Answer

Naturopathy can be a rewarding choice for those interested in alternative health. While naturopathic doctors (NDs) often treat patients for the same illnesses and chronic health problems as a medical doctor, their approach is different. Naturopaths view symptoms of disease as indicators that a person's health is out of balance or is the result of poor lifestyle habits. So, unlike general practitioners, who generally focus on curing a patient's symptoms, naturopaths aim to prevent disease and treat the root cause of illness.

NDs use a broad range of treatments on patients, including homeopathy, a system of natural medicine that uses micro doses of natural remedies to stimulate the body's self-healing. NDs also work with herbal or botanical medicine, physical therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. In addition, naturopaths provide clinical nutrition, recommending special diets and nutritional supplements to their patients.

The training to become an ND is similar to that required of medical doctors. The first step is to complete an undergraduate degree that includes biology, chemistry, biochemistry and psychology courses. Anatomy and physics courses are also recommended. After that, you need to do four years of full-time study at an approved college of naturopathic medicine. The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCMN) is located in Toronto. (The only other Canadian naturopathy school is the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in British Columbia.)

Naturopathic college can be quite an intense experience. It can also be expensive -- in the range of $20,000 a year. Those who apply to naturopathy college should possess good communication, observation, problem-solving and motor skills.

To get a sense of whether naturopathy is for you, consider becoming a naturopath's patient. As Richard Mountain, author of the Discovering Naturopathy ... A Student's Perspective blog, puts it, this will give you a much deeper understanding of naturopathic medicine. Mountain also recommends that prospective students volunteer in the healthcare sector.

According to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), "the past 30 years has seen an extraordinary increase in consumer demand for safe, effective and cost-effective natural healthcare. The AANP contends that naturopathic medicine, which is regulated and licensed in Ontario by the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy, has emerged as the health care profession best suited to meet this demand.

Best of luck,

Katherine O'Brien