“Licensable” naturopathic doctors (see below for more details) have graduated from a naturopathic medical program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) and have therefore successfully completed 4 years of full-time residential education including thousands of hours of didactic instruction and supervised clinical training.  These programs of study include 2 major segments:

After successfully completing this 4 year course of study, naturopathic doctors sit for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination (NPLEX).  Upon passing the NPLEX, naturopathic doctors are eligible to apply for a license in one or all of the states/provinces/territories that currently have naturopathic licensing laws.