Re: Re: What\\\\\\\'s with ANMA??

Posted by Jedidiah Chavez on 02/13/04 at 11:12 PM

Interesting misguided facts that many people have on this webpage. First, as an admissions counselor with National College of Naturopathic Medicine, I can state that the four accredited AANMC schools have competitive admissions standards similar to an allopathic education (www.aanmc.edu). We require a solid foundation of core science courses along with a 3.0 gpa. Admissions is highly selective and an admissions interview is a required component of the process. The MCAT is not required because the schools prefer a holistic appproach to the admissions process. It has been proven that standardized tests are not only racially and gender biased, but they do not represent the entire academic progress of a student. Secondly, a naturopathic physician is trained in the use of prescription drugs because many patients that a naturopath will see, will have been prescriped drugs from their allopathic doctor. It is essential to understand the relationship between naturopathic remedies and allopathic treatments. Secondly, it is not always reasonable to assume that a patient will have the patience or the resources to seek naturopathic treatments. NCNM runs a community clinic in a homeless shelter in Portland, and many of the patients have respiratory infections, etc. Sometimes it is necassary to prescribe antibiotics simply because the patients do not have adequate access to healthcare. As for minor surgery, it is limited to superficial wounds, etc. The idea that naturopathic medicine is limited to botanical remedies is outdated and ignorant.