship model of education and small class sizes. The campus is located in beautiful British Columbia, where naturopathic physicians enjoy one of the widest scopes of practice in North America, including prescription rights.

Learn About Boucher

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 CCNM is Canada’s premier institute for education and research in naturopathic medicine, offering new thinking, new research and new approaches to health care.

Learn About CCNM

National University of Natural Medicine

Portland, Oregon

As one of the oldest accredited naturopathic medical university in North America, NUNM is a leader in natural medicine education and evidence-based research. .

Learn About NUNM

National University of Health Sciences

Chicago, Illinois

 National University sets the standard in training for careers in health care and provides a dynamic atmosphere where students, faculty and clinicians of various complementary and alternative health professions work together in an integrative environment.

Learn About NUHS

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences

Phoenix, Arizona

 SCNM’s renowned faculty and dynamic student body share a passion for innovative learning and technology, rigorous clinical training, public health service and the advancement of naturopathic medicine.

Learn About SCNM

University of Bridgeport School of Naturopathic Medicine

Bridgeport, Connecticut

The University of Bridgeport School of Naturopathic Medicine is no longer taking new naturopathic medical students.