There are many pieces to the naturopathic medical school application, including your GPA, personal statement, list of experiences, letters of recommendation, and biographical information. Use the navigation below to explore each aspect of preparing for naturopathic medical school.
- What is a Naturopathic Physician?
- Naturopathic Medicine combines both nature and modern medicine to stimulate the body to heal itself. Naturopathic Physicians (ND) are primary care providers trained to diagnose and treat patients with a range of acute and chronic health conditions. Naturopathic Medicine believes in looking at more than just the body and take into account the mind and spirit of the individual. To learn more about Naturopathic Medicine, visit AANMC's website.
- Becoming a Naturopathic Physician
Obtain a bachelor's degree and complete all pre-medical requirements, including prerequisites and experiences (4+ years)
Attend a naturopathic medical school (4 years)
Pass the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX)
Become licensed in the state you wish to practice
Maintain certification & complete Continuing Medical Education (ongoing)
- Naturopathic Medicine Prerequisites
Naturopathic Medical School Prerequisites Courses to take at UC Davis Most Schools Require: General Biology BIS 2ABC General Chemistry CHE 2ABC OR CHE 4ABC Organic Chemistry CHE 8AB OR CHE 118ABC Biochemistry BIS 102 & 103* Physics with Lab PHY 7ABC OR PHY 9ABC Psychology PSC 1 English Composition any combination of ENL and UWP courses*
*Make sure the course is writing intensive, there may be some grey area with some courses. Updated 11/2022
Some Schools Require: Microbiology MIC 102/103L Statistics STA 13 OR STA 100 Physiology NPB 101/NPB 101L OR NPB 110C/NPB 101L Anatomy EXB 106/106L OR CHA 101/101L * Check you major requirements before choosing classes.
* If you have already taken BIS 105, we encourage having the syllabus ready to share with schools. Applicants don’t necessarily need to take additional classes before they apply. Requirements vary by school. Please call HPA’s Express Advising for questions. Updated 2/2023.
Click here to see Naturopathic Medicine program information and their requirements.
Note: The above courses are only suggested, not absolute.
You may choose any major while planning to pursue Naturopathic Medicine, however some schools prefer majors in or having a strong foundation in the sciences.All pre-health students should strive for a minimum GPA of 3.0, although the better you perform, the more opportunities you will have. Students who enter the program will typically have an average GPA between 3.1 – 3.3 at each institution. Most ND schools want to see students receive no less than a C in each of their pre-requisite courses.
Visit AANMC's prerequisite page to view the list of prerequisites required by each naturopathic medical school.
- Experiences
The MCAT and/or the GRE are not required for admission into naturopathic medical school.
Naturopathic medical schools recommend shadowing or interviewing an ND prior to applying to schools. Shadowing/interviewing ND's can help students showcase their interest and understanding of the naturopathic medical field.
There are no hour requirements for naturopathic medical school, but all pre-ND students should have some clinical experience. Some examples of clinical experience include:
Health Related Internships through the Internship and Career Center (ICC)
Opportunities to publish and present research through the Undergraduate Research Center
Participate in the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP)
Become an EMT
Global Health Internships through Study Abroad
Health Internships through the Washington Program
Volunteering for the UC Davis Pre-Health Conference
Completing community service using the ICC Volunteer Opportunities Database
Join a Pre-Health related club or other student organizations through the Center for Student Involvement
Volunteer at a Student Run Clinic- Applying to Naturopathic Medical School
NDCAS
The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Centralized Application Services (NDCAS) is used by 4 out of the 7 Naturopathic Medicine Schools:
Boucher Institute of Medicine
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences
University of Bridgepoint College of Naturopathic MedicineThe 3 remaining schools require that potential applicants apply through their website or own application system. Please check their websites for further details.
Personal Statement
The NDCAS personal statement contains the following prompts:Why do you want to become a naturopathic doctor?What is the role of naturopathic medicine/naturopathic doctors in the healthcare system?
How do you see the naturopathic profession evolving?
Discuss any life experiences that have helped to prepare you for the rigorous academic demands and individual challenges associated with this program of study.
The naturopathic medical school personal statement also varies by school, but generally the personal statement will answer how and why there is an interest in the specific ND program to which the applicant is applying to.Personal statements are limited to 6000 characters (including spaces), approximately 1 page in length.The personal statement is your first chance to provide admissions committees with subjective information about your qualifications and your reasons for choosing this particular career. In other words, the personal statement is your initial opportunity to present yourself as an interesting and unique applicant who deserves a closer look.Letters of Recommendation
Naturopathic medical schools require a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation, or evaluations. The maximum amount that can be submitted is 5.
One reference must be academic (i.e. faculty), one reference must be from a healthcare professional, and other evaluators can be employers or advisors that can attest to your abilities.
Interviews
Interviews are required by all naturopathic medical schools and are offered to eligible applicants later on in the admissions process. Interview styles include conversations with faculty members, admissions counselors, and/or current students, and can be traditional or situational type interviews.
Supplemental Applications
Curriculum Vitae or Resumes may be requested by schools as a supplement to your application. Check with schools to see if a CV or Resume is required to be submitted with NDCAS.
Choosing Naturopathic Medical Schools
There are 7 Accredited Naturopathic Medical schools and 8 campuses in the United States and Canada, with only 1 school in California:
Bastyr University
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
National University of Natural Medicine
National University of Health Sciences
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences
University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine- Frequently Asked Questions
- More questions? Check out our FAQ page or schedule an appointment with an advisor!