What is the Difference Between a Naturopathic Doctor and a Naturopath?

Many people are unaware that there is a very marked difference between these two professions in Puerto Rico, mainly with regard to education, where a doctor of naturopathy invests many years of study to obtain his or her degree.

 

What is the reason that there are two different professions with similar names, creating the erroneous confusion that a naturopathic doctor and a naturopath are the same thing?

 

Twenty years ago there was no regulation in Puerto Rico for naturopaths or doctors of naturopathy. It was not until 1997 that it was legitimized through the law 208 The practice of naturopathic medicine was at the same time legitimized through the law 211 the practice of naturopathy. The reason that two distinct professions are created, with their own regulations and requirements, is because the training of a doctor of naturopathy and a naturopath is very different, the main difference being the years of study required to become a doctor of naturopathy. To take into account the seriousness that is given to the training of a doctor of naturopathy, 18 states in the United States and throughout Canada already have laws to regulate the practice of naturopathic medicine. On the contrary, in the case of licensed naturopaths, outside of Puerto Rico, licenses are not issued in the United States or Canada without having obtained a degree of doctor of naturopathic medicine from an accredited university. Another reason that these two professions differ in Puerto Rico is due to the medical schools and the level of intervention that a doctor of naturopathy can have with patients compared to a licensed naturopath.

 

What is the difference in academic preparation between a naturopathic doctor and a naturopath?

 

According to Law 208, which regulates the practice of naturopathic medicine, in order to practice as a doctor of naturopathy, it is necessary to graduate from a doctoral program in naturopathic medicine accredited by the “Council of Naturopathic Medicine Education” (CNME) and pass both parts of the national revalidation “Naturopathic Physician Licensing Examination” (NPLEX) offered by “North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners” (NABNE). Requirements for admission to naturopathic medical school include completion of a bachelor's degree in biology, pre-medical, or specific courses required by each institution. To complete naturopathic medical school, at least 4 years of full-time, in-person study are required. Accredited naturopathic medicine programs are not correspondence courses. The first two years of naturopathic medical school are very similar to those of conventional medical school, where basic science subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, etc. are covered. At the end of these two years, the first part of the NPLEX exam is taken, which covers the basic science portion. Throughout the program, the modalities of naturopathic medicine are covered, such as hydrotherapy, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, mind-body medicine, physical medicine, among others. In the last two years of naturopathic medical school, students gain clinical experience by treating patients directly in shifts supervised by naturopathic doctors. In these last two years, students also take courses dedicated to medical specialties such as cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, among others. After successfully completing a naturopathic medicine program, students move on to take the clinical portion of the national board exam offered by NPLEX.

 

For more detailed information on the education of a naturopathic doctor, read the link: What is a naturopathic doctor?

 

However, the education of a licensed naturopath is not as rigorous or strict as that of a doctor of naturopathy, nor do their programs have direct supervision by agencies regulated by the Federal Department of Education, such as the accrediting agencies of naturopathic medicine schools. The revalidation of licensed naturopaths is at a local level and does not use the same parameters that are required to pass the two parts of the national revalidation of naturopathic medicine. This marked difference in education between doctors of naturopathy and naturopaths is reflected in the number of licenses that have been issued to date in Puerto Rico, where there are hundreds of licensed naturopaths versus only 14 doctors of naturopathy who have an active license.

 

What are the medical qualifications of a naturopathic doctor versus a naturopath?

 

In Puerto Rico, a naturopathic doctor is considered a health professional and is trained to order and interpret conventional diagnostic tests and diagnose health conditions. The tests used are clinical history, physical examination, laboratory tests and imaging tests such as x-rays and MRIs. The diagnostic tests used are the same ones used in conventional medicine since they have been validated by scientific methods and are essential to reach an accurate diagnosis, which is of utmost importance in order to choose the appropriate naturopathic treatment.

 

Unlike naturopathic doctors, licensed naturopaths are not trained to order or interpret conventional diagnostic tests, nor can they perform any physical examinations. The diagnostic method most commonly used by naturopaths is iridology. Iridology is not a reliable method of establishing a medical diagnosis. Naturopathic doctors do not use iridology because it has been shown to lead to a high rate of misdiagnoses.

 

How do you know if your doctor is a naturopathic doctor or a licensed naturopath?

 

Naturopathic doctors are generally identified by the initials ND and licensed naturopaths are identified by the initials NL. Licensed naturopaths (NL) cannot call themselves or advertise themselves as doctors because they have not completed any doctoral program in naturopathic medicine.

 

The graduation diploma for a doctor of naturopathy must be awarded by one of the CNME-accredited programs. Accredited programs in the U.S. include the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois, the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona, the National University of Naturopathic Medicine in Oregon, and Bastyr University with campuses in Washington and California. In Canada, there are two schools, one in Toronto and one in British Colombia. University of Turabo It has the only naturopathic medicine program in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

 

After graduating from an accredited program and having passed both parts of the national revalidation, a naturopathic doctor can apply for a license that allows him to legally practice in Puerto Rico. This license is granted by the state through the Board of Examiners of Naturopathic Doctors.

 

What is the importance of making sure what type of professional I am going to see?

 

It is the patient himself who has the final say in deciding in whose hands he will entrust his health. Among the considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a practitioner of alternative or complementary therapies is that not all "natural" medications are safe and that there may be interactions between them or between the pharmacological medications that the patient is taking, so it is important to know both pharmacology and natural medications. Another consideration that must be taken is the seriousness of many health conditions and in which it is necessary to know both conventional medicine and naturopathic medicine, in order to help the patient choose the appropriate treatment that will not put his health at risk. To ensure that you are being treated by the person you prefer, whether a licensed naturopath or doctor of naturopathy, you can ask to see the credentials or the license granted by the health department that specifies which profession he belongs to.