Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations
Encyclopedia
The Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations or NPLEX is a two part professional exam administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners or NABNE that clinical level students and graduates of accredited naturopathic medical schools are required to pass before being permitted to practice naturopathic medicine in a U.S state or Canadian province. (in cases of naturopathic physician candidates who graduated from an accredited naturopathic medical school prior to the implementation of the NPLEX; candidancy for licensure is considered on a state by state basis, providing the candidate passed a licensing exam considered equivalent to the NPLEX and administered under the auspices of a governmental licensing regulating body).
Part I includes 5 sections
Each section consists of fifty multiple-choice questions for which they have one hour to complete. Scores are measured in percentage. 75% or higher is need to pass.
Core Clinical Sections 1,2 & 3
Core Clinical Elective Sections (for certificate or license)
NPLEX Part I - Basic Science Examination
Assesses students understanding of core medical sciences. To sit in on this series of exams, the student must submit a letter of acceptance from the accredited school verifying they have completed the first two years of naturopathic medical education.Part I includes 5 sections
- AnatomyHuman anatomyHuman anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...
- BiochemistryBiochemistryBiochemistry, 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...
- MicrobiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
- PathologyPathologyPathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
- PhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiology 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...
Each section consists of fifty multiple-choice questions for which they have one hour to complete. Scores are measured in percentage. 75% or higher is need to pass.
NPLEX Part II - Clinical Science Examination
Part II is a three day examination process designed to assess whether the naturopathic medical school graduate can apply medical knowledge, skills and understanding of clinical sciences. It includes 3 main sections and 3 subsections.Core Clinical Sections 1,2 & 3
- Botanical medicine
- Clinical nutritionNutritionNutrition 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....
- Diagnostic imaging
- Emergency medicineEmergency medicineEmergency 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...
- HomeopathyHomeopathyHomeopathy 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...
- PharmacologyPharmacologyPharmacology 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...
- Physical & Clinical diagnosis
- Physical medicine
- PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- Laboratory diagnosis
- Medical procedures
Core Clinical Elective Sections (for certificate or license)
- AcupunctureAcupunctureAcupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
- Minor Surgery
- Homeopathy
Locations
Both sections of the examination are offered twice a year in five cities in North America:- Toronto, Ontario
- Vancouver, British Columbia - Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
- Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
- University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University... - Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
- Reed CollegeReed CollegeReed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness... - Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
- Arizona State University at the West campus
See also
- Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic medicineNaturopathy, 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...
- Medical education in the United StatesMedical education in the United StatesMedical education in the United States includes educational activities involved in the education and training of medical doctors in the United States, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists....
- List of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools in North America