Saturday, May 23, 2009

Naturopathy in Hawaii

My family and I just returned from the beautiful island of Maui where I had the privilege to preceptor with a Naturopath there. Naturopathic medicine is regulated in the state of Hawaii and the people are very receptive to preventative and complimentary medicine.

On the beach we were talking to some amazing volunteers who were protecting the coral reefs, "for the future generations" by educating the tourists and providing coral friendly sunscreen for free (most sunscreens are petroleum based and toxic to the coral). Everywhere we went in Maui, we noticed the themes of beauty, health and peace and were very sad to leave.

Friday, May 8, 2009

NPLEX Preparation

Naturopathic students have 2 sets of licensing exams to write called NPLEX (Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations). The first one is written after completing second year and includes the Basic Sciences: Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Immunology, Microbiology and Biochemistry. Then, after completing the 4 year program, the final NPLEX is for the clinical sciences.

This week, I am taking the first NPLEX prep course with many of my colleagues taught by Dr. Paul Anderson, ND from Bastyr University. The amount of information we need to know is phenomenal but exciting at the same time. Most students study full-time for the two months prior to the August 4th exam date and I plan to do the same. No rest for the dedicated!!