SCNM Students to Gain
Additional Clinical Experience
Students and faculty at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences are excited for the curriculum changes slated to occur this fall. After following a careful strategic process adhering to the standards set forth by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), SCNM is proud to announce several important program changes:
Introduction of early clinical experiences
Under the new curriculum, first- and second-year year SCNM students will have opportunities to work directly with “standardized” patients. Standardized patients are paid actors from within the community who simulate symptoms so that ND students can practice diagnosing and treating disease early on. In simulated exam suites, students will be issued medical equipment and be able to practice checking blood pressure, listening to the heart and other procedures. This early clinical experience will further advance the development of students' clinical skills and doctor-to-patient communication skills throughout their first and second years.
After working with standardized patients, SCNM students will begin seeing and treating actual patients during their third and fourth years of medical school. In total, these future NDs will work with patients for almost the entirety of their naturopathic medical educations. As a result, SCNM graduates will be both comfortable and proficient in diagnosing and treating patients using various naturopathic modalities.
Increased focus on patient care
Also beginning this fall, SCNM will reduce the ND program’s seat hours by 200. This alteration will allow students to spend less time listening to lectures and more time applying what they have learned to actual patient care at the new SCNM Medical Center. Scheduled to open in September 2010, the 42,000-square-foot facility is adjacent to SCNM’s campus in Tempe, Ariz., and is being designed to support students’ clinical training.
In enhancing its curriculum, SCNM aspires to reach its ultimate goal: to provide students with the best medical education possible and to enable them to become competent and effective naturopathic doctors.
Upcoming AANMC Webinar
Ever wonder exactly what you’ll do after you earn your degree in naturopathic medicine? Wonder no longer!
Hear directly from one of SCNM’s own alumni at AANMC’s next Webinar, Career Opportunities in Naturopathic Medicine. You won’t want to miss this one! Three different NDs will speak on what they’ve done with their degrees and how they’ve shaped their careers to fit their lives and goals. Join us on April 15. Register today!
