Licensing of Naturopathic
Physicians
Naturopathic physicians practice in most states and Canadian provinces as well as foreign countries under various legal provisions. States and Canadian provinces that license NDs at this writing are Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Manitoba, Montana, New Hampshire, Ontario, Oregon, Saskatchewan, U.S. Territories: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. In other U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions, a varying scope of naturopathic practice may be permitted or protected by court decisions, attorney general opinions, or local custom.
Efforts to enact licensing laws are underway in several states. The best sources of current information about the legal status of naturopathic medicine in a particular area are the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102 or www.naturopathic.org), state or provincial naturopathic associations, or individual naturopathic physicians in that area.
Currently, all states that license naturopathic physicians require graduation from a residential course of study offered through a college approved by the examining jurisdiction. National College of Naturopathic Medicine meets all requirements and is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.
Completion of the ND degree at National College of Natural Medicine or another recognized institution qualifies candidates to sit for a board licensing examination that every applicant must pass to be licensed. Similarly, National College of Natural Medicine graduates are eligible to sit for examination in Canadian provinces that license naturopathic medicine. While each jurisdiction has its own examination requirements, an increasing number use the Naturopathic Physicians License Exam (NPLEX) as part or all of the required testing.
Licensing of Acupuncturists
Graduates of the Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) program are eligible to apply for acupuncture licensure in the state of Oregon and to take both the herb and acupuncture exams administered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), which many states use as a basis for licensure. In the last year of the MSOM program, an acupuncture and Oriental herbs review class is given, designed to highlight the essential features of Chinese medicine in preparation for these exams.
The following jurisdictions use NCCAOM exams as a part of their licensure protocol: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The MSOM program is also specifically approved by the California Acupuncture Board and the New Mexico Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. We recommend that you contact the licensing body in the state in which you wish to practice for additional information.