Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences Reviews of Doctorates in Holistic Medicine

"If you really believe in the holistic approach and are looking to become a doctor, do not attend SCNM/Sonoran. The administration and some faculty will literally do everything they can to make sure u fail a class and stay behind another 6 months. Some faculty enjoy not passing students and the administration stands behind them, no matter what even if the teacher is facing multiple lawsuits about the same thing. And for a holistic medical school, Career Services is absolutely no help as well as financial aid. They can’t tell you anything about possible grants or scholarships or ways to complete your education without coming out in debt. And they all assume you plan on staying in AZ after graduation so the career services can only help you find offices that hire NDs in AZ. If you want to open your own practice, you have to figure it out on your own. This whole school is a scam for as much as it costs without helping you for the amount of tuition you pay. Explains why cohorts start out as 100-200 students but only 3-4 graduate. I always thought that was weird but now i understand, it’s not worth it."

"Out of all the Naturopathic medical school, SCNM is committed to science based medicine and innovation while upholding the naturopathic principles. I loved my academic experience at SCNM. SCNM had the highest NPLEX scores while I was in school. It just keeps getting better every year. I am really excited about what my career has to offer me."

"This school has left its naturopathic roots. It's just another allopathic school with some botanicals thrown in at some point. The degree is not recognized in most states. If you have a naturopathic whole body health mindset, this is not the school for you. They say they believe those things, but in practice they expect you to have shots #2020 and beyond, they think self suffocation is a good idea, and they show no signs of backing down. It's not temporary... it's a strong indication of where they're heading. In my opinion, it's a dead end - a $300K degree that you can't fully use in most states, that's now looking more like a DO degree without the same perks. You will be heavily disappointed in the practice of this school and many of the profs, admin, and unfortunately about half the students if you believe most people can live healthily without drugs and surgeries except as a last resort."

"I have met some lifelong friends at SCNM, some excellent professors, and unfortunately some people in faculty and administration that were unpleasant and damaged the quality of education. The quality of education worsened during the transition to full on-line status during the advent of Covid. We understood some of the restrictions however, students also noticed that the administration did not present any student-centered solutions to the issues the restrictions caused. Some superficial gestures were made but were just that- superficial. I cannot in good conscience recommend SCNM until their culture changes and some people in faculty and administration are replaced. We need all ND schools to thrive and maintain their naturopathic principles. SCNM needs to maintain its naturopathic principles and create a student-centered naturopathic atmosphere. Its students need to realize that they hold the power to change and need to speak as one voice and be noticed."

"I would not recommend this program to anyone seeking to become a doctor. From my opinion, the school is not equipping students to become anything more than dangerous with surface knowledge about a lot of topics. I recognized less than a handful of professors who are qualified to teach there and at a doctoral level. The curriculum is very poorly structured and does not utilize a systems-based approach, which I see as vital for learning medicine (see traditional medical school curriculums). At this time, most if not all students are admitted so long as admission requirements are met to ensure the lights are kept on. Some students who do not perform well are given more than their fair chance while others who should not be in the program for cheating are allowed to return. If you want to be a real doctor, goto a MD/DO program and focus on comparative, alternative medicine. Ensure a solid foundation, DO NOT GO HERE."

"A terrible program. Most the professors are terrible and they don't teach science just backwards opinions. Don't waste you money and time going there you will be disappointing. The american naturopathic medical certification board will provide a better education at 1/100 of the cost and you will still have all the same rights in most states."

"SCNM's naturopathic program is a hybrid allopathic/naturopathic philosophy. The program does teach you all the modalities of naturopathy but found more often times than not that it took the "reductionist" point of view. It also seems that it may having some financial difficulties b/c it is unable to retain professors in recent years that were very well liked by students. In contrast, the school does an excellent job at preparing their students for the NPlex and Board exams. Another observation is that their medical library closes too early compared to other institutions."

"Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine is a wonderful school and has an excellent doctoral program for anyone wanting a degree in naturopathic medicine. I am currently a second-year student. This school has a rigorous curriculum and the professors instruct in a way that encourages students to learn and pursue knowledge outside of the classroom. The school has excellent clinical instruction and clinical opportunities for students. There are many clubs for students to join that aid them in networking and learning about topics within their field of interest."

"If you are considering becoming a naturopathic physician, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine is an excellent choice! The naturopathic scope of practice isn't the same in all states. Because SCNM is located in Arizona, students have the opportunity to study and be trained in all naturopathic therapeutic approaches, this isn't the case at the other 4 U.S. accredited naturopathic medical programs. The educational environment here is friendly; administrators treat students as valued customers. The curriculum is rigorous and professors hold us to high standards yet I feel supported academically and personally. We get 300 days of sunshine and there are plenty of outdoor activities to participate in all year round. I have visited 3 of the 5 accredited naturopathic programs in the U.S., one of which I attended for a year prior to attending SCNM; this is by far the best experience I have had! The morale here is so high and if you are looking for a family-oriented environment SCNM is the place to be."