Naturopathic Physicians
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases using a system of practice that is based on the natural healing capacity of individuals. May use physiological, psychological or mechanical methods. May also use natural medicines, prescription or legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other natural remedies.
Common job titles of Naturopathic Physicians include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
85.71% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
9.52% said they needed a Post-Doctoral Training.
Tasks
Advise patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.
Document patients' histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.
Interview patients to document symptoms and health histories.
Order diagnostic imaging procedures such as radiographs (x-rays), ultrasounds, mammograms, and bone densitometry tests, or refer patients to other health professionals for these procedures.
Diagnose health conditions, based on patients' symptoms and health histories, laboratory and diagnostic radiology test results, or other physiological measurements, such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalographs.
Obtain medical records from previous physicians or other health care providers for the purpose of patient evaluation.
Administer treatments or therapies, such as homeopathy, hydrotherapy, Oriental or Ayurvedic medicine, electrotherapy, and diathermy, using physical agents including air, heat, cold, water, sound, or ultraviolet light to catalyze the body to heal itself.
Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
Educate patients about health care management.
Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.
Conduct periodic public health maintenance activities such as immunizations and screenings for diseases and disease risk factors.
Consult with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care, referring patients to traditional health care professionals as necessary.
Prescribe synthetic drugs under the supervision of medical doctors or within the allowances of regulatory bodies.
Perform venipuncture or skin pricking to collect blood samples.
Monitor updates from public health agencies to keep abreast of health trends.
Perform mobilizations and high-velocity adjustments to joints or soft tissues, using principles of massage, stretching, or resistance.
Maintain professional development through activities such as postgraduate education, continuing education, preceptorships, and residency programs.
Report patterns of patients' health conditions, such as disease status and births, to public health agencies.
Perform minor surgical procedures, such as removing warts, moles, or cysts, sampling tissues for skin cancer or lipomas, and applying or removing sutures.
Treat minor cuts, abrasions, or contusions.
Tools
Vaginal exam specula
Urinary catheters
Urinalysis test strips
Therapeutic ultrasound equipment
Therapeutic saunas
Therapeutic paraffin baths
Therapeutic hot packs
All ToolsTherapeutic cold packs
Therapeutic cold lasers
Suturing kits
Surgical scalpels
Suction catheters
Sphygmomanometers
Specimen collection containers
Short wave diathermy devices
Pulse oximeters
pH indicators
Otoscopes
Ophthalmoscopes
Microcentrifuges
Microbalances
Medical measuring tapes
Mechanical stethoscopes
Lumbar puncture equipment
Low-voltage galvanic stimulation machines
Laptop computers
Intravenous IV administration sets
Interferential electrical stimulation machines
Incentive spirometers
Hypodermic syringes
Hydrotherapy immersion baths
Hydrocollator units
High-voltage Galvanic stimulation machines
Goniometers
Glucometers
Evacuated blood collection tubes
Electrosurgical cauterization machines
Electrocardiography EKG machines
Electrical stimulation equipment
Electrical muscle stimulation equipment
Digital medical thermometers
Desktop computers
Colposcopes
Colonic irrigation sets
Blood drawing syringes
Binocular light compound microscopes
Automated external defibrillators AED
Arthrocentesis syringes
Technologies
Enova eNatro
EZ-Zone Software Alternative Medical Billing
Labeling software
NaturaeMed OfficePro
NaturoPlus
Online medical databases
Point of sale POS software
All TechnologiesTrigram Software AcuBase Pro
ZYTO LSA Pro
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility
Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Cognitive Abilities › Perceptual Abilities › Flexibility of Closure