Participate in the DC FLI: “changing face of health care”.
The plea: “Access to federal loan, scholarships and eligibility for federally supported residency programs”.
On Monday, May 2, naturopathic doctors and students are on Capitol Hill advocating for access to the loans, scholarships and primary care residencies contained in the Public Health Service Act. Naturopathic medical students incur a debt equivalent to that of conventional medical students, yet have access to no federal loan repayment programs, are excluded from programs in the PHSA, and are not eligible for federally supported residency programs. Organized by Karen Howard, Executive Director
Improving our nation's health
Naturopathic doctors are trained to provide quality, primary and preventive care, and willing to serve in rural and underserved areas, are part of a solution to the workforce shortage issues in our health care system.
What is Naturopathic medicine?
Education
The naturopathic medical program is a resident course of at least 4 years and 4,100 hours of study. Clinical education requirements, as mandated by accreditation agencies, include a minimum of 1,200 clock hours in direct patient contact.
- Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability.
- Educated in the use of a wide variety of natural therapies including nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, lifestyle counseling and cutting edge therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease.
Their view
- NDs view the patient as a whole person
Their treatments and strategy
- Comprehensive treatment plans combines the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health.
- Believe strongly in the patient as an active participant in the healing process and in integrative medicine.
- Cooperate with all other branches of medicine, referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis and/or treatment when appropriate.
Key principles
- Healing power of nature.
- Identify and treat the cause.
- First do no harm.
- Doctor as teacher.
- Treat the whole person.
- Prevention.
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