Describe Naturopathic Medicine in 60 Seconds or Less

Describing a paradigm of medicine to someone who is new to the concept can feel like a challenge if you don’t have the resources to support you. Generally, there are three tips you can fall back on no matter the amount of time you have to answer “What is Naturopathic Medicine?” You may use the tips and template below. Please remember if you copy and paste the templates for your own use, to cite the Institute for Natural Medicine, and, if you use this templated language in conversation, to refer people to Naturemed.org if they have more questions about naturopathic medicine.

Quick Tips - Keep it Short, Simple, and Sweet:

  1. Short:

    • The human mind can only absorb so much information at once. Get your main points out there first and leave room for desire and curiosity to spark a meaningful dialogue.

  2. Simple:

    • What are you really trying to say? Know the end goal you have in mind and only deliver the message that achieves that purpose. Avoid technical jargon that doesn’t suit your audience’s level of understanding - defining one term should be the priority, not several other words you’ll have to also introduce because your answer was too complex.

  3. Sweet:

    • We promote building up the foundations of knowledge about naturopathic medicine on their own pillars - there’s no need to tear something else down through destructive forms of comparison. Lead with honey rather than the sting of the bee.

Examples:

10 Seconds:

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system and practice of medicine that combines modern science with natural therapeutic traditions to restore and optimize health.

35 Seconds:

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system and practice of medicine that combines modern science with natural therapeutic traditions to restore and optimize health. Licensed naturopathic doctors, or “NDs",” are trained to provide primary care and to diagnose and treat patients of all ages, genders, and conditions. The ultimate goal of naturopathic care is to support the body’s innate capacity to heal by treating the whole person with an individualized plan and teaching the patient how to prevent further illness.

60 Seconds:

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system and practice of medicine that combines modern science with natural therapeutic traditions to restore and optimize health. Licensed naturopathic doctors, or “NDs",” are trained to provide primary care and to diagnose and treat patients of all ages, genders, and conditions. The ultimate goal of naturopathic care is to support the body’s innate capacity to heal by treating the whole person with an individualized plan and teaching the patient how to prevent further illness. Naturopathic doctors are the only physicians in North America clinically trained in the application of a wide variety of natural therapeutics. Clinical decisionmaking prioritizes The Therapeutic Order which describes a natural sequence of care that provides the greatest benefit with the least potential for side effects. Licensed NDs are graduates of four-year naturopathic medical schools with curricula comparable to their MD and DO colleagues, who often collaborate in the co-management of patient care.

Typically the above serve as great conversation starters, so don’t forget to start a dialogue and share your story with naturopathic medicine!

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