Licensure & Specialties

Licensure and board certification are two separate processes.1

  • Licensure is the process by which a physician proves that it has achieved minimum competency to practice medicine.  Licensure is not specific to a specialty area of medical practice.
  • Board certification is the process by which a physician proves that it has achieved expertise in a specialty area of medical practice.  Board certification is a voluntary process.

A Note Regarding Patient Safety

A naturopathic physician (naturopath) who only has a license, but states it is board-certified, is making a false claim about its credentials.  There is no such credential as a “board-certified naturopathic physician,” just as there are no such credentials of “board-certified allopathic physician” and “board-certified osteopathic physician.”  A board certification is granted when a naturopathic physician (naturopath) has proved that it has achieved expertise in a specialty area of naturopathic medical practice.  The only board certifications currently available to naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) are in naturopathic oncology and naturopathic homeopathy.  A board-certified naturopathic oncologist is recognized by the credential “FABNO” (“Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology”) and a board-certified naturopathic homeopath is recognized by the credential “DHANP” (“Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians”).

 

A professional certification is different than an educational certificate.2

  • Professional certification is the voluntary process by which an individual proves that it has achieved expertise in a specialty area.  Professional certification is independent of training courses and course providers.  A board certification is a type of professional certification.  When a person achieves professional certification, that person is able to say that it is “certified” in a particular area.  When a person achieves board certification, that person is able to say that it is “board-certified” in a particular area.
  • An educational certificate is granted to an individual who has participated in a course and achieved specific learning outcomes, such as passage of an examination.  Receiving an educational certificate does not mean that a person is certified; it means that a person holds an educational certificate.  A person who holds an educational certificate is not able to say that it is “certified.”

 

Licensure

Licensure is the process by which a naturopathic physician (naturopath) proves that it has achieved minimum competency to practice naturopathic medicine (naturopathy).  Licensure is not specific to a specialty area of naturopathic medical practice.  The licensing examination that naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) take in order to apply for licensure is the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination (NPLEX), administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE).

 

Board Specialties & Certifications

There are currently only 2 board specialties and certifications within the naturopathic medical profession and they are offered in naturopathic oncology and homeopathy.  A board-certified naturopathic oncologist is known as a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) and a board-certified naturopathic homeopath is known as a Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (DHANP).  At this time, no other specialty areas of naturopathic medicine (naturopathy) have board certifications.

 

Professional Specialties & Certifications

Within the naturopathic medical profession, there are currently 2 board certifications available, in naturopathic oncology and homeopathy, and 1 other professional certification available, in naturopathic obstetrics.  A certified naturopathic obstetrician is also known as a certified naturopathic midwife.

 

Educational Specialties & Certificates

Within the naturopathic medical profession, there is currently 1 specialty certificate program offered in Generative Medicine that has 2 subspecialties in Personalized Medicine and Bioinformatics.

 

REFERENCES

  1. Licensure and board certification are two separate processes.

  2. A professional certification is different than an educational certificate.