Sonoran University Student, Clara Sage Sartor states, "Embrace your struggles. Don’t let failure define you but do let it shape you. It’s through adversity that we grow stronger and are shaped into the person we are meant to become."
Dr. Yalda Shokoohinia, Sonoran University faculty, states, "One of my main goals in the educational process is to transfer an interdisciplinary experience to students including chemistry, biology, and clinical aspects of pharmacology."
Dr. Crystal Foresman-Landers, OT, ND, CNS is the first and only dual licensed occupational therapist and naturopathic doctor in the United States. Dr. Foresman-Landers is also a board certified nutrition specialist. She provides naturopathic, functional medicine, functional integrative nutrition and integrative occupational therapy services in Wheaton, Illinois.
Dr. Bose serves as a full-time attending clinician throughout all clinical courses at NUHS and serves as a mentor to her students. “Many times, students know the information, but just need a little push to realize they are capable. Confidence develops with experience and the right mentorship. I hope I provide that mentorship to my students.”
I deeply resonated with the of using the healing power of nature and food as medicine to facilitate self-healing and wellness. This belief is also prevalent in my own Southern Black-American roots and traditions, because for generations, my family had to depend on growing our own food, using herbs from the backyard/forest as our medicine, and passing along home remedies to manage our health.
I honestly didn’t know that naturopathic medicine existed! I was looking for something in healthcare where I could spend a good amount of time with patients and not feel rushed. I also considered Teacher’s College! So, when I found out about naturopathic medicine, it seemed like a great fit. NDs are already teachers by nature with their patients, and I’m fortunate to also do it formally at CCNM.
I left a PhD program in Pharmacology to pursue an ND because I wanted to do research on lifestyle and non-pharmacologic interventions. Before I left Duke University to go to ND school, the Heart Health Study was published by Dean Ornish, MD, demonstrating advanced cardiovascular disease could be stabilized by lifestyle changes. Upon learning about that study’s findings, I decided I didn’t want to study drug mechanisms anymore, and instead I wanted to learn how to help people create health.
I want to be a provider who focuses on engaging patients in the cultivation of a healthy lifestyle which is individualized based on family history and identified risk factors so people can live, healthier, happier, longer lives. When I came upon the principles of naturopathic medicine, I knew naturopathic medicine was it for me. The principles speak for themselves, and, if followed well, they work wonders.
Gursharan states, “I knew this program was going to challenge me and help me grow like never before, but I never expected it to help develop my leadership qualities and social skills.”
“I love the naturopathic principle of docere, which means doctor as teacher. Doctor as teacher has been something I have been passionate about for a long time.” shared Dr. Laura Belus. She embodies this belief into her clinical practice and interactions with patients.
