The truth is, as any doctor knows, that diagnostic skills cannot be spoonfed to you in a school of medicine, be it allopathic, naturopathic or osteopathic. You need to cultivate curiousity in addition to being intelligent and familiar with the art of differential diagnosis.

Students at schools of naturopathic medicine are intelligent and are made familiar with the requisite texts, physical exam, serology and imaging studies necessary to effectively assess a sick patient through the art of differential diagnosis. What remains, though, is for the naturopathic student to be excited enough about his or her course of studies so that he or she wants to do the hard work required to be a good diagnostician. MS3 and a few of the other malcontent, failed N.D.s who\'ve posted on this board clearly weren\'t happy as students of naturopathic medicine. So their inspiration to learn lagged. They want to blame the school when they really need to take an honest look at themselves.

It\'s very clear to me that MS3 was disappointed by his experience studying naturopathic medicine. So what, MS3, so the hell what? You\'re an adult. You want to be a physician. You\'re embarking on a career path that will potentially offer up a truckload of disappointments. Get over it and do what you apparently really wanted to do all along - be a medical doctor. And good luck to you.

Leave naturopathic medicine and the fulfillment offered by this career that effective application of its therapies such as home births, acupuncture, botanical medicine, vegetarian diet and supplements to those of us who chose to be N.D.s

And, MS3 et al, stop complaining about an education you couldn\'t complete and a career you didn\'t have the perseverance to embark upon.

Sincerely,

John