Criteria for Choosing a Naturopathic Doctor

Published on: July 25, 2015

If you are interested in exploring a holistic approach to your health and wellness regimen, one of the first steps is finding a Naturopathic Doctor or ND. An experienced Naturopathic physician can help you explore the best avenues to optimum health, including treating your health issues using a holistic, natural approach. However, not all NDs are the same. Unfortunately, there is a wide discrepancy in the amount of training and education that some practitioners of natural medicine have, so it is important to research your ND before you choose them for your wellness journey. Here are three criteria points to check:

Education

Where did the ND go to college? In the U.S., there are only five accredited Naturopathic medical programs. Although highly accredited universities like Yale have Naturopathic programs, even these do not provide the level of Naturopathic studies that are needed to be considered an accredited Naturopathic medical school. The five schools in the U.S. are Bastyr, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, National University of Health Sciences and the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Licensing

Are they licensed to practice medicine? Although every state is different on their licensing laws regarding ND, a person may call themselves a ND, yet not be licensed to practice medicine. Check with the laws in your state.

National Board Exams

Have they passed the National Board Exams? There is a comprehensive national board exam called the NPLEX for NDs that covers various subjects related to the natural medicine field of practice.

If you are serious about pursuing a holistic, natural approach to your health, you want a physician that has the right knowledge, training and background. Make sure you research your prospective Naturopathic Doctors to find out their credentials.

Posted on behalf of:
Wholistic Medicine Specialists of Atlanta
1055 Powers Place
Alpharetta, GA 30009
(678) 987-8451

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