Bastyr University(August 2009) - It is no secret that life has become a little challenging these days. At the risk of stating the obvious, the present economy is having a far-reaching impact; few professions are escaping the pressure of the current economic climate. Yet even during this period of difficulty, there are fields that continue to grow and flourish despite economic challenge. Naturopathic medicine falls into that category, a fact of which all naturopathic practitioners should be very proud.
Determining a career path
When a young person is determining what career path to take, there are many different factors that may impact his or her decision: Will this career be meaningful? Will it allow me to support myself and my family? Will it make me happy? Will it be stable? Although it is not always feasible to answer all such questions, it is often possible to make a plausible guess, particularly with regard to the subject of career stability.
The past decade has shown a marked and steady increase in the use of naturopathic medicine in North America. Now more than ever, people are turning to the health care methods used by naturopathic doctors (NDs). Nearly a decade into the 21st century, naturopathic medicine is becoming increasingly accepted by the public and the allopathic medical profession alike. For an indicator of this growth and acceptance, one may look to the regulatory initiatives taking place at the state and province level in both the U.S. and Canada. In 2008, both Minnesota and Nova Scotia enacted licensure legislation. Similar licensure bills are underway this year in New York state and in a handful of other states and provinces. This level of government activity makes it clear that naturopathic medicine is an increasingly important aspect of health care in North America.
Nearly half the population in North America uses complementary and alternative medicine on a regular basis. With just over 4,000 NDs practicing today, there are simply not enough licensed NDs to meet this growing demand. The naturopathic medical schools of the AANMC are doing their utmost to ensure the future of naturopathic medicine by training future NDs to become primary care physicians. Along the way, they are taking the profession to new and exciting heights: incomparable leadership, exhilarating expansion and dynamic collaboration with allopathic medical practitioners and universities are all important ingredients in building the naturopathic medical community of tomorrow.
New ND school answers the growing demand
To keep up with this growing popularity of naturopathic medicine, the number of qualified naturopathic doctors must stay apace with the public demand for quality naturopathic care. As a result, the need for accredited naturopathic medical schools has never been greater, so the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges is proud to welcome its newest member school, National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in Illinois. The school recently expanded its long-standing role (since 1906) in health career education to include a doctor of naturopathic medicine degree program. NUHS promotes a truly integrative learning experience for all its students. In addition to its new ND program, the campus and teaching clinic offer programs in chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, oriental medicine and massage therapy. This multi-disciplinary environment prepares future NDs to understand and appreciate the innate connections between the various practices and, at the same time, fosters an awareness of naturopathic medicine among other health care providers.
The NUHS ND program begins with a solid foundation in basic science in tandem with a thorough grounding in naturopathic philosophy and clinical theory. This rigorous approach toward basic principles applies to therapeutic disciplines as well. Students complete a 60-hour course on the key textbook of homeopathy, The Organon, before progressing to any in-depth study of medicines and prescriptions. Likewise, students’ coursework in botanical medicine also explores the pharmacology and pharmacognosy of commonly used botanicals as a complement to clinical and traditional indications. By requiring ND students to adhere to such a high level of educational quality, NUHS is helping to ensure that future naturopathic doctors will be up to the challenge of practicing naturopathic medicine in the modern world.
NUHS is proud of its eminent naturopathic medicine program, which is growing steadily. The university is always looking for ways to bring the highest possible standards to its program, whether by hiring new faculty members with outstanding backgrounds or sharing “best practice” information with other ND programs through venues like the AANMC.
Expanding existing campuses
Not only is the AANMC gaining new member schools, but it is also seeing growth among its current member schools. Several of the ND schools are initiating a variety of development projects, which include everything from new leadership to campus expansions to collaborative efforts with allopathic medical students. The profession as a whole is excited about these efforts of academic growth and knows they will prove vital to the continued growth of naturopathic medicine as a viable medical field. Three of AANMC’s seven member schools are currently expanding or planning to expand their campuses in order to meet the demand for quality naturopathic medical education. In Arizona, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM) recently expanded its campus by acquiring a new 42,000-square-foot building in Tempe, Ariz. The new facility will effectively co-locate the school’s medical center, expanded natural pharmacy and a new laboratory, allowing for a completely unified campus. Renovations to the building will create an environment that is therapeutic, supportive of family involvement, efficient for staff performance and restorative for patients, doctors and staff.
SCNM and its architecture and construction partners are designing a healing environment that is aesthetically pleasing and incorporates safe, non-toxic building materials. Textures and colors, along with natural lighting, will transform the building into a sanctuary for healing. The new medical center will serve patients and prepare naturopathic medical students to become primary care family practice physicians. Working alongside physicians and other health care providers, students will learn in a dynamic professional environment. The new design will showcase SCNM’s highly respected programs: acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, mind body medicine, pediatrics and physical medicine. The clinic will also create space for expanded research capacities, building on existing collaborations with the Arizona Biodesign Institute, the University of Arizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute. SCNM students and professors alike are looking forward to their new facilities.
Also expanding its campus is Oregon’s National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM). Major development plans are underway to chart aggressive expansions on several of the school’s properties. NCNM’s visionary plans to create an integrated Portland campus begin with a new 24,000-square-foot naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine clinic, lab and medicinary (natural pharmacy), all of which are slated to open in late August 2009. NCNM projects the new clinic will attract roughly 30,000 patients per year, allowing the naturopathic medical community to better meet the needs of the public. Plans are also underway to create a large community herb garden, which will feature plants for the school’s botanical medicine coursework. These developments will create a more complete and comprehensive campus that will increase NCNM’s capacity to educate future naturopathic doctors.
Finally, Bastyr University in Washington State is about to become larger (and greener) with the addition of a new, eco-friendly student residence. Bastyr’s lush and inviting campus, which is located just north of Seattle, has always been a strong attraction for naturopathic medical students, who find it uniquely suited to the study of healing practices. Construction of the LEED-certified project is now underway on the northern edge of campus, which abuts a tree line of natural forest. Eleven cottage-style buildings will house a total of 132 students beginning in the summer of 2010. Each room will include a private bath, and each cluster of rooms will share a common great room, kitchen, study, laundry room and indoor bike storage. The residences will be connected by a series of garden paths, courtyards and outdoor living spaces, all of which will be carefully designed to be energy efficient and to mitigate impact to the local environment. The project will provide a convenient housing option for students, enhance the sense of community at the school, and minimize the number of commuters to campus, thereby reducing pollution and traffic on local roads. With this new student residence, Bastyr is standing strong, despite the current economic downturn, and making it possible for more students to follow the path of naturopathic medicine.
SCNM, NCNM and Bastyr are all investing significant resources in the future of naturopathic medicine by expanding their facilities. Campus development successes like these are vital to the continued growth of naturopathic medicine as a field, and they are a testament to the enduring nature of the AANMC schools and their continuing commitment to naturopathic medicine.
Developments in leadership
Bricks-and-mortar resources such as clinics, labs and housing are undeniably vital to the efficacy of naturopathic medical schools. However talented leadership is just as important. The AANMC schools and the profession of naturopathic medicine are vastly fortunate to have the guidance of numerous dedicated individuals, all of who are helping to steer the growth and development of naturopathic medicine as it becomes increasingly vital to the health of our society. Several AANMC school leaders have recently taken on new and exciting roles, and we applaud and support them as they continue to lend their expertise and energy to the leadership of naturopathic medicine.
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (BINM) in British Columbia has experienced substantial growth over the past few years. Since 2007, the total student population at BINM alone has grown by 25 percent, an increase that reflects the growing interest in naturopathic medicine in British Columbia and beyond. The number of new applicants to the school also continues to increase every year, as does the size of its graduating classes. Over the past six years, ND schools as a group have experienced a 61 percent increase in the entire applicant pool and an 88 percent increase in first-year student enrollment.
BINM is determined to continue this growth trend, and the school’s new president and executive director, Mr. Alexander Cortina, is up to the task. Formerly the school’s dean of student affairs, Mr. Cortina brings a wealth of wisdom and energy to his new role; he is prepared and eager to lead the school, along with its very passionate leadership team, through to the next stage of its development. BINM strives to provide an outstanding and distinctive education in the art and science of naturopathic medicine, and the school’s graduates go on to become prominent members of the growing naturopathic medical community. With President Cortina at the helm, the school looks forward to an exciting future and the continued growth of naturopathic medical education in British Columbia, Canada and all of North America.
At Ontario’s Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), director of research and epidemiology Dugald Seely, ND, MSc, has just become editor in chief of the International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine (IntJNM). This publication is a peer-reviewed journal that provides a benchmark to the international medical community and seeks to foster research and increase the profession’s evidence base. Says Dr. Seely, “IntJNM seeks to encourage a collectively built, experiential and evidentiary clinical practice that will both hone and extend our system’s unique, eclectic, and unified medical practice.”
Dr. Seely is busy establishing a CCNM research office in Ottawa, and initiating plans for the Canadian Center for Integrative and Environmental Oncology, also to be located in the nation’s capital. This center will complement the new Integrated Healthcare Center that recently opened at CCNM’s Toronto facility. Dr. Seely continues to guide groundbreaking research at the Canada Post Corporation; his work with that institution has led to enhanced health benefits for over 30,000 employees. In addition, he is working with the thoracic surgery unit at Ottawa Hospital, investigating the adjunctive use of melatonin in individuals with non-small cell lung cancer. When asked if he believes in changing the world, Dr. Seely’s response is “Every day!” CCNM takes pride in Dr. Seely’s work and achievements, both on and off campus, and looks forward to his continued leadership and contributions to naturopathic medicine.
Without leaders like President Cortina and Dr. Seely, naturopathic medicine would not hold the eminent position that it does today. All proponents of naturopathic medicine should thank these ambitious and dedicated individuals, and the thousands of others like them, for their ongoing exertions in the field.
Collaboration among the medical professions
So despite the current economic downturn, naturopathic medical education is continuing to advance and expand all over North America. Yet what about those clinical training projects that depend on more traditional medical institutions? Collaborative efforts between naturopathic and allopathic medical students are imperative not only to the growing acceptance of naturopathic medicine, but also to the overall improvement of health care in North America. Fortunately, joint projects between the two disciplines continue to move forward, producing enlightening and beneficial results, and the schools of the AANMC are doing their part to maintain and expand such collaborations.
The University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine (UBCNM) in Connecticut provides a stellar example of how naturopathic and allopathic physicians can work together for the common good of medicine. As is the case with all AANMC-member schools, UBCNM produces graduates who go on to conduct ground-breaking research, lecture, write and foster collaborations in public health, all of which leads to increased awareness of naturopathic medicine. The ND students at the University of Bridgeport are as active as the graduates, having recently spearheaded the inclusion of naturopathic medical students in the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). UBCNM is but one of the ND schools to have both its students and staff members engaged and successfully appointed to such key committees and leadership positions, laying the groundwork for valuable future relationships with new colleagues and leaders in the medical profession.
UBCNM offers its students a number of high-profile, collaborative internship and clinical residency positions with various allopathic medical institutions in Connecticut: the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Haven, the Integrative Medical Center at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Yale University School of Medicine’s Norwalk Hospital. These hospitals and clinics all welcome students from UBCNM into their clinical programs. Such integrative programs foster growth in the medical community in the spirit of collaboration and help to ensure the future expansion and improvement of integrative health care.
The school’s newest partnership is with St. Vincent’s Medical Center. UBCNM fourth-year students are now able to join physicians, residents and medical students from St. Vincent’s on observation rotations and case presentations during daily grand rounds. This program and the others like it enhance training, understanding and collaboration among future health providers. The interns are able to gain valuable experiences and a deeper comprehension of various medical specialties. At the same time, physicians and residents from St. Vincent’s are able to gain a better understanding and appreciation of complementary and integrative medicine, not to mention a greater awareness of the education required to become an ND.
These naturopathic medical students in Connecticut are also building new relationships with conventional medical students at regional medical schools. UBCNM students recently participated in a joint case review with medical students at the University of Connecticut, and additional case review sessions are planned with several other medical schools in the area. A number of similar academic partnerships are being forged by each of the seven ND schools across the continent, in their own communities, and all such collaborations are an important step in shaping the future of naturopathic medicine.
Looking ahead
School and campus expansion, new leadership, and partnerships with allopathic medical institutions – the schools of the AANMC are working on multiple fronts to perpetuate the growth of naturopathic medicine as a respected medical profession. Thanks to such efforts, the difficult economic times have done nothing to stint the continued growth of the profession.
Potential naturopathic medical students should be made aware of the dedication of the naturopathic medical community: the AANMC, its schools and the individuals who lead them are all committed to the constant improvement and growth of naturopathic medicine and naturopathic medical education. With such a united front, the future of naturopathic medicine is very bright indeed.