The principles of Naturopathic Medicine
First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)
Treat the Whole Person (Tolle Totum)
Physician as Teacher (Docere)
Prevention (Praevenire)
What is a Naturopathic Physician?
Naturopathic physicians believe that “nature knows best”.
Each patient is treated as an individual; there are no cookie-cutter methods.
Our medical training is a 4 year rigorous program, requiring an undergrad as entry prerequisite. Just like conventional doctors, we are trained in basic and clinical sciences, and we gain extensive clinical practice in the field for the last 2 years of our schooling.
We take basic science national board exams after 2 years, as in any medical school program, and clinical national board exams after the end of the 4 years in order to obtain our license in the specific state we choose to practice in. Some may go on to residencies in the clinic at one of our accredited Naturopathic Colleges, others may go directly into private practice and some may even go on to residencies at a conventional hospital open to Naturopathic Medicine.
Even though we as any other physician receive clinical didactic training, including pharmacology and minor surgery, our training focuses on natural therapies and our aim is to find the cause behind your disease as well as prevent diseases from occurring in the future.
Arizona Naturopathic Physicians hold the title NMD, Naturopathic Medical Doctors; we are primary care physicians and our license covers prescribing of conventional pharmaceutical medicines. We are therefore required to have a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number, just like Conventional Medical Doctors.
We have many tools in our tool box, but we believe that your digestion is a major key to good health.
A Naturopathic Physician will offer you a personally tailored program, and appointments include plenty of time for conversation and counseling, if need be. First and foremost, we aim at establishing a firm foundation of a balanced diet and a balanced lifestyle.
We utilize supplements, herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, physical therapy, IV and injection therapies, and mind-body medicine as well. Some specialize in bio-identical hormones, cardiology, diabetes, endocrinology, OB-GYN, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry, or other areas of healthcare.
Furthermore, there is a 2 year post-graduate opportunity of becoming a Naturopathic Oncologist with the title FABNO, Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology.
Acupuncture & TCM/Traditional Chinese Medicine, and minor surgery are within the scope of some of the 8 accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools, including SCNM, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, from which Dr. Susy Macsay graduated.
An Initial Visit with a Naturopathic Physician
The initial visit with a Naturopathic Physician is commonly relatively long. The reason for this is that we find it very important to take the time to listen to your personal story, as well as answer the questions that you might have. The rest of the visit is as with any primary care doctor focused on your current health complaints, recording your blood pressure and other vital signs, doing a physical exam, going over your past medical history including possible lab results, X-rays and other test results. From there we design a thorough and often life-changing health and wellness protocol, utilizing a few or several of the modalities mentioned above.
Your Naturopathic Physician might send you for more blood tests, additional imaging or other kinds of tests, and just like any other physician, when necessary we communicate with your other doctors and health care specialist and/or refer to specialists.
You can rest assured that Naturopathic Medicine is good sound medicine, integrating the best from the two worlds of conventional and natural.
Naturopathic Physicians practice safe medicine – to "do no harm" is at the very core of our philosophy.
Naturopathic Medical Schools in North America and the Caribbean
North America has a total of 8 accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools - including Bastyr's 2 campuses. The Caribbean has its accredited program at La Universidad del Turabo, Caguas, Puerto Rico, where Dr. Susy Macsay was a professor from summer 2014 to fall 2016.
Currently, 23 states, plus five Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are licensed. In these states, Naturopathic Doctors are required to graduate from an accredited four-year residential Naturopathic Medical School and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license.
Each state has their own licensing rules with some variation of scope from state to state; some require an additional exam when a doctor moves from one licensed state to another. Arizona currently has the broadest scope of all.
If you are interested in learning more about the Naturopathic Medical Schools, please go to
http://aanmc.org/schools/
"Children on the Grass" photo - Copyright: yarruta / 123RF Stock Photo
First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)
Treat the Whole Person (Tolle Totum)
Physician as Teacher (Docere)
Prevention (Praevenire)
What is a Naturopathic Physician?
Naturopathic physicians believe that “nature knows best”.
Each patient is treated as an individual; there are no cookie-cutter methods.
Our medical training is a 4 year rigorous program, requiring an undergrad as entry prerequisite. Just like conventional doctors, we are trained in basic and clinical sciences, and we gain extensive clinical practice in the field for the last 2 years of our schooling.
We take basic science national board exams after 2 years, as in any medical school program, and clinical national board exams after the end of the 4 years in order to obtain our license in the specific state we choose to practice in. Some may go on to residencies in the clinic at one of our accredited Naturopathic Colleges, others may go directly into private practice and some may even go on to residencies at a conventional hospital open to Naturopathic Medicine.
Even though we as any other physician receive clinical didactic training, including pharmacology and minor surgery, our training focuses on natural therapies and our aim is to find the cause behind your disease as well as prevent diseases from occurring in the future.
Arizona Naturopathic Physicians hold the title NMD, Naturopathic Medical Doctors; we are primary care physicians and our license covers prescribing of conventional pharmaceutical medicines. We are therefore required to have a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number, just like Conventional Medical Doctors.
We have many tools in our tool box, but we believe that your digestion is a major key to good health.
A Naturopathic Physician will offer you a personally tailored program, and appointments include plenty of time for conversation and counseling, if need be. First and foremost, we aim at establishing a firm foundation of a balanced diet and a balanced lifestyle.
We utilize supplements, herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, physical therapy, IV and injection therapies, and mind-body medicine as well. Some specialize in bio-identical hormones, cardiology, diabetes, endocrinology, OB-GYN, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry, or other areas of healthcare.
Furthermore, there is a 2 year post-graduate opportunity of becoming a Naturopathic Oncologist with the title FABNO, Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology.
Acupuncture & TCM/Traditional Chinese Medicine, and minor surgery are within the scope of some of the 8 accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools, including SCNM, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, from which Dr. Susy Macsay graduated.
An Initial Visit with a Naturopathic Physician
The initial visit with a Naturopathic Physician is commonly relatively long. The reason for this is that we find it very important to take the time to listen to your personal story, as well as answer the questions that you might have. The rest of the visit is as with any primary care doctor focused on your current health complaints, recording your blood pressure and other vital signs, doing a physical exam, going over your past medical history including possible lab results, X-rays and other test results. From there we design a thorough and often life-changing health and wellness protocol, utilizing a few or several of the modalities mentioned above.
Your Naturopathic Physician might send you for more blood tests, additional imaging or other kinds of tests, and just like any other physician, when necessary we communicate with your other doctors and health care specialist and/or refer to specialists.
You can rest assured that Naturopathic Medicine is good sound medicine, integrating the best from the two worlds of conventional and natural.
Naturopathic Physicians practice safe medicine – to "do no harm" is at the very core of our philosophy.
Naturopathic Medical Schools in North America and the Caribbean
North America has a total of 8 accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools - including Bastyr's 2 campuses. The Caribbean has its accredited program at La Universidad del Turabo, Caguas, Puerto Rico, where Dr. Susy Macsay was a professor from summer 2014 to fall 2016.
Currently, 23 states, plus five Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are licensed. In these states, Naturopathic Doctors are required to graduate from an accredited four-year residential Naturopathic Medical School and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license.
Each state has their own licensing rules with some variation of scope from state to state; some require an additional exam when a doctor moves from one licensed state to another. Arizona currently has the broadest scope of all.
If you are interested in learning more about the Naturopathic Medical Schools, please go to
http://aanmc.org/schools/
"Children on the Grass" photo - Copyright: yarruta / 123RF Stock Photo