- Research Article
- 10.54434/candj.73
Leading the Way in Naturopathic Gerontology: Current Status and Future Possibilities
- Jan 28, 2021
- CAND Journal
- Erika Buckley-Strobel + 1 more +1
his educational void started with the lack of training in and exposure to seniors' health topics at the naturopathic medical school level, and it is our understanding that this still has not changed.For leaders in naturopathic gerontology to emerge, it requires exposure to this field within the core curriculum of the naturopathic educational program.In reviewing the curriculum of the Canadian naturopathic colleges there was a lack of content related to geriatrics, gerontology or seniors' health.The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) does not include geriatrics/ gerontology as part of the core curriculum. 1 When questioned about this deficit, we were informed that although geriatric topics are currently infused in many of the courses, there is no course that focuses on geriatrics specifically. 2However, the core and/or elective curriculum does include such special topics as: pregnancy, labour and newborn care; pediatrics; emergency medicine; mental health; and sexual and reproductive health. 1 Our opinion is that this is a serious deficit that needs to be fixed.Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (BINM), which will soon merge with CCNM, does include a survey course on geriatrics in its curriculum, but it is only 6 weeks long. 3 It is our experience that this is not sufficient to cover all the essential topics of aging in adequate detail, such as physiological changes, metabolism changes, polypharmacy, diseases of aging, caregiver stress, mental health, ageism, end of life topics, spirituality and meaning, and the list goes on.Upon graduation, we felt unprepared to deal with this patient population.Treating a condition is one aspect, but there
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