Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine Residency Program

Bastyr University's School of Naturopathic Medicine is a recognized sponsor of postdoctoral naturopathic medical education by the Council of Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The University has a well-established residency program at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. In addition, the University has several affiliate residency training programs.

All these programs are highly competitive and attract graduates from other institutions as well as from Bastyr University. Each residency is a closely supervised program wherein a resident progresses from a purely observational role into an independent role over the course of one year. This progression is monitored and facilitated by a faculty mentor and program administrator.

Applications

The university is accepting applications for 2012-2013 program year. The deadline is 5 p.m. on January 13, 2012.

For additional questions regarding the application process or on the available residency programs, please contact Dr. Gary Garcia, Director of Graduate and Community Medicine at (206) 834-4124 or via email at ggarcia[at]bastyr[dot]edu. Download the PDF application: 

2011-2012 Universal Application for CNME-Approved Naturopathic Residencies

STAIR Residency Scholarship Program

The STAIR Residency Scholarship Program is a collaboration between Bastyr University and Integrative Therapeutics, Inc. (ITI) in conjunction with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP). Under this program, ITI will offer two, one-year, fully paid postgraduate naturopathic residency scholarships. All selected training sites will be CNME-approved through Bastyr University and will be part of the Bastyr’s growing network of affiliate residency programs. Interested eligible students may download the STAIR application from the link below. The deadline for submitting a completed application is January 13, 2012. Please contact Gary Garcia, MD, MHA at (206) 834-4124 or via email at ggarcia[at]bastyr[dot]edu if you have any questions.

STAIR Residency Application

ND/AOM Dual Track

Students in the Bastyr University naturopathic medicine program who are academically in good standing have the opportunity to apply to the Master of Science in Acupuncture (MSA) or the Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSAOM) program in October of their second year. This requires a formal application to the acupuncture and Oriental medicine program through the admissions department, followed by a joint interview by both the AOM and ND schools.

ND students who are considering applying to the School of AOM as their second program are strongly encouraged to be enrolled as four-year track students during their first two years of attendance. In essence, the dual track program requires that students have successfully completed their preclinical ND training before they add a second degree program. Students who are accepted into the AOM program must switch their ND program to the five-year track in order to carry a combined program load. Students with advanced medical training, e.g., DC, DO or MD, must successfully complete the first year of study in their original program before acceptance into dual status. Dual program applicants are able to utilize their basic science course work in the ND program toward their MSA or MSAOM.

Please note that some states require Chinese herbal training for acupuncture licensure. Please read more on the MSA and MSAOM programs for complete information on degree and licensing requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (for students entering the ND-AOM dual-track program in fall 2011): .pdf

Students beginning fall 2012: We anticipate there will be a continuing opportunity to complete a dual track program with a Master's of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree. The acupuncture portion of the following dual track curriculum will not change. We are currently finalizing the naturopathic medicine portion of the dual track curriculum.

Note: Since a naturopathic medicine student enters the dual program after completion of the second year of the ND program, the curriculum that follows reflects the ND curriculum from the 2009/2010 catalog and the MSA/MSAOM curriculum from the 2011-2012 catalog. Next to each course is the number of credits per course (Credits), the lecture hours each week (Lec.) and the lab/clinic hours each week (L/C).

Dual Track ND/MSA or MSAOM: Year I

Dual Track ND/MSA or MSAOM: Year II

Eligible to take NPLEX basic science exams after the successful completion of the second year.

Note: The didactic courses that follow in italics are the additional courses required for the MSAOM degree. The shifts that follow in italics represent the distribution of shifts for the MSAOM degree. For those students in the MSA program, please follow the shift distribution in regular text.

Dual Track ND/MSA or MSAOM: Year III

Dual Track ND/MSA or MSAOM: Year IV

Dual Track ND/MSA or MSAOM: Year V

Dual Track ND/MSAOM: Year VI

Quarter Cat. No. Course Title Credits Lec. L/C Total Summer CH6411 Chinese Herbal Therapeutics 4 4 4 0 44   Quarterly Subtotal: 4 4 0 44   AOM Clinic 13-14 4 0 8 88   CHM Shifts 5-6 4 0 8 88   Fall   AOM Clinic 15-16 4 0 8 88   CHM Shifts 7-8 4 0 8 88

For students who choose to take advantage of the optional clinic experience in China, up to eight (8) credits (16 lab hours) may be applied toward AOM Clinical requirement. Acupuncture shifts will be distributed differently if a student goes to China. All students who plan to study in China must take the one-credit required elective OM6820 Clinic Entry for China in summer quarter of year five just preceding their China clinic. This course may be counted toward required AOM elective credits.

Elective Requirements: ND/MSA or MSAOM

Note: Five of the thirteen or ten elective credits must be from disciplines other than OM or CH.

Curriculum and course changes in the 2011-2012 Bastyr University Catalog are applicable to students entering during the 2011-2012 academic year. Please refer to the appropriate catalog if interested in curriculum and courses required for any other entering year.

Total Requirements: Naturopathic Medicine/Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

*Clinical training with patients in a clinical setting also occurs in courses including Clinic Entry I, Living Anatomy, Hydrotherapy Lab, Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis Lab, Physical Clinical Diagnosis Lab, Gynecology, Counseling Lab, Minor Office Procedures and Medical Procedures. There are more than 172 clinical training hours in those courses. In addition, at least 30 minutes of case preparation time are assumed before the beginning of each 4-hour clinical shift. That clinic preparation time exceeds 121 hours through the course of clinical training. Consequently, students receive more than 2,749 clinical training hours.

Waived Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Classes for Dual Track Students

The following courses can be found in the curriculum for the acupuncture or acupuncture and Oriental medicine students. However, the content has been met through the prerequisites of or the coursework for the naturopathic medicine program and are therefore waived for dually enrolled students (shown in order, as found in the MSA/MSAOM curriculum tables):

Program Summary - ND

Students study naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University because they seek a career that resonates with their core values, including a belief in natural healing and whole-person medicine. They prepare for success as naturopathic doctors with the support of our state-of-the-art clinical training model, which trains students to formulate effective, personalized treatment plans for patients.

This in-depth clinical training, coupled with Bastyr's robust basic sciences curriculum, is responsible for our graduates consistently earning top scores on the Naturopathic Licensing Examinations (NPLEX). And because our graduates speak the common language of science, they work as peers with other health care providers in integrative settings.

Learn more about naturopathic medicine

Program Features (at Kenmore Campus)

• A well-developed residency program for naturopathic doctors at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Bastyr University School of Naturopathic Medicine is a recognized provider of postdoctoral natural medical education by the Council of Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME).
• Students train extensively at the University's teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health, as well as at several Seattle-area public clinics.
• Top-notch faculty and a strong academic advising program.
• Close proximity to the pristine 316-acre Saint Edward State Park, which features miles of hiking, running and biking trails.
• A multi-disciplinary curriculum that allows students to explore natural health care modalities outside the School of Naturopathic Medicine. Classes can be taken from within the University's other degree programs in: nutrition, health psychology, herbal sciences, Oriental medicine and exercise science.
• The naturopathic doctor degree program offers a dual ND/AOM (acupuncture and Oriental medicine) degree.
• A research institute, supported in part by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), allows students the opportunity to engage in numerous research projects, including studies on botanical medicines, herbal supplements and complementary oncology therapies.
• Small class sizes coupled with the University's numerous resources, including: financial aid, student housing, whole food cafeteria, a health sciences library and a 51-acre Seattle-area campus.
• A diverse student body drawn from all across the United States and 28 other countries. 

San Diego Campus

We are opening a new campus in San Diego, California, where we will offer our fully accredited Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degree program. The first class will begin in fall 2012. For more information about this campus and the program, contact an admissions advisor or visit our San Diego campus section.