Residency Overview
Typically programs are one year (twelve month) in duration with a limited availability of second year or two year residency programs. Occasionally there are also opportunities for a third year. Residencies are accredited by the CNME, to assure that the residency is structured, with proper support and a scholarly environment. Supervisors of the resident are Naturopathic doctors except in integrative residencies, where an advisor naturopathic physician will supervise the resident 40% of the time. Residencies at naturopathic school clinics involve assisting in classes, and assisting or supervising teaching shifts. Responsibilities of a resident vary program by program, but must fulfill the CNME requirements for accreditation.
Each residency is sponsored by a naturopathic college. The three sponsoring naturopathic schools as of January 2012 are: Bastyr University, The National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), and The Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM). Recently, The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) has been approved to sponsor residencies, thus creating the opportunity for CNME approved residencies in Canada! Each of these schools sponsors on-site and distant clinics. For instance, NCNM sponsors both residencies at NCNM, University of Bridgeport, and various other clinics throughout the country.
CNME (The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education) is responsible for accrediting the naturopathic residencies and naturopathic doctoral programs. Naturopathic residencies are also known as PNMEP (Postdoctoral Naturopathic Medical Education Program).
The NPGA stands for The Naturopathic Post-Graduate Association, an organization that supports the development, function, and funding of residencies in various capacities by collaboration with the CNME, AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians), and AANMC (American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges).
Our list of residency opportunities includes information on CNME approved residencies. Information was gleaned from the Residency Application, sponsor, and clinic websites. Our intention is to have a listing of all the available residencies in one place to help you easily explore your options.
Please note, not every residency is available every year. Although we strive for completeness, residency opportunities are continually changing and so our database may not be completely up to date. For new additions during the application period, please check with the sponsoring schools.
For information on how to create new CNME approved residencies please see Create a Residency.
Sponsoring School's Residency Pages: