Due to rising awareness of the importance of nutrition to good health and patient demand for alternatives to so-called Western medicine, the number of medical schools offering naturopathic programs has grown in the past two decades in the United States. Today on Raise the Line, we're going to learn more about this approach to medicine, the education and training involved, and where the field is heading with Dr. Kristina Conner, Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. As she explains to host Michael Carrese, Dr. Conner believes the rising interest is partially rooted in people wanting to have an array of options to improve their health. “They understand ‘maybe I do need to be on this medication for the rest of my life, but what else can I do to optimize my day to day life’ and that's where we can fill in the gaps as naturopathic doctors because we do have a different tool set and a different approach.” Tune in to learn about the similarities and differences in training compared to more traditional medical professions, the different modalities naturopaths use, and the challenges and opportunities involved in expanding the profession. “I think there's better understanding about naturopathic physicians and our level of training and the role that we can play within the healthcare system.” Mentioned in this episode: https://bastyr.edu/academics/naturopathic-medicine