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Alternative medical schools
Against allopathy Alternative medicine |
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Clinically unproven |
Woo-meisters |
Alternative medical schools are medical schools (if you want to call them that) that promote alternative medicine. Those that are not diploma mills usually have curricula which includes actual sciences including: general biology, general chemistry, general physics, anatomy/physiology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, biophysics, microbiology and any other biological sciences. However, these schools also have curricula based on pseudoscience which includes: homeopathy, botanical medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic, osteopathic medicine (though they joined mainstream medical science in the United States) and Ayurveda. Naturopathic and chiropractic "physicians" have tried to be branded as primary care physicians but thankfully it has not gained much traction; however in countries like China and India, homeopathic and naturopathic "doctors" are considered medical doctors. That being said, this page contains a list of alternative medical colleges and schools.
Bastyr University
Bastyr is primarily a naturopathic medical college that also teaches acupuncture, oriental medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, public health, midwifery and exercise science. The university also has an actual scientific degree in human biology. For naturopathic medicine, the curriculum includes: homeopathy, behavioral heath/mental health, botanical medicine, physical medicine, clinical practice and so on. The school was founded in 1978 and has two campuses in Washington State and California. Accreditation is through the Western Association of Colleges and Schools as well as Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.
Trinity College of Natural Health
The Trinity College of Natural Health offers "degrees" in naturopathy, herbal medicine and iridology. Education is solely by distance learning and there are no real professors; all that is required for the doctoral thesis is 50 words. The only places where a person with an ND "degree" from this school is in states where naturopathic medicine is not regulated, which means someone with an ND degree from a diploma mill can work as a naturopath. Basically, this school is a straight up diploma mill.
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
SCNM is a Naturopathic Medical School in Tempe, Arizona. SCNM is accredited by the Northcentral Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council on Naturopathic Education. The college has a doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine, a Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine through the Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture (national accreditation through National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and a Masters of Public Health through the University of Arizona. Course work for naturopathic medicine includes: homeopathy, botanical medicine, oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, biochemistry, anatomy/physiology and so on. The college also does research in naturopathic medicine but it is not very likely to produce scientifically useful results.
Texas Chiropractic College
TCC is a chiropractic medical college located in Pasadena, Texas offers undergraduate degrees in biology and human biology and offers a post-graduate Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine. Classes for the DC program include: human biochemistry, histology, chiropractic principle 1-5, diagnostic imaging and so on. Accreditation is through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council on Chiropractic Education.
National University of Health Sciences
The National University of Health Sciences located in Lombard, Illinois which offers undergraduate degrees in Message Therapy and Biomedical Sciences; NUHS also offers graduate degrees in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The University has post-graduate degrees in Naturopathic and Chiropractic medicine as well as a post-professional masters degree in Diagnostic Imaging. There is a program where a student can pretend to do a residency in Naturopathic and Chiropractic "Medicine". Accreditation is through the Higher Learning Commission of the North-Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, the Council on Chiropractic Education, Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation.
Alternative medicine accreditation agencies
- Council on Chiropractic Education (US) — This agency accredits chiropractic colleges
- Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (US) — Accredits naturopathic colleges
- National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (US) — Accredits acupuncture/oriental medical colleges