What is the difference between a medical doctor (MD) and a naturopathic doctor (ND)?
A Medical doctor (MD) has attended a four-year medical university and completed a residency program. A Naturopathic doctor must also complete four years of post-graduate training at a medical university. Currently, there are five schools in North America that grant the doctorate degree in Naturopathic medicine. Our training is similar to a “regular” doctor for the first two years of medical school. This means we study all the basic sciences and pathology much like conventional medical students. The second two years we focus on natural therapeutics. For a complete list of our curriculum you can visit the web site of my alma mater in Portland, Oregon at www.ncnm.edu. The main difference is that Naturopathic Physicians have extensive training using natural medicines and procedures that are safe and non-toxic. We aim to restore health to the individual, not simply manage symptoms.
