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becoming a "doctor"?

juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

I am looking to become a doctor…naturopathy seems like the closest thing I can find to a educational program which is recognized worldwide. Maybe I should focus less on what schools are recognized, as most of our beliefs and habits as raw foodies are extremely progressive!
Any advice on educational institutes which would incorporate raw nutrition into a naturopathy course? Or does anyone know any naturopathic doctors who primarily use live nutrition as medicine?

Thanks!

Comments

  • bananaboybananaboy Raw Superstar

    Juicy,
    After years of searching, I am currently enrolled here…
    http://www.unh-edu.org/

    It is exactly what I was looking for.

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    ive heard alot of people into veganism / raw / herbs / nutrition / natropathy / etc recomend bastyr university as the best , link =

    http://www.bastyr.edu/default.asp ...

    • and i also know that there in the northwest alot of people are into healthier ways of living and thusly it would logically be a good learning enviroment with a possible future job in the area , or a hands on learning job while in school . just my 2 cents .
  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    juicy, I am also looking to enter the natural health sector as a career. At first I was thinking of becoming a nutritionist but I don’t know…my teachers and counsellors kind of hinted me about how it would be difficult to “make a living” (money) as a nutritionist. I began to think about naturopathy but I fear that it would be too difficult for me considering how tricky this field is. But knowing that you’re taking up this path is really encouraging for me. May I ask what courses are you taking? Have you done your undergrad? I’m excited for you!

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    Samilicious- hi there! my thoughts on nutritionist are good, even money wise, however I feel like with most educational programs out there, I would strongly disagree with what I was being taught. I am completing my undergraduate degree in Social Science, however I have taken physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, chemistry. I have found naturopathy schools that I would probably get into, however I do not completely agree with what they are being taught either. So…I am stuck as to where to go to get the education i want, while stile being credible and making money of course!

  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    Oh so you’re planning on becoming a holistic nutritionist? I’ve always wanted to be one but like I mentioned, people have been so discouraging about how I won’t be able to make a living. Also, because my grades are pretty good and such (but I’m not a nerd!), they think I will be “wasting my brain” and my “potential”. So what do you disagree with in terms of teachings of these naturopathy school? In general, do you know how long it takes to become a nutritionist? Sorry to bug you but I am virtually clueless about this career path!

  • elizabethhelizabethh Raw Newbie

    i want to get into this too, but i’m dead set on getting my MD.

  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    elizabethh, are you still in high school? MD meaing Masters Degree or Medical Doctor? I’m embarrassed for not being sure.lol

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    Samilicious- I am not specifically looking to become a holistic nutrionist. I just want to be someone that those with serious problems (such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) come to and I would heal them through raw food. I think that being a naturopath and having people come to me that weren’t in desperate need of a total lifestyle makeover would be frustrating because I would always feel like I wasn’t prescribing what I truly believed in. For example, being a naturopath, someone could come to you with a problem that you thought would be fixed by recommending more whole grains or fish. I don’t think that either of those things have particularly strong healing properties and therefore wouldn’t want to recommend eating them, but I would know that my patient wasn’t willing to change their lifestyle completely. I just want people that are completely open to a full change and committed- not someone who just changes from white bread to whole grain if you know what I mean. Maybe I am not sympathetic enough for a doctor now that I type this out. However I know there are Doctor’s that prescribe as I agree with, I just need to find out how to become educated like them!

    elizabeth- why are you dead set on getting your MD? I used to be like that…even wrote my MCAT’s. But had a complete change of mind.

  • skizzyskizzy Raw Newbie

    samilicious, have you thought about bodywork, such as massage therapy or acupuncture? i am a massage therapy student and i think it is a wonderful introduction into natural healing. it’s a more accepted form of healing, so you’d be able to make money while you pursued other forms of natural healing.

  • I agree about Bastyr in Washington…I am planning on going there in about 2 years. They seem to have a great program from all the research I’ve done..a really great location and everything too [which is a plus to me]. I am planning on doing holistic nutrition to be a dietician, but also paired with health psychology, which they offer as a major!!

  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    Thanks skizzy,
    But the think with message therapy is that…well, I don’t want to touch people. lolol. I hope I don’t offend you in a?ny way. May I ask if there are any other types of bodywork jobs? Any that don’t require touching? I’m so embarrassed right now.

    I heard about Bastyr University to be a good one too. Too bad I live in Canada though.

  • greeniegreenie Raw Newbie

    Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a naturopath and an MD. http://www.drfuhrman.com. I have a feeling he would reply if you contacted him. His wife works in his office and answers the phone. He might have some good information on this subject.

    I must say, I’m totally heartened and inspired by all of you. So great.

  • skizzyskizzy Raw Newbie

    of course i am not offended, samilicious. there are lots of people out there that do not like touching, so naturally a career in bodywork would not be a good idea! no need to be embarrassed.

    the very foundation of bodywork is touch, so finding a bodywork job that didn’t require it would be pretty impossible. that’s okay though—there are lots of ways to help people heal! i hope you find a path that is right for you.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    I know several doctors from “regular” medical schooling who promote a vegan lifestyle… and have their own practice where they promote a vegan lifestyle. Some doctors work at missions where they do cleansings using herbs and/or raw foods.

    Oh yeah, there’s an MD in Leesburg, VA that practices both! Yes, she’s a traditional doctor but also practices as a naturopathic doctor on different days of the week.

    How about Bridgeport University

    However, what are your thoughts on being a naturopath and Codex… I thought ‘you’ wouldn’t be able to “practice” as a naturopath after that. Maybe I just don’t understand Codex.

    Samilicious, it doesn’t take long to become a nutritionist… some schools offer that in one year. But, as for a dietitian, it takes longer because you have to go to certain accredited schools and do a 900+ hour internship before sitting in on an exam to become a RD in your state.

  • Juicy, If you are looking for a naturopathic program, there are currently 5 naturopathic colleges in North America. NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) in Portland, OR, Bastyr University in Seattle, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in AZ, University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto and Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in British Colombia. Any other programs that claim to be naturopathic…i.e. home study courses, are not recognized by states that license ND’s, making it difficult to practice if you are in a state that licenses ND’s. If you are really looking to get a full naturopathic medical education, any of these colleges are worth the time and effort you will put into getting your degree and your future patients will most benefit from someone who has attended a full 4-year naturopathic medical school rather than a mail-order program. A website that may be able to help you is www.naturopathic.org, the national website for licensed ND’s in the US. There is a lot of information on there to help to guide you. Also, all of the colleges that I listed have their own websites that will help to guide you in making your decision. Good luck!!

  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    Oh my gosh, all this info is so great! I am really really passionate and determined to get into this natural and holistic career path but my teachers and school counsellors are no help because they are not familiar with this field. Boucher Insitute of Naturopathic Medicine is one that is in the same province as me. I will check out their website for more information and perhaps even call them.

    Germin8, do you know roughly how long it takes to become a nutritionist? I have to admit though, it would be the ULTIMATE goal to become a naturopath but I feel so discouraged because I know that first, you have to complete conventional medical school and then study those extra years in a naturopathic school to become a naturopathic doctor. And it seems like a complicated journey to since it is already difficult, not to mention EXTREMELY competitive, to enter and complete medical school. Also, I am very interested at the nutritional aspect of health so I was thinking maybe a nutritionist or an RD would be good for me. Maybe I can begin to work as a nutritionist and then study to become an RD (by the way, is an RD conventional?), and work my way up from there….

    Any advice? I almot feel stuck.

  • Check out http://www.naturopathic.org/ and http://www.aanmc.org/

    You do not have to complete MD school first!!! ND school incorporates everything that MD school does, but less pharmacology and more CAM.

    Naturopathic physicians are recognized like medical doctors in many states. The AANMC is the acrediting body for the schools. These are real universities, not just certificate programs. Sign up to receive more info. AANMC travels around the country educating people on naturopathic medicine and recruit new applicants.

  • RDs are conventional, but I am sure you can find programs that incorporate raw,real healthy, etc.

    Make sure your school is accredited by a regional accrediting body. If not, you are wasting your money.

  • I am currently a student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and have a few things to say about it that you should consider if you are interested in pursuing this field. 1. While we learn about many principles, theories and modalities of practice you take what you want from it all and use what works for you in practice….so there is no reason why you couldn’t focus on living nutrition in practice.

    2. The workload is pretty intense so definitely take that into consideration. I have friends in med school who feel sorry for me because my schedule is much more intense than theirs

    3. Its an awesome field full of a variety of individuals who practice differently and all have unique methods.

    4. It was the best decision I could have made to come here. It follows my own personal beliefs and offers me further information about many things that interested me.

    5. You are here with a lot of like minded people. Instead of being the odd person on a weird diet, you are embraced and nurtured. Its really amazing.

  • elizabethhelizabethh Raw Newbie

    samilicious: yes i’m still in high school, and MD as in medical doctor=)

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Samilicious, some schools offer programs to become a nutritionist in 1 year. Like HCHS But, I believe becoming an RD has better opportunities for you. You would probably have more credibility too. Loma Linda University offers a vegan program. Since there are no raw programs, a vegan program would be the next best thing (in my opinion). Also, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition may have good courses. There is Clayton College and Trinity College… but, I don’t know much about those programs. I am going to talk to someone soon, who was an RD for 30 years… I’ll ask her how it was.

    Here are schools that offer RD degrees… from Eat Right.Org

    Additionally, have you thought about Nutrition Science or Food Science. How about Health Educator… although, that one only teaches you how to create programs to educate about health. Very little on the science and counseling aspect. With just a nutrition degree, you cannot be called a nutritionist anywhere, you have to check local state laws.

    Also, I think Victoria Boutenko is helping a school (forgot which one) in Canada make a raw program! Sorry, I can’t remember the name… but, she said that in one of her lectures. I have to check my notes sometime.

    My opinion… more and more people are becoming aware of health and nutrition, I say go for the science! ...you would have more credibility, particularly from people who think like engineers and scientists and doctors. :o) (what can I say, just my engineer-minded opinion)

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    JNND- I am thinking of applying to CCNM! I was wondering if we could swap emails so I could ask you more questions with out highjacking this thread? 

  • SamiliciousSamilicious Raw Newbie

    You guys, I am too overwhelmed!!! I am so excited for my future that…I’m speechless!!! If I met you guys in person, I would hug you all!! Anyway, I found that the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine is very very close to where I live here in BC. However, like juicy, I’m also considering CCNM! So it takes only 4 years to become a naturopath when it takes a medical doctor about…maybe around 8-12 years (guessing here)? Can someone please correct me because I think I’m missing the inclusion of the time it takes to complete undergraduate course requirements. Obviously, I lack major knowledge when it comes to post-secondary education. I know this is a childish question, but how long does it take in total to become a naturopah, just out of curiousity…

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    Samilicious- it’s okay. I didn’t know this information back when I was your age either..haha trying to sound so old and wise. In order to be accepted into naturopathy, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree- which takes either 3 or 4 years depending on if you want to have an Honours or not (not really applicable for Naturopathy). During your Bachelor degree you need to take chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, etc. Check with the schools for pre-requisites- Boucher and CCNM are the same pre-reqs though. After those 3 or 4 years, you then apply to naturopathy school, which is 4 years. So total of 7-8, but honestly, it flies by. I am just finishing my Bachelor in Health Sciences and I can’t believe I am done!

  • Juicy- I would love to do the exact same thing and I’ve looked into it pretty extensively. I would look at: http://www.ccnh.edu and http://www.unh-edu.org. Good Luck!!

  • The time does fly by…especially at CCNM. Its like being in a weird time warp but its probably just cause we are insanely busy all the time. When I find time that doesn’t require a ton of studying I feel a little lost with out the “go go go” drive. HOwever, its definitely rewarding.

  • juicyjuicy Raw Newbie

    JNND- did you see my message about swapping emails?

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