This is the planned curriculum of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute (NMI). Completion of this curriculum and other requirements leads to the Fellow of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute (FNMI) certification. For those who wish to purse their FNMI status, the first step is to earn the Vitalist designation (VNMI). The VNMI status requires completion of Level One of all Topics in this curriculum in addition to other requirements.
This curriculum will be taught through ongoing CE offerings (webinars and conferences), the Vital Conversation and Clinical Education at the NMI Clinical Centers of Excellence. Remember – these topics may look familiar but they are taught from a vitalist perspective and designed to be applied in that manner.
We are creating a directory of Vitalists and Fellows. This directory will be actively promoted thereby allowing the public to easily identify those doctors offering the medicine they are seeking and to allow colleagues the benefit of referring with confidence.
We request that you not contact the curriculum committee members directly. We have set up a form for you to provide comments, feedback, concerns and suggestions. Please use this form: Curriculum Feedback Form
Do you have a course you would like the NMI to consider offering? Submit Your Course Here
Topic 1: Philosophy and History
Level One*
- History of Medicine
- Philosophy One
- Introduction and History of Medicine: Schism of Thought
- Handout: Coulter, Intro to Volume 1
- History of Naturopathic Medicine: Growth of Empiricism
- History of Naturopathic Medicine: Twentieth Century to Present
- Introduction of Naturopathic Philosophy: Vis Medicatrix Naturae
- Lindlahr Ch 2, 4
- Kent Lecture VIII
- Hahnemann Paragraph 9,10
- Introduction and History of Medicine: Schism of Thought
- Philosophy Two
- Unity of Disease: Spectrum of Illness
- Lindlahr Ch 5, 7, 8
- Kent Lecture 1
- Hahnemann Paragraph 81 and footnote
- Catechism of Nature Cure: Law of the Normal
- Lindlahr Ch. 3
- The Three-Fold Nature of Man: Body, Mind, Spirit
- Lindlahr Ch XXXIX
- Kent Lecture IV, IX
- The Triangle of Health: Environment and Heredity
- Unity of Disease: Spectrum of Illness
- Philosophy Three
- Science in Medicine
- Kent Lecture 1
- The THeory of Contagion: Microzymes
- Lindlahr Ch X
- Kent Lecture XIV
- Role of the Physician: Treatment in Conformity with Nature
- Kent Lecture 1
- Hahnemann Paragraph 1
- Lindlahr Ch III
- Law of Similars, Laws of Cure, Minimum Dose: Homeopathy
- Kent Lecture 2, 7
- Lindlahr, Ch XXV
- Science in Medicine
- Philosophy Four
- Botanical Medicine
- Physical Medicine
- Lindlahr Ch XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV
- Doctrine of Signatures: Intention
- Lindlahr Ch XXVIII, XL, XLI
- Art and Science and Philosophy
- Lindlahr, Ch XXXIII
- Kent XVII
- Vitalism and Modern Science
Concepts to be covered in Level One*
- Vital Force
- Constructive vs. Destructive
- Symptoms as manifestation
- Acute vs Chronic
- Healing crisis vs disease crisis
- Susceptibility
- Immunization, prophylaxis
- Toxemia
- Unity of Disease
- Herring’s Laws
- Therapeutic Order
Topic 2: Nutrition
Level One**
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Nutritional Assessment and diagnosis
- Physical Signs, Mental/Emotional Signs
- Lab Assessment:
- Minerals: hair testing, RBC, urine
- Micronutrients: WBC, Serum
- EFA: ACG, serum
- Effects of Nutrition on Health and Healing
- Review of vitamins and minerals
Level Two
- Food Sensitivities
- IgE, IgG, Carroll, D’Adamo, Vega Testing
- Supplementation
- Whole foods
- Elemental, purity, additives
- Toxemia and Anti-inflammatory Diets
- Tailoring the dietary plan for healing
- Pt Education
Level Three
- Nutrition and GI
- Gut Function
- Leaky Gut
- Microflora, Parasites
- HCL
- Digestion/Absorption
- Testing-Stool, OAT
Level Four
- Body Typing and Patterns
- Additional topics to be added
Topic 3: Homeopathy
Level One**
- Foundation of basics
- Law of Similars
- Repertorization
- Polychrests
- Tissue Salts
- Isopathy
- Prescribing
- choosing, mixing
- prescribing, dosing
- Patient education regarding homeopathic care
Level Two
- Constitutional
- Simillimum
- Miasmatic
- First Aid Prescribing
- Combination Remedies
- Pathological Prescribing
- Nosodes/Isodes
- Remedy Grouping
- Drug pictures/Body Types
Level Three
- Organ Specific Remedies
- Drainage Remedies
- Miasmatic
- Case management and follow-up
Level Four
- Body Typing and Patterns
- Additional topics to be added
Topic 4: Labs and Diagnostics
Level One**
- General Chemistries
- Urine Analysis/Indicant pH
- EFA, AA, OAT, MOAT, IgG, urinary opioids, pesticides
- Wellness panel
- Bone Density
- Heart Tests, Lipid Panels
Level Two
- Naturopathic Tongue and Pulse
- Bolen Blood work
- Chapman Points
- Iris Diagnosis
- Acoustic Cardiography
- Reflexes
- Calcium Cuff Testing
- Applied Kinesiology
- Other Energetic Testing
Level Three
- Endocrine Assessment
- Thyroid
- Adrenal
- Sex Hormones
- Saliva, Urine, Blood
- Optimal Blood levels
- Vit D, Ferritin, Cholesterol, etc
- Alternative imaging, thermal imaging
Topic 5: Botanicals
Level One**
- Classes by Systems
- Nervines, soporifics, digestives, etc.
- Tonics
- organ or system botanicals
Level Two
- Eclectic materia medica
- Ellingwood
- Scudder
- Cook
- Felter
- LLoyd
- Apothecary Language and prescription
- Dosage (Useful prescriptions-Wilson)
- Pulse Tongue and Eye Diagnosis indications
Level Three
- Formulating Combinations for Health Problems
- Palliative vs Curative
- Tonic, Drainage, Detoxification
- Western, Ayurvedic, Chinese botanical choices
Topic 6: Hydrotherapy
Level One**
- Theory of ND hydrotherapy vs Medical Hydrology
- Acute Hydro
- Palliative vs. Curative
- Physical Therapy Hydro
- Basic Applications
- Hot and Cold Ablutions
- Constitutional
- Colonic
- Detoxification
- Kellogg
Level Two
- Clinical Application
- Charting
- Home Hydrotherapy
- Advanced Clinical Prescriptions
- Varying therapy based on signs/symptoms
- Heart Tone Evaluation
- Water Fasting
- Detoxification Botanicals
- Homeopathy
Level Three
- Case Management
- Acute vs Chronic Condition
- Advanced Clinical Training
Topic 7: Physiotherapy
Level One**
- Basic physiology principles
- Applications to stimulate lymphatics, blood, nerve
- Palliative vs. Curative
- “The Heating Compress” (review from hydrotherapy)
Level Two
- EMS
- High Frequency
- Galvanic
- Diathermy
- Lasers
- UV Light
- Hyperbaric
Level Three
- Advanced applications
- Case Discussions
Topic 8: Physical Medicine
Level One**
- Basic spine and joint manipulation
- Cervical, thoracic, costal, lumbar, sacral, sacro-iliac
- Extremities
- Basic Cranial Techniques
- CST
- Intro to Biopuncture/Needling techniques
Level Two
- Non-force manipulation techniques
- basics of massage, trigger pts
- strain / counter strain
- Bowen Method
- Kinesiotaping
- Intermediate Cranial Technique
- BCT
Level Three
- Advanced Cranial Technique
- NCR
- Biodynamic Cranial Techniques
- Application
- case discussions
- Acute vs chronic M/S concerns
- Developing treatment plans
Topic 9: Emunctorology
Level One**
- Cleansing/Fasting
- Detoxification
- Specific detoxification (ie: heavy metals)
Level Two
- Drainage Remedies
- Homeopathics
- Tissue Salts
- Enzyme Induction
Level Three
- Sauna/Steam
- Salt room
- Balneotherapy
Topic 10: Intention
Level One**
- Doctor patient relationship
- Empowering patients to continue optimum healthy living/general health guidelines
- rest, sleep, exercise, mental attitude, stress management
- How to “live” with nature? bringing nature into life, air, light, water, earth/plants
- Therapeutic thought (Lindlahr, Bruce Lipton, Candace Pert)
Level Two
- Spiritual aspects of Healing, belief in healing, higher power as it relates to ability to heal
- Law of Attraction: Power of positive intention, positive thought
- Intention of touch, healing touch with manual techniques (Bowen, trigger pt)
- Prayer/Meditation, Science of meditation
Level Three
- Mental/Emotional healing techniques
- NET
- Touch for Health
- Cranio-Sacral
- Homeopathy
- Clearing mental/emotional blockage
- Creation, manifestation
- Cosmic Consciousness