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

"I'll start with saying, we do have many wonderful professors, but many that are many not good at all. After two years, my class and many others are trying to get a better biochemistry professor. She is a department chair, that is not helpful in any aspect of her work & every milestone test biochem is the lowest score. One of the general medicine professor is can lecture well, but her tests are statistically invalid & class after class the average is failing. She does not encourage us to learn, but simply tries to weed us out. The school does not see the failing of her tests (yes, we study a lot) or the complaints of wanting a genuinely good professor as a valid concern. In clinic the student shifts lack in ways that are more than I can write here, but the clinic as a whole needs improvement for students, staff, facility function (equipment that actually works would be great), and patient care. While schools are a business, most everyone that works on the board at this school don't seem to see that their business has huge gaps that are hurting students. If they do see it, they don't care or there would be a lot more fire under their feet. There is little grace when life happens outside the school, especially if you are a parent or want to be pregnant while in school. They give us chances to speak about concerns & we give reasonable requests, yet again, after 2 + years we have yet to see any changes. There is mold in one of our buildings that causes many students to feel ill after prolong time in the facility, yet only fans for the carpet are seen as a responsible attempt. The money us students put into this school does not seem to be actually going to the school and we have been denied to see an expense chart for where our tuition goes to which validates this concern. So many of my classmates throughout all stages of this program and myself are hoping so badly that the people we rely on to make this program work will finally make this place less painful to attend. Any attempts to get any of the Deans or board members to listen is met with us being put on academic probation. It is easier for them to punish us into silence than to do their one job."

"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."