JoAnn Yanez, Executive Director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
EXCITING! So you’ve decided to become an ND! Now comes the application process.
Where do I start? What major should I choose? What will make me a stronger candidate? All common things prospective students ask us here at the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC).
Here are a few application tips:
Choose a major that you love. Students often ask what they should major in to apply to ND school. Our response is that while science degrees can be helpful (biology, kinesiology, nutrition, psychology), we have successful candidates from many different backgrounds. Select a major you love and that you will be excited to learn more about.
Prerequisites. Have your transcripts evaluated to make sure your courses all meet the admissions requirements for the school(s) you are interested in, and do your best on these courses! If you have yet to take prerequisites, make sure the courses you plan to register for will count. http://aanmc.org/schools/academic_prerequisites/
Strong Candidate. Strengthen yourself as a candidate by demonstrating research in the field and a personal interest in being an ND. This can look very different from ND candidate to ND candidate and range from seeing an ND as a patient, working in an ND office, interning in the field, participating in natural medicine research, or attending conferences and seminars in topics that interest you.
Apply. You can apply to individual schools, or use the Naturopathic Doctor Central Application System (NDCAS) to apply to more than one.