Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Encyclopedia
The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), founded in 1978, is a naturopathic medical school located in the North York area of Toronto, Ontario. CCNM is one of seven accredited schools of naturopathic medicine in North America
, and one of the only two in Canada.
(ND) diploma.
This program prepares graduates to become naturopathic primary care
providers in each of the regulated jurisdictions, including British Columbia
, Manitoba
, Ontario
, and those states in the U.S. that regulate the practice of naturopathic medicine
.
CCNM's doctor of naturopathic medicine diploma program develops doctors accomplished in the art and practice of naturopathic medicine. The curriculum integrates clinical naturopathic medicine and research with mind, body and spirit. Graduates of the program will be able to educate patients and the public in health promotion and disease prevention; manage the underlying spiritual, social, mental and physical causes of disease; practice in a manner that exemplifies professionalism, strong ethics and a commitment to the principles of naturopathic medicine; communicate effectively with patients; appraise and apply research in treating patients; integrate biomedical with clinical science knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis and management of patients; identify the need for urgent and emergent health care and direct appropriate resolution; establish and manage a naturopathic practice; manage chronic disease; demonstrate leadership in health advocacy and environmental stewardship; collaborate effectively and work in partnership with other health care practitioners; demonstrate commitment to the advancement of the naturopathic profession.
for admission. The ND program is a four-year program that includes more than 1,200 hours of clinical experience and involves more than 3,000 hours of classroom training. The college is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
(CNME), the North American accrediting agency for naturopathic colleges and programs recognized by the US Department of Education. The three major areas of study are biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, and naturopathic therapeutics.
The biomedical sciences segment of the curriculum provides a study of the human body through lectures and labs. Students take courses in anatomy (including gross anatomy
, prosection
, neuroanatomy
, embryology
and histology
), physiology
, biochemistry
, immunology
, environmental and public health
(including infectious diseases), pharmacology
and pharmacognosy
.
The clinical sciences segment of the curriculum thoroughly prepares students to educate patients and the public in naturopathic promotion and disease prevention. It also prepares them to diagnose the causes of a range of primary care conditions and to effectively help patients manage their conditions using a broad range of naturopathic therapeutics. Laboratory and clinical demonstrations are utilized to foster the development of practical skills.
Diagnostics courses include physical and clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, differential diagnosis
and diagnostic imaging. A range of primary care
issues are covered in courses ranging from natural childbirth
/obstetrics
to pediatrics
. Primary care management is covered in the study of botanical medicine, homeopathy
, emergency medicine
, nutrition
, physical medicine (including naturopathic, osseous and soft tissue manipulative therapy, physiotherapy, sports medicine
, therapeutic exercise and hydrotherapy
), psychological counseling, nature cure, acupuncture
and Asian medicine and minor surgery
.
There are six major modalities (Asian Medicine/Acupuncture, Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Homeopathic Medicine, Physical Medicine, Health Psychology and Lifestyle Counseling) that help to define naturopathic practice. Each is a distinct area of practice and includes diagnostic principles and practices as well as therapeutic skills and techniques. The integration of these modalities to effectively meet the individual health needs of each patient is one of the major outcomes of CCNM’s ND program.
where ND's work with and train the naturopathic medical students. It is owned and managed by the college. The clinic features a botanical compounding room, a hydrotherapy suite, private consultation rooms, conference rooms and a laboratory for in house testing. In conjunction with other community service agencies the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic offers free and low-cost naturopathic medical care at five teaching satellite clinics around the greater Toronto
area. The RSNC logs upwards of 25,000 patient visits each year. Fourth-year interns, under the supervision of clinic faculty, provide naturopathic care at these sites once a week, throughout the year. The satellite clinic program gives students and faculty the opportunity to bring naturopathic care to under-served populations and at the same time exposes them to a range of naturopathic medical conditions that they may not encounter at the RSNC main clinic.
and is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and one of the only two in Canada.
Overview of Academics & Objectives
The college offers a four-year Doctor of Naturopathic MedicineDoctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine , in 16 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces refers exclusively to a medical degree granted by an accredited naturopathic medical school...
(ND) diploma.
This program prepares graduates to become naturopathic primary care
Primary care
Primary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
providers in each of the regulated jurisdictions, including British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and those states in the U.S. that regulate the practice of naturopathic medicine
Naturopathic medicine
Naturopathy, or Naturopathic Medicine, is a form of alternative medicine based on a belief in vitalism, which posits that a special energy called vital energy or vital force guides bodily processes such as metabolism, reproduction, growth, and adaptation...
.
CCNM's doctor of naturopathic medicine diploma program develops doctors accomplished in the art and practice of naturopathic medicine. The curriculum integrates clinical naturopathic medicine and research with mind, body and spirit. Graduates of the program will be able to educate patients and the public in health promotion and disease prevention; manage the underlying spiritual, social, mental and physical causes of disease; practice in a manner that exemplifies professionalism, strong ethics and a commitment to the principles of naturopathic medicine; communicate effectively with patients; appraise and apply research in treating patients; integrate biomedical with clinical science knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis and management of patients; identify the need for urgent and emergent health care and direct appropriate resolution; establish and manage a naturopathic practice; manage chronic disease; demonstrate leadership in health advocacy and environmental stewardship; collaborate effectively and work in partnership with other health care practitioners; demonstrate commitment to the advancement of the naturopathic profession.
ND Program & Curriculum
A post-university professional program requires a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
for admission. The ND program is a four-year program that includes more than 1,200 hours of clinical experience and involves more than 3,000 hours of classroom training. The college is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is an accrediting agency for naturopathic medical education in the United States. It was first approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education in 1987...
(CNME), the North American accrediting agency for naturopathic colleges and programs recognized by the US Department of Education. The three major areas of study are biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, and naturopathic therapeutics.
The biomedical sciences segment of the curriculum provides a study of the human body through lectures and labs. Students take courses in anatomy (including gross anatomy
Gross anatomy
Gross anatomy is the study of anatomy at the macroscopic level. The term gross distinguishes it from other areas of anatomical study, including microscopic anatomy, which is studied on a microscopic scale, typically with a microscope....
, prosection
Prosection
A prosection is the dissection of a cadaver or part of a cadaver by an experienced anatomist in order to demonstrate for students anatomic structure...
, neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy is the study of the anatomy and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defined nervous systems, and thus we can begin to speak of...
, embryology
Embryology
Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...
and histology
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...
), physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
, environmental and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
(including infectious diseases), pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
and pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...
.
The clinical sciences segment of the curriculum thoroughly prepares students to educate patients and the public in naturopathic promotion and disease prevention. It also prepares them to diagnose the causes of a range of primary care conditions and to effectively help patients manage their conditions using a broad range of naturopathic therapeutics. Laboratory and clinical demonstrations are utilized to foster the development of practical skills.
Diagnostics courses include physical and clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
A differential diagnosis is a systematic diagnostic method used to identify the presence of an entity where multiple alternatives are possible , and may also refer to any of the included candidate alternatives A differential diagnosis (sometimes abbreviated DDx, ddx, DD, D/Dx, or ΔΔ) is a...
and diagnostic imaging. A range of primary care
Primary care
Primary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
issues are covered in courses ranging from natural childbirth
Natural childbirth
Natural Childbirth is a philosophy of childbirth that is based on the notion that women who are adequately prepared are innately able to give birth without routine medical interventions. Natural childbirth arose in opposition to the techno-medical model of childbirth that has recently gained...
/obstetrics
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
to pediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
. Primary care management is covered in the study of botanical medicine, homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
, emergency medicine
Emergency medicine
Emergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
, nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, physical medicine (including naturopathic, osseous and soft tissue manipulative therapy, physiotherapy, sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
, therapeutic exercise and hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy itself is synonymous with the term water cure as it was originally marketed by practitioners and promoters in the 19th century...
), psychological counseling, nature cure, acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
and Asian medicine and minor surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
.
There are six major modalities (Asian Medicine/Acupuncture, Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Homeopathic Medicine, Physical Medicine, Health Psychology and Lifestyle Counseling) that help to define naturopathic practice. Each is a distinct area of practice and includes diagnostic principles and practices as well as therapeutic skills and techniques. The integration of these modalities to effectively meet the individual health needs of each patient is one of the major outcomes of CCNM’s ND program.
The Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic
Located at the Leslie campus, the RSNC is a teaching clinicTeaching clinic
A teaching clinic is an outpatient clinic that provides health care for ambulatory patients - as opposed to inpatients treated in a hospital. Teaching clinics traditionally are operated by educational facilities and provide free or low-cost services to patients.Teaching clinics differ from standard...
where ND's work with and train the naturopathic medical students. It is owned and managed by the college. The clinic features a botanical compounding room, a hydrotherapy suite, private consultation rooms, conference rooms and a laboratory for in house testing. In conjunction with other community service agencies the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic offers free and low-cost naturopathic medical care at five teaching satellite clinics around the greater Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area. The RSNC logs upwards of 25,000 patient visits each year. Fourth-year interns, under the supervision of clinic faculty, provide naturopathic care at these sites once a week, throughout the year. The satellite clinic program gives students and faculty the opportunity to bring naturopathic care to under-served populations and at the same time exposes them to a range of naturopathic medical conditions that they may not encounter at the RSNC main clinic.
Accreditation & Associations
CCNM is a member of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical CollegesAssociation of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges
The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges is a nonprofit association established in 2001 that represents the North American naturopathic schools accredited by one of the regional accrediting agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Education...
and is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is an accrediting agency for naturopathic medical education in the United States. It was first approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education in 1987...