NUNM — The Home of Natural Medicine - National University of Natural Medicine (2024)

NUNM is proud of its longstanding legacy of academic excellence. Founded in 1956, NUNM is the oldest accredited naturopathic medical school in North America and the home of natural medicine. NUNM’s reputation for healthcare innovation and leadership grows with each new generation of practitioners and healthcare professionals who help change the course of health care in the U.S. through their research, exemplary patient care and publications. Our remarkable graduates are our legacy. We invite you to join us—discover the exciting opportunities that await you.

NUNM offers medical education programming in naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine, and in related health sciences disciplines. This includes 10exceptional accredited degree programs—eight postgraduate degrees and two undergraduate degrees.

NUNM is recognized as the international leader in the training of naturopathic primary care physicians and Chinese medicine practitioners. While many of our graduates go on to clinical practice, they’re also researchers, professors, public health educators, and political activists bringing natural medicine to the forefront of the national healthcare system. Students from all corners of the world come to NUNM for the opportunity to work with our accomplished and renowned faculty. Our exceptional curricula offer medical students a rich combination of classroom study, hands-on research and patient care.

In addition to the campus Lair Hill Health Center—the largest natural medicine clinic in the region—the university has access to a dozen local community clinics offering unique and diverse clinical experiences to students. NUNM is also home to a collaborative and inspiring learning environment, as well as a vital and groundbreaking research community, respected the world over. Our tight-knit campus, located in the heart of Portland, Oregon, offers students and faculty the benefits and advantages of city living at its most sustainable within an urban setting infused with natural beauty, culture and social conscience.

Breadth and Diversity of Programs

NUNM is also known for its exceptional curricula in a variety of other areas. From research to nutrition, to global health and social activism, we have it all. We have developed our programs knowing that your education will be reinforced through the application of hands-on, interactive learning, from the classroom to the clinic, to fieldwork in a country thousands of miles from campus. Whether you’re developing a research study and interviewing focus group participants, or developing whole-food recipes in NUNM’s professional teaching kitchen, our students learn through their direct experiences.

Natural Medicine Today

Health awareness is making giant strides—and interest in healthy lifestyles and natural medicine is rising significantly. Studies have shown that Americans are seeking more natural health products and services than ever before. Natural medicine provides patients a wide variety of beneficial treatment options unavailable to them through conventional medicine. Recognizing this, Western medical doctors at hospitals, medical clinics and research centers are opening more doors to naturopathic and Chinese medical practitioners. It is truly an exciting period of change in health care as natural medicine becomes more integrated into the traditional health services delivery system. It is a rapidly growing and evolving field that is serving the escalating need for preventive health care for millions of Americans.

Natural medicine is known by many names: alternative medicine, integrative medicine, complementary medicine and others. One reason for its many labels is that natural medicine includes a variety of healing modalities. Your education at NUNM may include some or all of the following therapeutic methods, depending on your course of study.

• Traditional medical systems, such as naturopathic medicine, Chinese medicine, homeopathy and acupuncture
• Mind-body medicine
• Physical medicine, including hydrotherapy and naturopathic manipulation
• Botanical medicine and herbal supplements
• Nutrition counseling
• Conventional therapies, including pharmaceuticals and minor surgery

Each of these modalities present a tool for the physician to gain a better understanding of the patient, leading to health diagnosis and treatment for conditions ranging from minor ailments to chronic and acute care. When these modalities are used in conjunction with conventional medicine, they have been called “complementary” medicine. When used as a substitute for conventional medicine, the same modalities have been called “alternative” medicine. When a conventional physician and a naturopathic physician work together to create the best healing plan for the patient, it’s increasingly referred to as “integrative” medicine. As more people seek combination treatments, future natural medicine practitioners and physicians will need to be knowledgeable about both conventional and natural medicine. Our graduates are able to bridge this gap.