Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine

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The Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine is a naturopathic college located in Tempe, Arizona that teaches naturopathic medicine and acupuncture/oriental medicine. As of 2022, faculty is dominated by people without medical degrees.[1] None of the three deans have MD degrees. Three of 18 faculty in the School of Naturopathic Medicine, one of 16 faculty in the School of Nutrition has an MD, and four of the 53 adjunct faculty have MD degrees.[1] As of 2022, the college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.[2] Quackwatch strongly advises against attending a naturopathic school.[3] As of September 26, 2022, the college will be changing its name to the Sonoran University of Health Sciences.[4]

Despite annual influenza vaccinations being effective for prevention, SCNM has instead recommended ineffective vitamins and minerals, botanical medicine and lifestyle recommendation for preventing the flu.[5] Although SCNM both requires and administers vaccinations (Hepatitis B, MMR, COVID), their allowed exemptions are broad, allowing by medical and religious exemptions.[6]

Duckhead.gif Quackwatch says: [7]
Many naturopathic theories and practices are not based on the body of basic knowledge related to health, disease, and health care which has been widely accepted by the scientific community. Moreover, naturopathic education does not prepare practitioners to make adequate diagnoses and provide appropriate treatment.

Academics[edit]

As of 2022, SCNM offers the following degree programs:[8]

  • Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine (ND)
  • Concurrent Masters of Public Health (MPH) in conjunction with the University of Arizona (UA) — Notably, the MPH is administered and taught entirely through UA, and credits are transferrable from UA to SCNM but not vice versa.[9]
  • Concurrent acupuncture license (LAc) administered and taught through the Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture[10]
  • Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition (MSCN)
  • Executive Master of Science in Nutrition Business Leadership (MSNBL)

Research[edit]

The former Chief Medical Officer at SCNM, Thomas A. Kruzel (ND), made the preposterous claim that "The early detection of multiple sclerosis by "pulse" and "tongue" diagnosis, such as to effect a cure by hydrotherapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, diet, and other methods."[11][12]

Given the large faculty of the college that includes people with actual MDs and PhDs, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed published research by the faculty in non-crank journals. According to their website, the complete list of publications through 2021. A few submitted-but-unpublished papers are not included here — actual scientists don't get participation prizes.[13]


Residencies[edit]

The only type of residencies are in primary care practice, which is controversial considering that the medical community regards naturopathic medicine as pseudoscience.[14] Arizona has the "broadest naturopathic scope of practice" and "may be the worst-case scenario of any state licensing pseudoscience as medicine."[15] Unlike many states, Arizona allows NDs to administer substances (including vitamins, pharmaceuticals, and natural substances) intravenously, and conduct minor surgery (though what 'minor' is is not defined in the law)[15][16] IV administration is such a favorite procedure at SCNM, that it alluded to in their website's page-not-found (404) error message with "Uh Oh, 404 — Vein Not Found".[17]

Clinics[edit]

SCNM offers medical clinics on and off campus, they include regular naturopathic care, HIV/AIDS care, addiction support, and one for abused women and children. [18]

  • Hamilton Elementary Clinic

SCNM has offered a naturopathy clinic at the Arthur M. Hamilton Elementary in Phoenix. The elementary school primarily serves poor families. Despite the most prevalent health issues including including serious problems (diabetes, asthma, ADD) that are treatable by evidence-based medicine, SCNM offers ineffective treatments (acupuncture, physical medicine, supplementation and homeopathy).[19]

  • Mission of Mercy Arizona

Mission of Mercy Arizona is a Christian non-profit organization that provides free health care to people who cannot afford it.[20] SCNM students partner with the Mission of Mercy while staying out of the way of actual medical providers and not providing naturopathic treatments while possibly offending poor people about their "lifestyles" ("You will learn to work efficiently alongside conventional medical providers, and you will use modalities such as medications and lifestyle changes.").[21]

  • The River Source

The River Source is a for-profit naturopathic addiction treatment center based on the twelve-step methodology of Alcoholics Anonymous.[22] River Source has stated that its programs are cheaper than others because "have a partnership with the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, allowing us to offer the latest advances in naturopathic medicine at a reduced cost."[23] Despite this claim, SCNM has offered archaic, ineffective (acupuncture, cupping therapy) and potentially dangerous treatments (detox, nutritional IV therapy) at River Source.[24]

  • Sojourner Center

The Sojourner Center is a large center in Phoenix that offers support to victims of domestic violence. It is an entirely independent organization. Both the SCNM and the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Medical Mobile Unit have offered free on-site healthcare to transitional housing participants of the Center.[25] It is unclear how cases where evidence-based medical advice contradicts naturopathic advice are handled. The SCNM has stated that they offer the "full scope of naturopathic modalities", including "acupuncture, homeopathy, supplementation and botanicals" to participants.[26]

  • Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS Clinic
See the main article on this topic: HIV/AIDS

The Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS Clinic existed from around 2014-2018.[27] It offered both nauropathic-but-ineffective (acupuncture, cupping)[28] and effective synthetic prophylaxis (PrEP, presumably Truvada).[29]

  • World Addiction and Health Institute

The World Addiction and Health Institute (WAMI) existed from about 2014-2017[30] under the direction of David Arneson, an ND, who got his degree at SCNM.[1] The treatments ranged from possibly helpful (counseling) to useless (acupuncture, homeopathy to the potentially dangerous (nutritional IV therapy).[31][32][33]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 SCNN Faculty Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 2, 2022).
  2. ↑ Accreditation Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 31, 2022).
  3. ↑ Naturopathic Education (January 20, 2008) Quackwatch.
  4. ↑ Sonoran University of Health Sciences Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  5. ↑ Flu Prevention and Treatment Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from May 6, 2017).
  6. ↑ Vaccination Requirements (10/30/21) Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  7. ↑ Naturopathy, Quackwatch.
  8. ↑ Degrees for the Future of Healthcare Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 1, 2022).
  9. ↑ Master of Public Health and Doctor of Naturopathy: Earn Two Degrees Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  10. ↑ Earn Both Your LAc and ND Degrees With Our Concurrent Degree Pathway Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  11. ↑ Motion to Quash Federal Trade Commission vs. Health Research Laboratories et al. (4/14/2021) Federal Trade Commission, reprinting "Naturopathy: A Critical Appraisal" by Kimball C. Atwood (2003).
  12. ↑ Multiple Sclerosis by Thomas A. Kruzel (c. 2003) Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from October 3, 2003).
  13. ↑ Research Publications Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. The list:
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220513152627/https://www.scnm.edu/programs/school-of-naturopathic-medicine/residencies/ Residencies] Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from May 13, 2022).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Wild West: Tales of a Naturopathic Ethical Review Board in Arizona by Britt Hermes (13 April 2015) Naturopathic Diaries.
  16. ↑ Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Ch. 18 Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board (September 30, 2015) Arizona Secretary of State.
  17. ↑ help.i.r.ded "Uh Oh, 404 — Vein Not Found", Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from 5 Jun 2022 19:36:16 UTC).
  18. ↑ Community Clinics Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 28, 2017).
  19. ↑ Hamilton Elementary School Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
  20. ↑ Our Services Mission of Mercy Arizona.
  21. ↑ Mission of Mercy Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 27, 2017).
  22. ↑ Why 12 Step Programs Are Best For Addiction Recovery (June 29, 2015) The River Source.
  23. ↑ The River Source: Finding the Balance The River Source.
  24. ↑ The River Source Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from June 6, 2017).
  25. ↑ Transitional Housing Sojourner Center.
  26. ↑ Sojourner Center Heritage and Hope Domestic Violence Shelter Clinics Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 9, 2016).
  27. ↑ Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived copies).
  28. ↑ Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 27, 2017).
  29. ↑ Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS Clinic (archived from May 27, 2018).
  30. ↑ World Addiction and Health Institute (WAHI) Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived copies).
  31. ↑ World Addiction and Health Institute (WAHI) Clinic Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (archived from March 27, 2017).
  32. ↑ Trendy IV vitamin infusions don’t work — and might be unsafe. Experts explain why. by Lala Tanmoy Das (February 24, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EST) The Washington Post.
  33. ↑ Naturopath who gave vitamin IVs to mental health patient without doctors' knowledge faces renewed probe by Bethany Lindsay (Nov 14, 2021) CBC News.
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