A licensed naturopathic physician attends a four-year, graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an M.D. Holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy are also studied, with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness.

In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health).

A naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician. Additional information on naturopathic schools can be found at the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.

Click here to view a comparison of Naturopathic Medical School and Conventional Medical School education.