If you're looking for a natural or holistic healthcare provider, you have probably come across many different types of providers, with different titles, and different acronyms at the end of their names. The field of natural health and your individual health concerns are already complex, now you have to sift through the different provider types, let alone the different doctors themselves?! How is their training different? Do they all have the same experience with nutrition, herbs, pharmaceuticals, and supplements? Do some of these providers overlap and offer the same experience? Are some of them better suited for certain patients than others? The list of questions is endless!
Sometimes, clients have already tried 1-3 other types of doctors before they find the naturopathic doctors here at Atlantic Naturopathic. When it comes to natural and holistic healthcare, licensed naturopathic doctors have the most rigorous and comprehensive training in all things lifestyle alterations for disease prevention, nutrition, herbal medicine, supplements, homeopathy, and environmental medicine. However, patients may fit best with certain provider types based on their health goals, treatment preferences, and eagerness to enact lifestyle changes. This is why we wanted to put together a blog and chart to compare and contrast some of the most common types of alternative care providers: naturopathic doctors, functional medicine doctors, integrative medicine doctors, osteopathic doctors, and chiropractors.
| Naturopathic Doctors | Functional Medicine Doctors | Integrative Medicine Doctors | Osteopathic Doctors | Chiropractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acronym | ND | Physicians (MD, DO, ND, or DC), and non-physicians (PA, NP, RN, etc.) | MD or DO | DO | DC |
How do they get to be called this? | Attend and complete naturopathic medical school at an accredited naturopathic medical school; pass the licensing exams; maintain an active license; complete continuing education credits | Attend and complete accredited healthcare practitioner program; maintain an active license; complete the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) program, case report, exams | Attend and complete either medical or osteopathic medical school (MD or DO); maintain an active license; complete an American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) approved fellowship | Attend and complete osteopathic medical school; internship/residency/fellowship; pass the licensing exams; maintain an active license; complete continuing education credits | Attend and complete chiropractic school; pass the licensing exams; maintain an active license |
Is the label a degree or a certification? | Degree | Certification | Certification | Degree | Degree |
Length of schooling in degree or certificate | 4-5 years; optional residency 1-3 years | Length of whichever healthcare provider program they completed prior to pursuing this certification; IFM program on average takes 2-2.5 years to complete courses | Length of medical or osteopathic medical school + residency; 1-2 year Integrative Medicine fellowship | 4 years; internship, residency, fellowship | 4 years |
Regulating bodies | North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE), individual state laws | Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) | American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) | National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), individual state laws | Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), individual state laws |
Training includes | Diagnostics, physical exam, labs, imaging, minor surgery, herbal medicine, homeopathy, environmental medicine, physical medicine, hydrotherapy, osteopathic manipulation, supplements, nutrition, pharmaceuticals | Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice class; Average of 17 hours of lecture material per module including bioenergetics, cardiometabolic, environmental health, gastrointestinal, hormone dysregulation, immune system | Diagnostics, physical exam, labs, imaging, minor surgery, pharmaceuticals | Diagnostics, physical exam, labs, imaging, minor surgery, physical medicine, osteopathic manipulation | Diagnostics, physical exam, labs, imaging, chiropractic manipulation |
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References:
Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC). https://aanmc.org/?keyword=naturopathic%20medicine&gclid=CjwKCAjwiuuRBhBvEiwAFXKaNPzyzfalFH4nG-4rG-7Rlzyszkaz0mlrAHX0Nz0LuShEuAtSFGTDLhoCp2AQAvD_BwE
North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). https://www.nabne.org/
Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). https://www.ifm.org/
Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB). https://fclb.org/index.php
American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). https://www.abpsus.org/aboim/
National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). https://www.nbome.org/
Functional Medicine and Naturopathic Medicine: What’s the difference? https://richmondnaturalmed.com/functional-medicine-naturopathic-medicine/
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