Difference Between a Naturopath and Naturopathic Doctor

Do you know the difference between a naturopath and a naturopathic doctor? If you have an interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to health or medical treatment, and you live in the right location, you may have access to both.

Knowing what these titles and their underlying credentials mean will help you make smart decisions about whether or not these providers can help you.

Naturopathic Physician or Doctor

Naturopathic doctors or naturopathic medical doctors earn ND or NMD degrees from a naturopathic medical school. Both names and abbreviations mean the same thing, but the individual selects the title based on educational institution, state practiced in, or personal preference.

In addition to a standard medical curriculum, schools require their graduates to complete four years of training in disciplines such as clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine, IV nutritional therapies, and counseling.

NDs have their own licensing exams, called the NPLEX, which they must take upon graduating from a four-year accredited institution. The exams cover basic sciences such as anatomy and biochemistry, as well as clinical sciences including pharmacology and, in some states, minor surgery.

Naturopathic doctors are not licensed in every state or province in the United States and Canada. As of 2019, there are 22 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands where you can find a licensed ND. In Canada, citizens may find an ND in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

If you're looking for a doctor who will treat you by possibly combining allopathic/Western therapies with a CAM approach, then a naturopathic doctor may be the right choice for you.

Naturopathic Practitioner or Naturopath

There are a handful of careers that are called “naturopathic” that aren't physicians or naturopathic doctors. These non-physician naturopathic careers have titles like "Holistic Health Practitioner," "Naturopathic Practitioner," or "Traditional Naturopath."

They study in non-medical schools and universities that may have “nature” or “naturopathy” in their titles, but this coursework doesn't lead to a medical degree that's accepted or licensed as a naturopathic doctor. Most of the coursework is also online for these schools, sometimes entirely.

A Word From Verywell

The differences between the two boil down to the type of education and licensing each receives. If you want to be sure your new integrative doctor has a medical education and license on which to base their advice to you, then look only for a naturopathic doctor.

If you’re interested in the natural side of treatment advice—excluding medical knowledge—then a naturopath’s skills may work well for you.

Correction - June 6, 2023: This article was updated to clarify that all naturopathic doctors must pass the NPLEX licensing exam.