How long would I have to go to school after high school to be a naturopathy?

I heard that it takes about 6 or 7 yrs, but is that true? other places I've heard that it takes only 4 years. DOES it take 4 yrs? (I wouldn't have much patience to go longer) And being in New York (long island), where can I go to school for it? Also in school I am on an accelerated track, so I think im gonna get a few college credits....

It depends on where you live. You should check out your options in New York. In the country where I live, it is a 4 year course and medical school to become an MD is only a 6 year course, instead of the 8 years or so that it is in the States after high school.

In contrast to what Mr. Skepdoc claims, a degree in naturopathy is a real degree and naturopathic physicians are not people who have taken some little course or who just read some books and believe in all sorts of funny things.

We are trained professionals who learned most of the same medical school courses as any MD with the addition of courses in herbal medicine and aromatherapy and so forth.

I live in Australia so I don't know if this will be any help. Anyone can legally call themself a Naturopath here, the government is not recognising it like it should. My course is Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy), 4 years, includes human biology, biochemistry, human disease processes, herbal preparation & botany, iris analysis, accupuncture, massage etc.

I went on a site for you. www.heartlandhealing.com. It said, "A true doctor, ND is a 4 yr. graduate level of naturopathic medicine." It talks about a Randall Bradley, ND. There was a lot of info so check it out. Also, the only school I found was called Ellis. I imagine it's on Ellis Island, because it is located in N.Y. Good luck

Well, there are schools of Naturopathy where you can get an actual 'degree' in this stuff. I'll reserve my comments on the value of such a degree. You appear to be able to use your computer, you can do your own internet search I'm sure.

More commonly, people call themselves naturopaths after having read some books, or taken some online courses or weekend seminars put on by other naturopaths, or after treating themselves. There is very little regulation of any sort among alternative 'healers'. Basically anybody can set themselves up as a 'healer', all you need is a business license.

The origins of naturopathy are in the European (especially German) natural health movement of the 19th century. Mostly that was about clean air, exercise, eating right and "taking the waters". (such as Lourdes, where religious superstition holds that some water has magical properties) They also believed in sunlight, and nudism was part of that culture. They do use medicinal herbs to some degree as well, though they are not herbologists, per se.

While nobody disagrees with the preventive value of exercise, proper nutrition, and even the usefullness of some herbs, most of the other ideas of naturopathy are not supported by science. Ideas like whole body candidiasis, epidemic food (especially wheat and milk) allergies, parasites as the cause of all disease,colonic hydrotherapy and "detoxing" in general, using things like applied kinesiology for "diagnosis" are without any merit at all. Their credulous approach also means that they tend to be supportive of nearly all other forms of bogus healing such as homeopathy, acupuncture, iridology, reflexology and "energy" healing.


In short...if you are interested in health and helping people, why not get yourself a real education where you can actually do some good. If you have a short attention span, then physiotherapy, massage, nursing or paramedic may be a good field.

EDIT Natpract..."most of the same medical school courses as any MD" . So anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, the germ theory of disease, pharmacology, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, respirology, dermatology, obstetrics, psychiatry etc etc etc are part of your knowledge base? Cool...they aren't with any other Naturopath I've ever met. And they have some pretty odd ideas about anatomy that I've never seen in my copy of Grey's.

And you "don't believe in funny things". I note you didn't specifically mention what funny things you don't believe in, or deny belief in any of the things I mentioned. Perhaps you are unique in your field, but once again, every naturopath I've ever dealt with...whether degreed or self taught believes in an awful lot of silly things that aren't supported by scientific theory or evidence.
"Aromatherapy and so forth..." ? Bullshit.

I'm sure you are a kind, caring person. But while naturopathy has some very basic useful ideas at its core...it went off the rails into quackery about a century ago and is a pseudoscience.