Similar to conventional medical doctors, naturopathic medical students undergo four-years of medical training in general medical sciences, naturopathic principles, diagnosis and therapeutics at the graduate level followed by board examinations to obtain a license to practice medicine.

Naturopathic physicians are trained to provide primary or specialty care, and have singular expertise in natural therapies and their various interactions. Their unique knowledge has influenced medical thought and approaches worldwide, with practitioners advising at the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the World Health Organization.