Interesting article. The whole article goes back and forth but this part is telling:
"When the legislation was signed into law, the president of Oregons naturopathic medical school proclaimed that NDs will soon be fully licensed physicians. Oregons naturopathic physicians, educated and clinically trained as primary care physicians, will soon be in a position in which they can put their full scope of practice to use at a time when the demand for low-cost preventive health care is highest, David J. Schleich, PhD, the president of the National College of Natural Medicine, stated in a news release."
Along with DoktorB, I don't understand why they'd want full prescriptive rights. It would seemingly be contrary to their philosophy regarding pharmaceuticals.
I find this disturbing, and here's why:
Here in America, we've developed a culture of entitlement, and this is yet another manifestation. These people (meaning NDs) don't practice medicine in any sense of the word.
The ONLY reason that DO's gained license and autonomy in the US was because they were willing to adopt a traditional curriculum and training as part of their education. What's more, there's plenty of data out there indicating that the patient outcomes (MD vs. DO) are the same.
DOs learn the same anatomy, medical microbiology, and biochemistry as pretty much any other medical student. Furthermore, years upon years of our lives are spent working closely with patients in real-life clinical settings (again, just like any medical student), and it is OUTRAGEOUS that someone who shills homeopathic snake oil can lay claim to the same credentials.
The most perturbing part of all this is the fact that there is no significant evidence suggesting that many of the so-called homeopathic or naturopathic drugs work at all. Labeling something as "alternative" or "complementary" may sound cool in accordance with the current fuss over new-agey bull****, but many of these people forget that herbal or natural remedies that actually WORK are called "drugs", and many of them need a doctors prescription.
As a country I think we've lost our minds. I'm sympathetic towards RNs and NPs who want expanded practice rights, but guess what? Those people have plenty of clinical experience and training and statistically, the outcomes are very similar! However, giving in to these modern-day quacks who think ginko and chamomile are going to get rid of your bronchitis is dangerous and insane.
/end rant
Honestly, what does a naturopath have to offer anyone? Lifestyle advice? You can get that from a PCP or an RD. Herbs? That's an minefield. Homeopathy? Magic water.
Here in America, we've developed a culture of entitlement,
It is also on the patient to know the limits to which they can trust their ND with their healthcare management, and when it is time to see a physician.
There ARE some principles held by NDs that are good. Things like focusing on nutrition, rehab, massage, accupuncture, lifestyle modifications, etc. BEFORE presribing meds. My problem has been that, as a whole, the only people talking about how great and equal they are is....them. They churn out lots of very nice propaganda videos for their schools. They also title a lot of their classes the same as medical schools and assign credit hours to make it look like they must learn so much more...or just have multiple semesters more of a course for whatever reason.
Like many things, many of them and their supporters only hear what they want to hear. You try to present reasonable evidence and you get the whole fingers in the ears and yelling "LALALALALALALALA" while you talk or they simply cherry pick examples. I don't think we should prescribe as much as we do for every problem, nor do I care if a patient wants to try it. If it works for them then great. I do care about the willful ignorance and overconfidence in one's abilities.
Lol. ND's being able to prescribe prescription medications would be the most ironic, backwards thing I have ever heard of.
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For example ... I once saw an ND who, among their list of services, claimed to treat cancer patients. Not offer CAM in adjunct with chemo and surgery, but TREAT cancer patients. Frankly, this type of attitude + the inability to offer sound scientific treatments for serious diseases and the hesitation to refer to professionals who can (the evil DO/MDs) is just blatantly dangerous.
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Not to my knowledge. In the states where they do have the right to prescribe, their ability to prescribe is somewhat limited - but not by much. Your run of the mill ND can still probably write scripts for Vicodin and Percocet.do NDs even have core rotations? I know they're 4 year programs but giving them rights to prescribe medication? do they even have the experience and training to do this?
Yes, they are quite small but there are 6 schools and those schools are NCNM (the one in Oregon), Bastyr (Washington), SCNM (Arizona), NUHS (Illinois) and U of Bridgeport (Connecticut). And as it was presented to me, Naturopathic Medicine is exclusively primary care - there are no specialties and residency opportunities are limited. For certain, there is no central matching system for homeopaths, whereas we have a number of them (NRMP, CaRMS, AOA, etc).There are only 5 ND schools in the US, and they're small, I believe. So, I don't know how much help they'll be in the Primary care department, unless they all go into it. They better get their own damn residencies, though, lol.
Yes, I was attracted to Naturopathic Medicine when I was going to a very liberal arts Buddhist College up in Boulder and the Anatomy teacher (at the time, I was doing a Naturopathic track) was a ND. I queried him on why Naturopaths embrace homeopathy and he claimed that there was such a thing as the "Nocebo effect".I admittedly don't know much about naturopathy, but it seems that most 'alternative' therapies seem to thrive off of society's underlying fear and distrust of science (the same fear that causes anti-evolution-in-schools movements, anti-vaccination campaigns.) Isn't it rather hypocritical that a profession whose existance is based on such animosity towards science should want to prescribe drugs?
And no one needs to point out the origins of osteopathy as being the same. People within the profession broke with Dr. Still's purist philosophy even during his lifetime.
Your run of the mill ND can still probably write scripts for Vicodin and Percocet.
In Oregon, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone are on the ND Formulary code: http://www.oregon.gov/OBNM/DEAPerscribing.shtmlSource PLEASE.
In Oregon, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone are on the ND Formulary code: http://www.oregon.gov/OBNM/DEAPerscribing.shtml
Washington's code is a little less specific but the above can be assumed: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-836-210
Now, since I don't want to spend all night looking up the rest of the state statutes I present these two, for now. (FYI: In the interest of fairness, I couldn't find Alaska's code on Naturopathic Physicians and California and Arizona restrict NDs to only natural substances, as per their codes)
I'm curious, how is it hypocritical (I'm not doubting you, I tentatively believe you - I just want to know why).Wow. I didn't look into the specifics too much, but a. that's horrendously hypocritical, and b. shocking.
I'm really waiting for the day some field tries to get involved in surgery....
I know NDs and I know ND students. I lived next to an ND school down in Arizona (it was a converted motel or a pre-school I believe). There is no comparison in the level of training or intellectual capacity of the average ND vs DO/MD.
None.
I'm really waiting for the day some field tries to get involved in surgery....
I know NDs and I know ND students. I lived next to an ND school down in Arizona (it was a converted motel or a pre-school I believe). There is no comparison in the level of training or intellectual capacity of the average ND vs DO/MD.
None.
Optometry?
There may be a few other states that do but I just mentioned those two because I knew for sure that they allowed prescription rights.Yea...pretty scary. Especially since Wash and Oregon allow prescription rights. I had no clue about that.
I've had classmates from undergrad who are extremely capable go the ND route. It was kind of disappointing to see them take that path when thy had the capacity to obtain an MD/DO. It still baffles me to this day why one would go that route over becoming a fully licensed physician. The fact that they teach homeopathy (as someone was talking about before) was enough for me to stay away...but alas, I did learn cranial OMM this year 😉
I imagine this has been beat to death but they really need to just change all DO to MD (Osteopathic MD). DO doesn't even make sense anymore.
If not then they should have to change MDs to DA. Doctor of Allopathy...lulz.
Being a little misunderstood by the misinformed public is one thing, but comparisons to NDs is too much.
Will never happen. The AOA is so hellbent on keeping up this insane osteopathic identity...even though most ost/eopathic students and physicians dont even really identify with it anymore. Look at the top brass at the AOA. FPs and NMM specialists. Nothing like that will happen until the AOA top is infiltrated by the "real face" of DOs....and not the 1920s face of DOs.
It doesn't make sense, and it just confuses the people who need doctors.
The more I think about it the more stupid it becomes.
It would be like calling PhD something different because he did yoga, or something like that.
It would be like calling PhD something different because he did yoga, or something like that.
I'm curious, how is it hypocritical (I'm not doubting you, I tentatively believe you - I just want to know why).
lol wut?
🤣
NDs are natural healers and (supposedly) shun big pharma drugs. They should treat with herbs and teas, not morphine and pain killers. It's 100% against their entire mantra/philosophy ... hence, hypocritical.
Just following the money like everyone else.
To be fair, osteopathy was the same way. Both the ND and DO communities have gone through a lot of change in the past century. One took Flexner to heart, and the other decided standardized edumacation wasn't important enough, but both stopped shunning all drugs.
I'm not sure it would be best to go out and judge NDs as being uneducated and anti-prescription yahoos who are looking to make a more money. Sure they provide an alternative method of treatment through herbal remedies and diet, but their schooling in pharmocology is actually pretty extensive. One of my former lab colleagues who initially was going to apply to MD school with a 3.5gpa and 32 MCAT decided to go to the Portland ND school instead. He tells me its pretty intense schooling. He had to go through anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmocology his first couple of years just like many other DO/MD medstudents have to go through. He even introduced me to one of his classmates who already has an MD/MPH degree and was looking to expand his way of treatment by getting an ND.
The moral of the story is that I would just be very cautious before you judge a degree before you actually meet someone with that background and learn what it actually is all about.
I've always thought that the AOA board was repopulated through mitosis...I agree with you...but it wont happen. Maybe once this generation gets into practice but not until then. But then again...every DO class has a handful of these "DO maniacs" who you can tell would love to repopulate the AOA.
Ah, gotcha.NDs are natural healers and (supposedly) shun big pharma drugs. They should treat with herbs and teas, not morphine and pain killers. It's 100% against their entire mantra/philosophy ... hence, hypocritical.
Just following the money like everyone else.
Considering the fact that they embrace homeopathy and shun vaccines, I think it's pretty safe to shun the Naturopaths. Especially the ones that populate the AANP.I'm not sure it would be best to go out and judge NDs as being uneducated and anti-prescription yahoos who are looking to make a more money. Sure they provide an alternative method of treatment through herbal remedies and diet, but their schooling in pharmocology is actually pretty extensive. One of my former lab colleagues who initially was going to apply to MD school with a 3.5gpa and 32 MCAT decided to go to the Portland ND school instead. He tells me its pretty intense schooling. He had to go through anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmocology his first couple of years just like many other DO/MD medstudents have to go through. He even introduced me to one of his classmates who already has an MD/MPH degree and was looking to expand his way of treatment by getting an ND.
The moral of the story is that I would just be very cautious before you judge a degree before you actually meet someone with that background and learn what it actually is all about.
They have NO specialties (other than primary care), they have NO residencies required and they embrace pseudoscience. Why the hell would they want to be considered comprehensive physicians? It's like my electrologist being considered a comprehensive physician. Sure, she does a great job at killing what remains of my facial hair but I don't want her prescribing me drugs... except painkillers. Electrolysis can be brutal.Yes ... Osteopathy was the same - 90 years ago. During that time, DOs have evolved to accept evidence based guidelines and have earned the right (via education and training) to prescribe these drugs in 2011. Fully licensed physician with a supposed philosophy of a 'holistic' approach that CAME from drug shunning roots (back when drugs killed more people than they saved) in the late 19th centuries really doesn't have much relevance to the discussion of a group in 2011 that still teaches courses in homeopathy, herbology, etc, and states (in 2011) that they heal without the unnatural drugs.
Like I said before, saying they now want to be considered comprehensive physicians, prescribe, etc, is not only laughable (I'm sure they had the chance to do this or conform to some system like this way back in the day like DOs), it's just another perfect example of health practitioners wanting to expand their scope without appropriate training.
They have NO specialties (other than primary care), they have NO residencies required and they embrace pseudoscience. Why the hell would they want to be considered comprehensive physicians? It's like my electrologist being considered a comprehensive physician. Sure, she does a great job at killing what remains of my facial hair but I don't want her prescribing me drugs... except painkillers. Electrolysis can be brutal.
Like I said before, saying they now want to be considered comprehensive physicians, prescribe, etc, is not only laughable (I'm sure they had the chance to do this or conform to some system like this way back in the day like DOs), it's just another perfect example of health practitioners wanting to expand their scope without appropriate training.
I think it would also give them a bit more respectability that frankly, they didn't earn. DCs should stick with Chiropractic practice and stay out of primary care.Why do Chiropractors want to be considered primary care providers? Why do nurses want to call themselves doctors and practice dermatology, cardiology, family medicine, anesthesia, etc? Why do Optometrists want to perform eye surgeries?
1. Money
2. The mindset that physicians are evil, have a chokehold on health care, and that they are qualified to do everything that the docs can without any additional training.
Add this to an effective lobbying group, smart PR, and an endless supply of slick politicians, and you have the current state of things with NDs, DCs, DNPs, CRNAS, E.T.C.
Saying naturopaths are natural healers who shun big pharma is like saying osteopaths are bone fetishists who shun big pharma or allopaths are anti vaccination quacks who are in bed with big pharma. Sure there is the naturalistic aspect to the certified ND curriculum, just as there is OMM in the DO curriculum, but both professions have evolved to a point where they embrace pharma in some circumstances. Whether NDs are knowledgeable enough to safely prescribe drugs, I have no idea (and I assume they are not), but its not hypocritical. It's just an evolving philosophy.
I should clarify that I am referring to NDs graduating from accredited schools and programs, and not those quacks you see on Penn and Teller's Bull!@#$.