A Year of Inclusion and Equity

Bastyr University
Campuses in San Diego, California & Seattle, Washington

As Bastyr University concludes its 41st year, we reflect on some of the milestones and achievements that have furthered our mission to create a more healthful world for all:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training. Bastyr welcomed Dr. Kortet Mensah as the inaugural Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Starting in fall quarter of 2019, all faculty, staff and students at the Kenmore campus participated in DEI trainings, which included community-based conversations about levels of oppression, factors that contribute to and derail oppression, and strategies to advance inclusive diversity and equity at Bastyr and beyond. DEI training at Bastyr University California will begin in winter quarter of 2020.

Health Equity Speaker Series. The Center for Social Justice and Diversity also launched a Health Equity Speaker Series this fall, with its first topic titled “What is Health? The Need for Health Equity.” Students who helped facilitate this event are a part of the Center’s Student Leadership Certificate Program, designed to support students in developing skills in the areas of professional leadership, social justice, and cultural humility. The one-year program complements existing degree programs through its focus on practical and engaged leadership skills

Support for Susan G. Komen. On November 3, the Bastyr University California Sports Medicine Club provided services in the survivor tent at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Students practiced physical medicine modalities such as light massage and stretching, taping, icing, trigger point therapy and cupping. In addition, ND students and residents provided health screenings in the main event area for the 9,000 participants. Students enjoyed giving back to the local community and educating participants about Bastyr University Clinic’s integrative oncology services.

2019 marked 100 years of licensure in the United States — a milestone achieved through the tireless efforts of many individuals. Our 141 newest ND graduates join this great community and look forward to bringing more innovations in naturopathic medicine into the new decade!

To learn more about Bastyr, click here.

A Year of Commitment and Excellence

Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The Boucher Institute would like to once again congratulate its students for outperforming the average NPLEX results by a healthy margin. We credit the ability and commitment of our faculty that continue to be second to none in terms of preparing our students to become excellent, compassionate doctors.  BINM would also like to congratulate the school’s team of students who once again, came first at the NMSA cup competition in Portland, OR last August.

Our academic team will be expanding in order to support the school’s growth and new programs. Additionally, we have invested in developing new and exciting fundraising sources to benefit students and ensure that our tuition costs remain as steady as possible over the longer term.

New programs are being built to ensure continued graduate success and employment opportunities for BINM graduates. Our core program will continue to teach our students the benefits of practicing collaborative medicine, and we are in process of creating relationships with other higher education institutions to broaden student opportunities in areas like research and recruitment. Boucher graduates are grounded in the roots of the naturopathic medicine and its supporting science, because it represents the soundest form of sustainable medicine. We look forward to what will be an exciting 2020.

To learn more about BINM, click here.

A Year of Research and Innovation

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For CCNM, 2019 can be characterized by the terrific strides the College has made in research and innovation. Our efforts this year focused on a few key areas.

The microbiome. More than just a buzzword, the microbiome plays a significant role in maintaining our health and preventing disease. CCNM embarked in a landmark study to explore the interplay between our environment and the microbiome in mothers and newborns; particularly, how exposure to pharmaceutical drugs and environmental toxins affect health outcomes during pregnancy.

Lab testing. CCNM launched a high-quality, evidence-informed webinar series in September to examine the value of laboratory testing in clinical practice, and support NDs and other health-care practitioners in diagnostic decision-making. The first two webinars are on the topics of hematology, kidney and urinalysis.

Student scholarship. Now in its second year, the Student Innovation Fund is a grant competition that nurtures student-led research at CCNM. This year’s winners are currently assessing the impact of naturopathic care being provided to patients with fibromyalgia at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic, CCNM’s academic medical centre.

It’s no surprise that CCNM is considered a hub of naturopathic research. We look forward to even more discovery in 2020!

To learn more about CCNM, click here.

A Year of New Opportunities

National University of Health Sciences
Chicago, Illinois

National University of Health Sciences continues to expand its Clinical Clerkship program for naturopathic medicine students. Throughout 2019, NUHS added three new clinical opportunities. These internships at the Aurora Clinic, Salvation Army Clinic in Chicago and the Center for Integral Health in Lombard have unique patient populations that can help students prepare for various types of practice and provide hands-on, real-world experience for our student clinicians. They also have the added benefit of being located in the Chicago area near campus.

As part of a homeopathic rotation at the Center for Integral Health in Lombard, students are able to work alongside Timothy Fior, MD, who is also a lecturer in Clinical Sciences at NUHS and Lisa Krebs, ND, an NUHS alumnae. “Students will come away with the confidence and skills to accurately use this important modality in practice,” Dr. Krebs said.

At the NUHS Whole Health Center in Aurora, NUHS has added a ND faculty clinician who will attend shifts at the clinic each week with ND interns. NUHS also added an ND faculty clinician to supervise students at the Salvation Army clinic in Chicago. This supervision allows interns to provide more naturopathic modalities at the clinic such as basic bloodwork and constitutional hydrotherapy treatments.

Faculty members look forward to working with students as they continue to take advantage of these opportunities in 2020. For more information about clinical internship opportunities visit the NUHS website.

To learn more about NUHS, click here.

A Year of New Leadership and Advancement

National University of Natural Medicine
Portland, Oregon

NUNM welcomed our new president Dr. Christine Girard, a 1997 NUNM graduate who is already building on NUNM’s history of thinking and healing holistically. She’s excited about NUNM’s role in the intersection between naturopathic medicine and public health, and recently shared an update in AANMC’s November newsletter.

Through our 2019 acquisition of IPSL Institute for Global Learning, we have expanded the opportunities for students to participate in service-learning programs as part of their education. We also now offer two international master’s programs, giving current and future students greater opportunities to become advocates for social justice. We’re very excited for what this new partnership has in store for 2020!

Next year, we look forward to our students continuing to bring integrative health care to our local communities through programs at our academic health centers. NUNM’s new shared clinical rotations allow students studying in both the ND and Chinese medicine programs to mix the two approaches in practice, providing patients with more integrative tracks to health. Our newest sites, opening in 2020, will be located in residential facilities in the Portland metro area where access to holistic care is less available. This model of integration has proven to be effective at maintaining patients’ engagement with their care regimens, and we’re excited to enhance patient outcomes and student learning through these new sites!

To learn more about NUNM, click here.

A Year of Transformation and Innovation

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
Phoenix, Arizona

In Fall of 2019, SCNM announced plans to launch two 100% online Master of Science in Nutrition degrees – the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition (MSCN) and the Master of Science in Nutrition Business Leadership (MSNBL). Both programs will seat their first class in April of 2020. The MSCN will educate and inspire the next generation of leaders and practitioners in the field of clinical nutrition and the MSNBL will educate and inspire current and future leaders to grow the global natural products industry. Both programs will equip graduates with evidence-based and sustainable practices that safely, ethically, and effectively enhance the health and well-being of the people and communities they serve.

Additionally, SCNM is in the early building stages of The Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research. This state-of-the-art molecular biology and phytochemistry laboratory will work in collaboration with the natural products industry and other academic institutions to develop new products and improve existing botanical therapeutics through scientific exploration grounded in herbalism’s rich tradition. Scheduled to open in 2020, the Institute will conduct analytical testing, cellular and molecular biology assays, and metabolomic testing. Furthermore, the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research will expand research opportunities for students.

To learn more about SCNM, click here.

A Year of Change and Celebration

University of Bridgeport School of Naturopathic Medicine
Bridgeport, Connecticut

In October, the College of Health Sciences hosted more than 150 statewide experts and healthcare leaders for its inaugural symposium, Building Bridges: Implementing Healthcare Solutions to Prevent Opioid Addiction and Chronic Pain in Connecticut.

In March 2019 the University of Bridgeport announced that the School of Naturopathic Medicine will be closing its doors, based on a wide variety of factors, including a restructure of the University. The students enrolled as of the spring semester will complete the teach-out, with the last class graduating in May 2022.  In the meantime, however, we are celebrating every success and appreciating all the little things that are often taken for granted. Each event, including the Back to School Barbeque, Philosophy Day, and the Thanksgiving Pot Luck takes on new meaning.  We have had so many folks reaching out and helping us to champion our profession and the level of achievement that we have reached in the last few years.