Last month, Milwaukee Magazine featured a column titled “Best Holistic Healers” and had a section listing naturopathic practitioners. The column listed the professional association for naturopathic doctors as the American Naturopathic Medical Association. This organization represents folks that have trained at institutions that offer online, correspondence or otherwise abbreviated coursework in naturopathic medicine. In Wisconsin, where there is not yet a licensing law to regulate who can call themselves a naturopathic doctor, the consumer is left to decide what type of practitioner they prefer. In states with licensing laws, only those that have completed four year doctoral programs in naturopathic medicine may call themselves naturopathic doctors or naturopathic physicians. I decided to clarify this information by writing a letter to the editor of Milwaukee Magazine:
This was printed on page 10 of March's issue of Milwaukee Magazine! I am thrilled that my letter was considered important. Even more, I hope that subscribers of the magazine will read this letter and learn about the distinction that so badly needs to be made in Wisconsin. For me this is an example of how necessary education is to advancing the practice of naturopathic medicine and how important it is to speak up for what you know and believe in.
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