How to Become a Naturopathic Doctor

By: Andrew Colucci, MD

Last Updated: Dec 20, 2018

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are licensed physicians who strive to integrate the benefits of conventional medicine with complimentary botanical, nutritional and homeopathic therapies. They assess not only their patients’ physical health, but their emotional, mental and spiritual health as well. This approach is informed by the philosophy of treating the whole person, rather than just the symptoms.

Naturopathic doctors combine conventional and alternative treatments to complement each other, giving them a toolkit that is considerably more diverse than that of traditional, allopathic physicians. They experience the satisfaction of helping patients overcome their immediate health issues while also addressing the behaviors and belief systems that underlie the symptoms at hand. In this way, naturopathic doctors help their patients recover today and prepare for a healthier tomorrow.

Workplace Details

Naturopathic doctors can work in a wide variety of clinical settings, including hospitals, community health centers, private practices and clinics. As with any physician, the working hours can be irregular depending on the clinical setting. For example, naturopathic doctors serving inpatient hospital-based settings may often need to work overnight or be on-call. To be “on-call” means to be available overnight and on weekends in order to answer patient and nurse calls, to prescribe medications, and to make emergency office or hospital visits, when necessary. Of course, NDs working in outpatient settings, such as a medical clinic, will often have better overall working hours.

Hover over any state to explore local income and job growth data.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for healthcare practitioners, of which naturopathic doctors are included, is $206,920. Meanwhile, the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges estimates that NDs on average earn $90,000 per year.

Each particular naturopathic doctor’s income will depend on the years of experience, specialty type, and location of the job. For example, NDs are typically paid more in the Midwest than they are in coastal metropolitan areas. Similarly, NDs who own their clinics will often make more than those employed by a hospital.

Healthcare continues to be a rapidly expanding and in-demand career field. As with many of the various available careers in healthcare, the future remains bright for naturopathy. This is in part due to a combination of an aging population and increasing patient interest in complimentary and alternative medicine. According to O*Net and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, naturopathic doctors can expect job growth of 9-13% between the years 2014 and 2024. This results in an above-average rate of career growth for naturopathic physicians as compared to all careers evaluated.

The first step in a path towards naturopathic medicine is to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. While there, pre-medical classes such as general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biology are requisites.

When choosing a naturopathic medical school, it is important to distinguish between accredited and non-accredited programs. Examples of accredited programs include Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington and San Diego, California. Attending a school that isn’t accredited, however, decreases your marketability and job prospects.

The core curriculum of naturopathic medical school begins with a foundation in traditional medical subjects, such as physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, and pharmacology. Additional emphasis is placed on complimentary medical subjects that are not typically part of a traditional physician’s training, including acupuncture, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, botanical medicine, and nutritional medicine.

Similar to a traditional medical doctor (MD), a naturopathic doctor will dedicate the first two years of naturopathic medical school to classroom-based didactic study; the last two years focus on hands-on, clinical training. This clinical training is often pursued in the specialty area of naturopathic medicine that the student would like to ultimately practice, supervised by licensed NDs who themselves have completed the requisite specialty training.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia require NDs to be licensed. These states require that the naturopathic doctor both attend an accredited four-year naturopathic medical school and pass a postdoctoral board exam - the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX). This only underscores the importance of attending an accredited naturopathic medical school so that your area of practice is not ultimately limited.

The opportunities for career advancement in naturopathic medicine mirror those of traditional allopathic medicine – that is, they are specific to each given practice setting. For example, if employed by a hospital or healthcare system, there may be increasingly senior leadership roles that naturopathic physicians can pursue, such as division chief or chief medical officer. Alternatively, if an ND is employed by an academic medical center, career advancement may take place along a more traditional professorship pathway.

Becoming a naturopathic doctor requires earning a professional degree, which generally takes 8–10 years in total, including optional post-graduate residency.

Your first step toward becoming a naturopathic physician is to earn a bachelor’s degree. Naturopathic medical schools accept all majors. However, you’ll need to complete many of the same prerequisites as a pre-medicine student. These typically include classes in:

• Algebra
• General chemistry with lab (1 year)
• Organic chemistry with lab
• Biology with lab
• Physics with lab
• Psychology and the humanities

Many naturopathic medical schools also recommend classes in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.

While naturopathy schools aren’t as selective as medical schools when it comes to admissions, it’s important to keep your college grade point average up. This is particularly true in your prerequisite science classes.

Missing some of the classes you need? Some naturopathic schools offer degree- and prerequisite- completion programs.

After earning your bachelor’s degree, it’s time to select a naturopathic medical school. If you’re in a state or territory that licenses naturopathic doctors, this means attending one of seven programs accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME).

Naturopathic medical schools award either a Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) or a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD) degree. The difference is in name only – both have the same licensing requirements and scope of practice.

The curricula of naturopathic medical schools vary widely. Classes generally cover anatomy and physiology, clinical sciences, patient care, and naturopathic treatment modalities. Examples of common courses include:

Naturopathic students also complete clinical rotations at teaching, community, and specialty clinics. They begin these experiences as observers and progress to treating patients under supervision.

After graduation, naturopathic doctors can complete an optional 1–2-year residency. This involves working under supervision at an integrated medicine center. Residents often choose to focus on treating a population (cancer patients, pediatric) or gaining experience in a discipline (homeopathy, naturopathic counseling).

There are no advanced certifications specifically for naturopathic doctors. However, many pursue advanced study or second degrees in modalities like acupuncture, midwifery, counseling, and Eastern medicine.