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Studies & Degrees in Natural Medicine

Natural medicine is a loose name for health practices that rely on diet, lifestyle, medicinal plants and manual or traditional therapies. Its best-defined branch is naturopathy. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, describes naturopathy, also called naturopathic medicine, as a medical system that evolved from traditional practices and health care approaches popular in Europe during the 19th century. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the wider term traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, and defines complementary medicine as health care practices that are not part of a country's mainstream medicine.

Courses in this field cover nutrition and dietetics, herbal medicine, physical activity, stress management and manual therapies, and some include homeopathy. The NCCIH lists dietary and lifestyle changes, stress reduction, herbs and other dietary supplements, homeopathy and manipulative therapies among the approaches that naturopathic practitioners use.

Qualifications and levels

Training and legal status differ sharply from one country to another, so the qualification matters more here than in most subjects.

  • Naturopathic doctor (North America). Naturopathic physicians, with the title N.D. or N.M.D., typically complete a four-year graduate programme at a naturopathic medical school accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. Licensing rules vary across US states and territories; where a licence exists, candidates must graduate from a four-year naturopathic medical college and pass national board exams.
  • Traditional naturopaths. According to the NCCIH, they may train through non-accredited programmes that vary in length and content, and they are not eligible for licensing in the United States.
  • Health professionals with extra training. Doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians and other regulated professionals can add courses in nutrition, herbal medicine or integrative health to an existing degree.
  • Short private courses. Private academies teach dietetics, herbal medicine or massage in short courses, and the recognition of their certificates varies. Churruca Formación in San Sebastián, for example, states on its dietetics and nutrition course page that its courses are not official and are professional training courses for work in private centres. Always ask a school what recognition its certificate has before you enrol.

Evidence is a second point to check. In Spain, the Ministries of Health and Science reported on 28 February 2019 that, of 139 techniques with a claimed health purpose that were reviewed, 73 had no randomised clinical trials, systematic reviews or meta-analyses on their efficacy or safety. The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 includes among its objectives a stronger evidence base and appropriate regulation for these practices.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists three active schools under natural medicine, in three countries: Spain, Ukraine and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Churruca Formación in San Sebastián is a private training academy. Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi is a medical university that trains in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing, and teaches in Ukrainian and in English for foreign students. Richmond Vale Academy in Saint Vincent runs six-month and ten-month programmes built around ecological farming and climate projects. Check each school's current course list to see what it teaches in this area.

Careers

Where the profession is licensed, naturopathic doctors see patients in private practice. The NCCIH estimates about 5,000 licensed practitioners in the United States and more than 2,000 in Canada. Elsewhere, people with this training work in private wellness, nutrition and therapy centres, in herbal and health-food retail, or use it alongside a regulated health profession. Whether a person may diagnose or treat patients depends on the law of each country.

Frequently asked questions

Is natural medicine the same as alternative medicine?

Not exactly. The NCCIH calls an approach complementary when it is used together with conventional medicine and alternative when it is used in place of it. Naturopathy is one system within this wider group.

How long does it take to become a naturopathic doctor?

In North America, naturopathic physicians typically complete a four-year graduate programme at an accredited naturopathic medical school and, where a licence exists, pass national board exams. Short courses elsewhere do not lead to that title.

Is a natural medicine certificate officially recognised?

It depends on the country and the school. Ask the school in writing which body recognises the qualification and what it allows you to do.

Does a licence mean a treatment works?

No. The NCCIH points out that regulations, licences or certificates do not guarantee safe, effective treatment from any health care provider. Look for the evidence behind each therapy.