Naturopathic Physicians

Career summary

Most naturopaths work as primary care physicians. They treat infants, children, and adults. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes prevention and treatment through education and the use of natural remedies.

Naturopaths ask patients questions to learn more about their condition and medical history. They examine patients and, if necessary, order lab tests. They explain test results and review treatment options with patients and their families. If more than one treatment is available, they help patients decide which option to choose.

Treatments used by naturopaths include:

• Nutritional counseling
• Herbs
• Homeopathic medicine (small amounts of natural substances)
• Hydrotherapy
• Ayurvedic medicine
• Electrotherapy
• Physical or manual therapy (manipulating a patient’s body to promote healing)
• Antibiotics

Naturopaths perform minor surgical procedures such as removing warts, moles, cysts, and sampling for skin cancers or lipomas. They can also apply or remove stitches.

Naturopaths may recommend counseling for their patients. This is because this type of medicine considers the link between behavior, emotions, and physical health.

Naturopaths refer some patients to other health care professionals for specialized medical tests and treatments. They may consult with other physicians to help make a diagnosis.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Acupuncturists
• Chiropractors
• Dietitians
• Family and General Practitioners
• Massage Therapists
• Nurse Midwives
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physical Therapists
• Physician Assistants
• Registered Nurses

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to naturopathic physicians.

• Interview patients about their health history and symptoms. Keep detailed records of complaints, illnesses, and improvement.
• Advise patients about exercise and nutrition.
• Prescribe natural medicines such as extracts, herbs, vitamins, and supplements.
• Educate patients about managing their own health.
• Diagnose health conditions based on symptoms, test results, and health histories.
• Conduct physical exams.
• Keep skills and knowledge up to date through continuing education, residency programs, and attending conferences.
• Order diagnostic tests such as x-rays, ultrasounds, and mammograms. May refer patients to other medical professionals for these tests.
• Use homeopathy, hydrotherapy, Ayurvedic medicine, and other therapies.
• Consult with other health professionals, when necessary.
• Collect blood samples.
• Treat minor cuts and injuries.
• Keep skills up to date by attending conferences and reading new research in the field.

Common work activities

Naturopathic physicians perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Assist and care for others
• Get information needed to do the job
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Document and record information
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Analyze data or information
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Think creatively
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Process information
• Perform for or work with the public
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Use computers
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Evaluate information against standards
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Coach others
• Teach others
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Develop goals and strategies
• Perform administrative tasks
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, naturopathic physicians:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction. They consult with patients throughout the day.
• Communicate daily by telephone, e-mail, and in person. They also write letters and memos, but less often.
• Are somewhat responsible for the work done by other staff.
• Are responsible for the health and safety of patients.
• Sometimes deal with patients who may be discourteous or angry.
• May work as part of a larger medical team.

Physical work conditions

• Almost always work indoors.
• Work very near patients. They must come into close physical contact to properly examine patients and administer treatments.
• Are regularly exposed to patients' diseases and infections.
• Sometimes wear gloves and masks.

Work performance

• Must be exact and accurate when treating patients. Errors can impact a patient's health.
• Repeat the same physical and mental tasks throughout the day.
• Make decisions on a daily basis that substantially impact patients and their families.
• Make nearly all their decisions and set their daily tasks and goals independently.
• Work in a moderately competitive, stressful atmosphere where they must meet daily deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Usually work a 40-hour week, although longer hours are not uncommon.
• May work evenings or weekends to better serve patients.

Physical demands

Naturopathic physicians frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for naturopathic physicians to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for naturopathic physicians to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.

Skills and abilities

Naturopathic physicians need to:

Communicate

• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Understand spoken information.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Make sense of information that seems without meaning or organization.

Use math and science

• Use scientific methods to solve problems.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.

Work with people

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.
• Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Homeopathic Medicine
• Naturopathic Medicine

Other programs of study to consider

• Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Anatomy
• Biomedical Sciences, General
• Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
• Physiology
• Pre-Medicine
• Public and Community Health

Training

To work as a naturopathic physician, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree; and
• graduate from a naturopathic medical school.

Education after high school

Naturopathic schools take about four years and grant a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degree. Be sure to look for an accredited program if you want to become a licensed naturopathic physician.

In a naturopathic program, you study anatomy and physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, and public health. You also learn how to take a medical history, examine patients, and make a diagnosis.

Before entering naturopathic school, most students earn a bachelor's degree. A pre-medicine or science major is recommended. If you earn a liberal arts degree, be sure to take required courses in physics, biology, and chemistry.

On-the-job training

While in naturopathic medical school, you spend much of the last two years working in a clinical setting. Clinical work emphasizes diagnosing and treating patients with natural remedies and practices.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements . You need a very strong background in math and science to become a doctor. Take as many math and science courses as you can.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Child Development
• Computer Applications
• Food and Nutrition
• Foreign Language
• Introduction to Health Care
• Nursing
• Safety and First Aid

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Many naturopathic physicians are self-employed. When looking for practice partners or when hiring employees, they look for people who are models of good health and habits and who have empathy and respect for others. Naturopaths and their office staff members must be understanding and demonstrate a desire to help others. They must be able to work independently and remain calm and reassuring even in busy office circumstances.

Professional writing, sales, and public speaking skills are helpful when working with dietary supplement companies.

Tips

Part-time or volunteer work in naturopathic physicians' offices and clinics may provide an opportunity to observe the daily activities of naturopaths. It may also be helpful to talk with people who work in this occupation. Academic performance in college is very important.

Costs to workers

Naturopaths must pay for malpractice insurance. Those who enter private practice must invest in equipment, office space, and staffing costs. Naturopaths may join a professional association and pay membership fees and annual dues.

Licensing/certification

Naturopathic physicians must be licensed by the Washington State Department of Licensing. Licensing requirements include:

• good moral character;
• completion of a four-year doctor of naturopathic medicine program at an approved naturopathic school;
• answering personal data questions;
• completion of seven-clock hours AIDS education; and
• passing national and state written exams.

Naturopathic physicians must also complete 20 hours of continuing education every year to keep up to date with changes in the field. This will increase to 60 hours every two years beginning in 2021. Additional training and licensing is required to practice in a specialty area, such as chiropractics, acupuncture, or midwifery.

For more information, contact:

Washington State Department of Health
Health Systems Quality Assurance
Naturopathy Program 
PO Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504-7877
360.236.4700

#2/5/20

Wages

Currently, there is no specific statewide wage information available for naturopathic physicians. However, this occupation is part of the larger group called "all other health diagnosing and treating practitioners.

Costs of establishing a practice are high, so net income during the first year(s) is low for new naturopaths. Some may also have substantial educational debt. Earnings rise as the practice develops. According to a national study by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, 75% of its members primarily worked in direct patient care and averaged $90,000 per year. The survey participants who worked in solo practice averaged $75,000 per year. Naturopaths who worked in hospitals generally earned more than those who were in group or solo practices, or those employed by clinics or medical colleges.

#Saw same salary info on Assn of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges website as we cite here, so left as is, 3/2/11, cj. Updated info from AANP based on 2012 survey results published on their website http://www.naturopathic.org/article_content.asp?edition=101§ion=154&article=833 3/10/15 cj. Not finding any new salary survey results so left as is 12/6/16 cj. Didn't find any newer salary info 4/9/19 cj.

Earnings for naturopathic physicians vary according to the numbers of patients they see, how long they have practiced, and the location of their office. The physician's skill, personality, and professional reputation also affect wages.

Naturopaths who work in a group practice may receive benefits such as paid vacation and health insurance.

National wage information is not available specifically for naturopathic physicians. However, they are part of the larger group of "all other health diagnosing and treating practitioners."

Employment and outlook

State Outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Private group practices
• Hospitals

National outlook

Natural approaches to health are gaining public acceptance and interest. This is especially true in states where naturopathic physicians must meet licensing requirements.

The outlook depends on the public's interest in holistic, preventive medicine. It also depends on the acceptance by insurance companies of holistic medicine. Insurance companies are beginning to cover alternative medical practices. This is because preventive medicine saves money. As people learn to rely upon healthy lifestyles and prevention, demand for naturopathic care increases.

Employment and outlook information is not available specifically for naturopathic physicians. However, they are part of the larger group of "all other health diagnosing and treating practitioners."

Other resources

Accreditation Commission for Homeopathic Education in North America 

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians 
300 New Jersey Ave NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
866.538.2267
202.237.8150

Council for Homeopathic Certification 
PO Box 75
Chartley, MA 02712

Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) 

Explore Health Careers: Naturopathic Physician 

Herbal Medicine: An Alternative and Complementary Resource Guide 

National Center for Homeopathy 

North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners 
9220 SW Barbur Boulevard, Suite 119
PO Box 321
Portland, OR 97219
503.778.7990

North American Society of Homeopaths 

Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians 
9500 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 306
Seattle, WA 98115
206.547.2130

What is Naturopathic Medicine? 

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Investigative (Science)

O*Net  occupation

• Naturopathic Physicians (29-1199.04) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupation

• Doctor, Naturopathic (079.101-014) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Physician

Holland occupational cluster

• Investigative/Social/Artistic

COPSystem

• Service Professional