How does the training compare between NDs and MDs?
Both NDs and MDs attend four-year graduate level accredited medical schools, with similar training in the basic sciences such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pathology. Most MDs go on to residencies and internships, while some NDs also do residency training. NDs, like MDs, must pass state board exams to practice in licensed states. In clinical training, MDs are often trained in hospital settings which emphasize specialty views of patient care. So, the MD student may spend time observing cardiac patients or internal medicine cases with emphasis on treating specific conditions. ND students are more often trained in community clinic settings and preceptorships with NDs in private practice, which lend to more general approaches to primary care.
