Become a Homeopathic Doctor

Homeopathy is a medical practice guided by the belief that the body can heal itself without traditional medical intervention. Homeopathic doctors cure illness by giving patients small, diluted doses of the very thing causing the illness. This encourages the body to fight off the illness and heal itself. There are many ways to engage with homeopathic practices. The path to becoming a licensed and certified doctor is rigorous, but fulfilling.

Steps

Preparing for Homeopathic Medical School

1. Be prepared for the commitment. Just like traditional doctors who earn MDs and DOs, homeopathic doctors must undergo a long and rigorous course of study to earn their NDs (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine). It will take four years of intense training to become a fully qualified and licensed homeopathic doctor. This isn't a journey you should embark on without seriously examining if you're up to the challenge.
   • Make sure you can afford the cost of tuition and supplies for medical school, as well as loss of income from your time in school. Contact individual schools for cost estimates.
   • You will need a strong support system of family and friends to help you get through this process. Make sure you have one in place!
2. Set your goals. What kind of a homeopathic/naturopathetic practice do you want to have? Depending on your goals, your path might look different. Some career paths in homeopathy include:
   • Homeopathic doctor (the subject of this article)
   • Homeopathic nurse: you still need education and certification, but don’t need to attend an accredited four-year medical school
   • A traditional doctor who incorporates homeopathic techniques
   • An other healthcare provider (acupuncturist or massage therapist) who incorporates homeopathic techniques: many homeopathic medical schools offer courses in related naturopathic practices
   • Independent practice
   • Affiliation with a hospital or other medical institution (clinic, community health center, etc.)
3. Research homeopathic medical schools. To become a homeopathic doctor, you must complete a four-year course of education at an accredited school. There are seven accredited homeopathic medical schools in the United States and Canada, located in Washington, California, Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut, Toronto, and British Columbia.
   • You can also find non-accredited schools and training programs where you can get a homeopathic education. However, you may not be able to get certified and/or licensed as a doctor with degrees from those programs.
   • Make sure that the school you choose will allow you to follow the path that leads to your goals.
4. Take the necessary pre-requisite courses. Though not all homeopathic medical schools will require a bachelor's degree, all will call for at least some scientific background. Contact the school you wish to attend and see what their pre-requisites are. Whether you're enrolled in college full-time as an undergraduate or are taking continuing education courses, focus your credits in the right subjects. A promising applicant to a homeopathic medical school should have credits in the following subjects:
   • Anatomy
   • Biochemistry
   • Botany
   • Developmental psychology
   • Physiology
   • Any other courses or majors your specific homeopathic medical school requests.

Getting an ND Degree

1. Apply to homeopathic medical schools. Make sure the schools you apply to offer coursework that will best suit your individual interests. For example, you may want to focus your practice on women, children, or environmental medicine, or get a dual degree in a second area like acupuncture. Don't restrict yourself to a single school — applying to multiple programs that fit your interests raises your chances of being accepted.
2. Study hard in medical school. Don't think of school as a means to an end. Instead, think of school as the most important, foundational part of your journey. This is where you will meet the instructors who will teach you your craft and help you learn how to become a healer. The first two years of the ND degree focus on scientific background, while the third and fourth years branch into clinical experience. Though you can take elective courses in your specific naturopathic interests, all ND curricula prepare you to be a general practitioner:
   • Botanical medicine
   • Emergency and physical medicine
   • Laboratory diagnosis
   • Diagnostic imaging
   • Physical and clinical diagnosis
   • Homeopathy
   • Minor surgery
   • Nutrition
   • Pharmacology
   • Psychology
3. Complete a residency for clinical experience. Residencies aren't required to get your license (except in Utah), but they can provide invaluable experience before you strike out on your own. During a one to two year residency, you will get hands-on experience in a clinical setting while under the supervision of seasoned homeopathic doctors. You may be able to complete a residency during the third and fourth years of school, or after graduation.
   • Submit your residency preferences to the Naturopathic Post-Graduate Association. If they find a match for you, you will be able to pursue and complete your residency.
   • Be aware that there are very few residencies available in homeopathic medicine. Positions are highly competitive.
4. Consider shadowing a homeopathic doctor. As much as you may want the experience of a residency, you might find one hard to come by. MDs are required to complete residencies before they can practice, so there are many residency opportunities available to them. But ND residencies aren't required, so there are far fewer options available. Only about 5-10% of NDs complete a residency.
   • If a residency isn't an option, look for a homeopathic doctor in your area who will allow you to shadow his or her practice.
   • Though you won't have the rigorous educational structure of the residency, you will still get supervised clinical experience before you're on your own.

Getting Certified and Licensed

1. Decide how you plan to get certified. Organizations that offer certification include The Council for Homeopathic Certification, The American Board of Homeotherapeutics, and the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians. Once you’ve decided which certifications you want to get, research their websites to find out what kind of education you need to complete the certification process.
   • Note that certification is not the same as licensure, though it may be required to get a license to practice in your area.
2. Apply for a certification exam. Depending on which certification you plan to seek, your requirements will differ. If you meet the qualifications to apply for the exam, you will have to study for and pass it.
   • Application for The Council for Homeopathic certification exam requires US or Canadian residency; knowledge of classical homeopathy; 500 hours of homeopathic training; 33 hours of training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and disease; and 250 hours of clinical experience.
   • Certification through the American Institute of Homeopathy requires either an M.D. or a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) in addition to your ND.
3. Study for and pass the certification exam. Order and study from the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) Blueprint and Study Guide. Make sure to buy an updated, current copy of the guide, as older versions — while cheaper — may provide outdated information.
   • Certification organizations usually provide suggestions for how to properly prepare for the exam, as well.
4. Contact your state medical board to research licensing in your area. Homeopathic drugs are not prescription, and can be bought by anyone over the counter. But the legal regulation of who can recommend these treatments in a medical context is murky, and varies from state to state. Homeopathy is legal throughout the U.S., but you need to find out how to protect your practice in your state. Though prosecution of unlicensed homeopathic doctors is rare, it is still a possibility. Do not start a practice until you have registered with the appropriate authority in your state — whether the medical board or the attorney general.
   • Connecticut, Arizona, and Nevada are the only states that have boards of homeopathic medicine. Contact the homeopathic board if you live in one of those areas.
   • Acupuncturists and chiropractors should contact their own state boards for legal guidance on homeopathy.
   • Practitioners in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Alaska, Utah, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Washington D.C. should contact their state attorney general's office.
5. Join local and national homeopathy associations. Once you have the necessary degrees and licenses to be able to practice homeopathy, you should join professional organizations. These organizations will keep you up to date on the latest information and practices in the field. They’ll also give you an opportunity to network with other practitioners and learn more about the homeopathic community. Furthermore, patients may feel uncomfortable working with an unaffiliated doctor who doesn’t belong to a broader medical community. Examples include of national associations include:
   • North American Society of Homeopaths
   • National Center for Homeopathy
   • American Institute of Homeopathy
   • British Homeopathic Association
   • Homeopathic Medical Association (UK)
   • Look for local associations in your region, as well.
6. Fulfill your continuing education requirements. The practice of medicine is an ever-evolving body of knowledge. It's not enough to pass a certification exam once, then stop learning. The Council for Homeopathic Certification requires homeopathic doctors to take at least 20 hours of continuing education every year to maintain certification. This ensures that all practicing, certified doctors are up to date on the newest breakthroughs, innovations, and trends in the field. These hours can be obtained in a number of ways, including:
   • Attending homeopathic conferences and seminars
   • Teaching homeopathic classes
   • Mentoring or supervising a homeopathic student
   • Publishing scholarly work in the field of homeopathy

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