Application Process
Download a copy of the NCNM application form here. You may mail the completed form to our Admissions office at:
Office of Admissions
National College of Natural Medicine
049 SW Porter Street
Portland, Oregon 97201or email the admissions office
or call: 503.552.1660
Toll-free 877.669.8737
Admission to NCNM is competitive and it is the College’s goal to admit only the most highly qualified applicants. The College reserves the right to admit or reject applicants at the sole discretion of the Admissions Committee at any point in the admissions process. For more information, email us at the office of admissions.
Applications are available on NCNM's web site and through the Office of Admissions (503-552-1660). Initial consideration goes to candidates who apply by the dates listed below. However, NCNM continues to consider applicants on a space-available basis thereafter.
Early Decision November 1, 2007
Priority Decision February 1, 2008
Candidates who have selected NCNM as their first choice are encouraged to apply on or before the early decision date.
Note: The Office of Admissions and National College of Natural Medicine assume no responsibility for applications that are not considered because they are incomplete.
Completed application files will be evaluated and those individuals who competitively meet requirements may be invited to interview. The on-campus interview is required for acceptance. Telephone interviews are normally not granted, but can be considered under documented, extenuating circumstances.
MSOM Program
ND/ MSOM Program
Application Requirements
Technical Standards
Motor Skills
Sensory and Observational Skills
Communication Skills
Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Skills
Behavioral and Social Skills and Professionalism
Application Requirements for International Applicants
Second Degree Admission and Transfer from Other ND or Oriental Medicine Programs
Applications are available on NCNM's web site and through the Office of Admissions (503-552-1660). Initial consideration goes to candidates who apply by the dates listed below. However, NCNM continues to consider applicants on a space-available basis thereafter.
Early Decision November 1, 2006
Priority Decision February 1, 2007
Exceptional students in the ND program may apply to the dual ND/MSOM program during their second year for admission the following fall.
Application Requirements for U.S. Citizens and Residents
• Completed and signed application form
• $75 nonrefundable application fee
• Official sealed college transcripts for all college and university coursework, sent directly to the NCNM Office of Admissions from the institution
• Catalog course descriptions for all courses that qualify as science prerequisites
• Two letters of recommendation, one from a college or university faculty member, and one from a professional, preferably in a health-related field
• A one-page chronological resume of work, educational, and volunteer experience with references and phone numbers
• A Verification of Student Conduct Form mailed or faxed directly to the NCNM Office of Admissions from every college and university attended
• Signed Criminal Disclosure and Information Consent form
• Signed Technical Standards statement
Please follow the application packet's detailed instructions and direct all application materials to the Office of Admissions - address shown above.
It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that materials are received by NCNM on time. Application materials become property of NCNM and will not be returned or forwarded to other institutions.
Completed applications will be evaluated and those individuals who competitively meet requirements will be invited to a required interview on campus. Telephone interviews are normally not granted, but may be considered under extenuating circumstances. The interview allows students to visit the College and decide if it is a good fit.
NCNM's goal is to broadly prepare students for the practice of naturopathic or Chinese medicine. This goal is achieved in part by undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education, and preparation for life-long learning. Modern medical education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of skills and professional attitudes and behavior. Our faculty has the responsibility to graduate the best possible practitioners and physicians; thus, admission into NCNM is offered to those who present the highest qualifications for the study and practice of naturopathic or Chinese medicine.
Applicants to NCNM must possess the following general qualities: critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, physical and mental stamina, and the ability to learn and function in a wide variety of educational settings. In all phases of medical education, students of medicine must use their intellectual ability and must maintain emotional stability, particularly when under stress. Graduates of NCNM must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and render a wide spectrum of patient care.
Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. Candidates should be able to execute motor functions necessary to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.
Sensory and Observational Skills
Candidates must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in experiments as required by the NCNM curriculum. They must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance as well as close at hand and be able to obtain a medical history directly from the patient, while observing the patient's medical condition. This observation necessitates the functional use of vision, hearing and other sensory modalities.
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively both orally and in written form with patients. At times these skills must be performed in clinical settings when time for communication may be limited.
Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Skills
These skills include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem-solving and diagnosis, the critical skills demanded of physicians, require all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, candidates must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.
Behavioral and Social Skills and Professionalism
Empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions process and throughout a student's medical education. Candidates must possess the emotional well-being required for the full use of their intellect; the ability to promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; and the capacity to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively when stressed. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function within the uncertainty inherent to the variety of clinical problems patients present.
In summary, the mission of National College of Natural Medicine faculty is to prepare students for the comprehensive practice of medicine. NCNM, in accordance with Section 504 of the 1974 Vocational Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) (Public Law-101-336), has established the aforementioned essential functions of medical students and physicians. National College of Naturopathic Medicine will consider for admission applicants who demonstrate the ability to perform or learn to perform the essential skills listed in this Technical Standards section. NCNM must ensure that patients are not placed in jeopardy by the students or physicians as a result of substantially impaired intellectual, physical, or emotional functions. Students will be assessed not only on their scholastic accomplishments, but also in their physical and emotional capacities to meet the full requirements of the school curriculum and to graduate as skilled and effective practitioners of naturopathic or Chinese medicine.
Students who believe they may not meet the criteria listed above should contact the Dean of Student Affairs to discuss his or her specific circumstances. The Dean will coordinate assessment and accommodations as deemed appropriate. Unresolved issues concerning a student's ability to meet these standards may result in delay or disqualification of the student's admission or registration.
Application Requirements for International Applicants
In addition to the requirements outlined above, international applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Complete an international student Certificate of Finance. This satisfies visa application requirements by verifying adequate financial resources to cover the anticipated period of study.
• If English is a second language, submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). NCNM requires a score of 550 on the written exam or 213 on the computer exam.
• Submit all non-U.S. accredited transcripts for translation and evaluation to one of the following approved evaluation services
International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
310.390.6276, www.ierf.org
Office of International Education Services
202.296,3359, www.aacrao.org
World Education Services, Inc.
212.966.6311, www.wes.org
• Transcripts from accredited Canadian colleges and universities are generally exempt from this requirement. NCNM reserves the right to require outside evaluation in certain cases. Transcripts in French must be submitted for translation to one of the services above.
Second Degree Admission and Transfer from Other ND or Oriental Medicine Programs
Copies of policies regarding transfer students are available from the Office of Admissions. Note that there is a $75 nonrefundable transcript evaluation fee.
Second professional degree candidates, defined as a health care practitioner with a doctoral level degree, ND, DC, MD, DO, DDS, or DPM, may apply for fall, winter or spring term admission. Depending on prior completed coursework, a full-time schedule may not be available for one of these terms. A proposed class schedule for the intended term of entry and a degree completion plan can only be created after a candidate's prior course work has been evaluated.
Due to the classical orientation of the MSOM program, only a limited number of credits from programs with a traditional orientation are transferable.