Dr. Naumes holds a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Certificate in Midwifery from Bastyr University; she holds a BA in Biochemistry from Mt. Holyoke. Dr. Naumes is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the Texas Association of Naturopathic Doctors. As a Naturopathic Doctor licensed in the states of Oregon and Washington, she is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an MD, but has also been trained in holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness.
The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education and the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges have accredited six colleges of Naturopathic Medicine approved by the U.S. Department of Education. All six doctoral programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission. These Naturopathic medical programs consist of four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical curriculum that begin with a focus on Biochemistry, Human Physiology, Histology, Anatomy, Macrobiology, Microbiology, Immunology, Human Pathology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology. The final two years of the medical program include clinical setting internships under the close supervision of licensed professionals in addition to studying the medical sciences, clinical nutrition, classical homeopathy, lifestyle counseling, botanical medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, minor surgery, and obstetrics. According to an article in Midwifery Today, a Naturopathic Midwife completes “approximately 37 additional classroom and lab credits (425 hours) and approximately 1300 clinical hours” in addition to the Naturopathic medicine training. This program is “fully accredited by the American Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC).”
Naturopathic Doctors then sit for rigorous professional board exams and may also need to pass local state exams to become licensed. The North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners require two exams that include the five basic medical science exams: anatomy and histology, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, and pathology; and the 10 clinical science exams: physical and clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine and pharmacology, emergency medicine, minor surgery, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, classical homeopathy, physical medicine and counseling psychology.
Graduates from online programs are not recognized as Naturopathic Doctors in any jurisdiction that licenses Naturopathic physicians. These programs are not accredited and lack approval by the Department of Education. According to AANMC “graduates of such programs are neither qualified nor eligible to sit for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX), so they have no means of becoming licensed physicians upon graduation.” “Practitioners who hold licenses have received degrees from accredited medical programs, abide by legal and ethical standards, and fulfill yearly continuing education requirements in order to provide optimal patient care.” The Texas Association of Naturopathic Doctors only lists licensed NDs in good standing who maintain their license in a licensed state.
*The state of Texas does not yet license Naturopathic Doctors. As such, Dr. Naumes holds her license in Oregon and Washington and acts in Texas as a wellness consultant, not as a physician (MD, DO). Our goal for this website is that it acts as a resource for current and future clients by providing an introduction to Naturopathic Medicine. If you think our practice is a perfect fit for you or someone you know, we hope to hear from you soon and we appreciate the referral.
