naturopathic medicine | EDUCATION

After completion of an undergraduate degree, students complete a 4-year graduate Naturopathic Medical program from 1 of the 5 accredited schools in North America. The first 2 years of medical training are similar to that which medical doctors receive. The program involves intensive study in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, histology, pathology, pharmacology, immunology, infectious disease, embryology and research methods as a few examples. During this time, there is additional coursework in botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, counseling, physical therapy and spinal adjustment, hydrotherapy and massage. The last 2 years of the program involves further study of the medical sciences and students are required to complete a minimum of 1500 hours of clinical patient practice. Upon graduation, students are required to have completed 4500 hours of coursework and clinical study. In order to be licensed in the province of Alberta, after completion of a 4-year naturopathic medical program, each candidate must successfully pass 2 sets of national board exams on the basic medical sciences, clinical medical sciences and naturopathic therapeutics.