Commemorating an important milestone
This year is a special one for the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. That’s four decades of educating NDs, delivering high-quality clinical care, and advancing our profession in Canada and beyond.
At our convocation ceremony in May, we honoured our history and looked to our future by welcoming 136 graduates to an evolving and growing profession. Our alumni may end up in different parts of the world, but they’re always part of CCNM’s family.
Walking through our past
Our most recent report to the community features a timeline of significant events and stories from our alumni and faculty. Through our research, we unearthed many fun facts. For example: in the early 80s, the College was located in two former art galleries; we published its first book, an anthology of common illnesses and their naturopathic treatment, in 1998; and we considered 77 potential sites before we moved to our current location, at the intersection of Sheppard Avenue and Leslie Street in Toronto, in 1999.
Student involvement in research
We created the Student Innovation Fund to foster a strong culture of research here at the College. Our students actively participate in research studies and we’re proud of the contribution they’re making to naturopathic medicine’s evidence base.
One such study, a collaboration between CCNM students and faculty, is a case report examining the effects of Arnica oil massage, therapeutic ultrasound, and acupuncture on chronic osteoarthritis pain. The results were published in Alternative and Complementary Therapies in April.
In January, we hosted our second annual Research Day to showcase and celebrate the high-quality research work from students, faculty and the research department over the past year. In total, 17 research posters were on display in CCNM’s lobby and winners were announced in the top scientific and people’s choice categories by the judging committee.
Conference abstracts were published in the journal Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology.
The Integrated Cancer Centre (ICC) opens at CCNM
Led by Class of 2006 graduate Dr. Dan Lander, ND, the ICC provides integrative cancer treatment and support using a team-based approach. The centre is located within the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (RSNC), our teaching clinic at the College. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to practise in an interdisciplinary setting with other health-care providers and deliver naturopathic cancer care to patients.
We also opened a new shift at the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, an external community health-care clinic (CHC) in the east end of Toronto. CCNM provides clinical care in CHCs located throughout Toronto, giving student interns exposure to health concerns that they don’t normally see at the RSNC. The shift is supervised by Dr. Ehab Mohammed, ND, a Class of 2015 graduate who was also trained as a medical doctor in his native Egypt.
Online prerequisite science courses (PSCs) available at CCNM
For applicants who want to become a naturopathic doctor but are missing some of the necessary prerequisites required for entry into our Doctor of 
Naturopathy degree program, we’ve developed a series of PSC courses that can be completed online.
The PSCs are offered throughout the year and include two chemistry courses, biology, physiology, and psychology. They combine online self-study modules with a weekly interactive tutorial session with the course instructor.
