What Do Naturopathic Physicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Naturopathic Physicians 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. They also interview patients to document symptoms and health histories.

Other tasks include:

• Document patients’ histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.
• Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
• Advise patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.
• Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.
• 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.
• Educate patients about health care management.

We asked Naturopathic Physicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Naturopathic Physicians interview patients to document symptoms and health histories. They document patients’ histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.

A typical day for a Naturopathic Physician will also include:

• Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
• 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.
• Educate patients about health care management.
• Advise patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.
• Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.

We asked some Naturopathic Physicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	90% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	10% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	90% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	48% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	90% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Naturopathic Physicians also monitor updates from public health agencies to keep abreast of health trends. They may also maintain professional development through activities such as postgraduate education, continuing education, preceptorships, and residency programs.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Naturopathic Physicians Perform minor surgical procedures, such as removing warts, moles, or cysts, sampling tissues for skin cancer or lipomas, and applying or removing sutures. They might also Perform venipuncture or skin pricking to collect blood samples.

In addition, they Report patterns of patients’ health conditions, such as disease status and births, to public health agencies.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prescribe synthetic drugs under the supervision of medical doctors or within the allowances of regulatory bodies.

To some Naturopathic Physicians, it is also their responsibility to Consult with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care, referring patients to traditional health care professionals as necessary.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Naturopathic Physician, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html

http://www.ama-assn.org/

http://www.abms.org/