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What are the educational requirements to become a Naturopathic Doctor?
Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) must complete at least three years of pre-medical
training including chemistry, biology, biochemistry and psychology prerequisites
at the university level. After university Naturopathic Doctors complete four
years of full-time training at an accredited naturopathic college where they
study basic medical sciences including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology
and pathology. In addition to the basic medical sciences, naturopathic students
also take extensive courses in each of the seven natural treatments, which
comprise naturopathic medicine. In Ontario, following seven years of schooling,
Naturopathic
Doctors complete two rigorous sets of North American professional board exams
before becoming licensed and beginning practice as well as one set of Ontario
practical licensing examinations. Once licensed Naturopathic Doctors have
yearly mandatory continuing education to keep their skills current.
What treatments do Naturopathic Doctors use?
Naturopathic
Doctors study seven treatment modalities: botanical medicine,
clinical nutrition, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy,
hydrotherapy, physical medicine and lifestyle counselling. I personally emphasize
nutrition, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, and herbal medicines in my practice.
Is naturopathic medicine covered by OHIP?
Naturopathic medicine currently is not covered by OHIP. However, if you have
a benefit package through your workplace many benefit packages do cover a
portion of the naturopathic visit costs. To receive reimbursement from your
benefit provider you will submit your paid receipts from the clinic to your
insurance company. Benefit packages usually do not cover any lab tests or
supplements purchased at the clinic.
What are your fees?
Please click here to see the fee schedule.
What should I expect if I book a naturopathic visit at the clinic?
Prior to our visit, there will be many forms for you to fill out. You can arrange
to pick up the forms at our office when you book your appointment with me,
or you may download the forms on the Resources page.
Our first visit is an
hour in length. During the first, visit we will review your forms, and I will
ask
you
many questions
to get a full picture of your health history and your current health concerns.
If you have any relevant test results from your doctor (blood tests, ultrasound
reports, MRI or CT reports, biopsy results), please bring them along, as they
will be helpful to me in my assessment. At the end of the first visit, I will
make some treatment recommendations, which we will follow up at our next visit.
Our second visit could be as soon as later that week. In most cases, it
is two-four weeks after the first visit. The second visit is 45 minutes long.
During the second visit, we will follow-up on how things are responding
to any treatments suggested in the first visit. At this time, I
will continue to gather information through various methods, including more
verbal
history taking, reviewing any remaining forms, doing a brief physical exam
and/or performing blood or urine tests. A more detailed plan will be developed
during the second visit once this additional information has been gathered.
Following the second visit, subsequent visits are usually half an hour in
length, though in some circumstances, we will choose to book 45-minute visits
if the
extra time is needed.
What if I have questions about my forms?
Please fill out the forms to the best of your abilities because it is very
helpful at the first visit for me to have all of your information. If you have
any questions, please call the office or make note of the questions so that
we can review them during your first appointment.
What is the wait time for a first visit?
Generally, we do not have a long wait time for a first visit. We will book
you as soon as our schedule allows which is usually within two weeks of your
call.
Our evening appointments are quite popular and fill up quite quickly, so if
your schedule requires you to come after work, I would suggest calling further
in advance to book a time that will be convenient for you.
Why do people choose Naturopathic Medicine?
There
are many reasons people choose naturopathic medicine, but some examples I hear
often include:
- To experience personalized, one-on-one treatment sessions of 30-60 minutes
- To try natural treatment options
- To experience a holistic approach
- To move beyond conventional treatments
- To see someone with a broad knowledge of a variety of complementary health treatments
- To further investigate tests which have come back “normal” or “inconclusive”
- To learn more about the safe use of natural treatments to complement present medical treatments
- To decrease side effects from medication
- To prevent disease and maintain health
- To receive advice about making lifestyle changes
What conditions do you see in your office?
As a Naturopathic Doctor, I see a wide variety of conditions. The following
is a list of conditions I see quite frequently in my office. If you currently
have a condition that is not listed, it does not mean that naturopathic medicine
can’t help you. Naturopathic medicine is focused on treating the person
rather than the disease, which means that the vast majority of people can
benefit from treatment even if their condition is not listed below.
