Gurdev Parmar, ND, FABNO is the co-founder and medical director of the largest Canadian integrated health care facility – Integrated Health Clinic located in Fort Langley, British Columbia. Dr. Parmar is a leader in integrative cancer care, supervisor of a naturopathic oncology residency, and the author of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology: A Desktop Guide of Integrative Cancer Care.
Laying the groundwork to become an ND
“I wanted to pursue a career as a primary healthcare provider that was knowledgeable in both conventional and natural medicine. Naturopathic medicine fulfilled my scope of practice wishes and desires. I knew it would provide a lifetime of cerebral excitement and learning.”
CCNM as a springboard
“My time at Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) was some of the most memorable and transformative years of my life. I met my life partner Karen Parmar, ND with whom I have had the pleasure and honor of walking this path with. From second year at CCNM until now with 20 years of practice together, I could not have achieved all that I have professionally or personally without her.
Karen and I came out to British Columbia as interns at CCNM and spent three weeks exploring my favorite areas of the province; the lower mainland, Sunshine Coast, Guld Islands, Victoria, Tofino, and the Okanagan Valley. We found Fort Langley and fell in love with it. After graduation we drove across Canada and began preparing for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEX). While studying we met with a banker, qualified for a loan, and started construction on our clinic. Daily visits to the construction site motivated us to get back and study as hard as possible. The doors to our clinic opened within a week of receiving our NPLEX results. Integrated Health Clinic is now home to 13 naturopathic doctors, medical doctors and a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.”
Contributing to naturopathic oncology
While taking a six month sabbatical to recharge from the demands of a booming practice and raising four young boys, Dr. Parmar started writing the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology: A Desktop Guide of Integrative Cancer Care.
“I wrote for six months day and night and was not close to being finished. After several years of writing and asking colleagues to write sections for the book, and three distinct rounds of editing – the textbook is done! I truly believe that all ND students, all NDs that treat cancer, all Fellows of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNOs), and all those practicing integrative or conventional oncology will benefit from having this resource that contains has 2,800 references and contributions from almost 40 of our most esteemed colleagues.”
Advice for aspiring NDs
“If you are interested in a profession that challenges you daily, gives you a vast toolkit, provides a lifetime of learning, and allows you to dive into the lives and health of your patients, naturopathic medicine is the choice for you!”
To read more about other naturopathic doctors’ success stories, click here.
Learn more about the textbook
