Become a fellow

MASTERY IN VITALISTIC NATUROPATHIC CLINICAL MEDICINE

Fellowship Benefits

  • Participation in The Vital Conversation, a weekly conference call featuring vitalistic Naturopathic Physicians from around the world
  • CE credit for The Vital Conversation (up to 42 CE credits per year)
  • 30% discount on all NMI events
  • Access to the Vitalist – Fellow only clinical discussion group 
  • Free listing in the NMI Find an ND Directory
  • Teaching and mentorship program opportunities within the NMI

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be in practice a minimum of 7 years
  • Must have already completed your Vitalist Certification 
  • Must be a VNMI Associate in good standing
  • Must lead Vitalist Mentorship Study Cohort for 6 sessions (12 hours)
  • Observation of designated Senior ND at designated Center for Excellence (minimum of 15 hours)
  • Case Presentation: Submit 4 written case studies (2 acute and 2 chronic)
  • Interview with Founder
  • 68 Diadactic hours / Practical hours (27 hours)

Required Coursework

  • Completion of full NMI Core Curriculum including final 4 Webinars of 2021 (40 hours)
  • Completion of all Vital Conversations (28 hours)
  • Lead Vitalist (VNMI) Mentorship Study Cohort for 6 sessions (12 hours)
  • Observation of designated Senior ND at designated Center for Excellence (minimum of 15 hours)
  • Case Presentation: Submit 4 written case studies (2 acute, 2 chronic)
  • Interview with Founder
  • Didactic hours- 68/ Practical hours- 27= Total 95 hours

Curriculum 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. While these topics may look familiar, they are taught from a vitalist perspective and designed to be applied in that manner.

Topic 1: Philosophy and History

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
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
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
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

Topic 2: Nutrition

Level One (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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
  • Handout: Coulter, Intro to Volume 1
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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
  • Nutrition and GI
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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 (Vital Gathering II)
  • 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
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