Autumn may be a time where much of nature goes dormant, but at the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM), it marks a time of growth and expansion. We’ve added new staff, new board members and advisors, and even a new website (check out naturemed.org). With this expansion comes some thrilling program updates and opportunities.
- Expanded article and FAQ sharing. We have been asked by many fellow naturopathic doctors how we can make it even easier to share the answers to important questions asked by patients and the general public. Our new digital experience will let you “click to tweet” takeaways or share entire articles with minimal effort.
- Increased perspectives and authors. Our new website also offers us the ability to share new voices as INM increases our publishing schedule. We encourage both NDs and students with an interest in writing about naturopathic medicine to reach out at our contact page.
- Widespread social participation. The Institute’s social following continues to grow, reaching an ever-expanding consumer network on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Our message is expanded by the sharing and participation of the naturopathic community. Thank you.
Creating awareness through Naturopathic Medicine Week
In conjunction with the AANP (American Association for Naturopathic Physicians) and allies including the AANMC (Association of Accredited Naturopathic Colleges) and NMSA (Naturopathic Student Association), Naturopathic Medicine Week took place on October 7th- 13th. This week marked the launch of our new website, an Instagram photo contest, and an I <3 Naturopathic Medicine photo profile frame. This combined effort reached over 40,000 accounts on Twitter through 100 tweets by 37 contributors using the hashtag #NatMedWeek2018 — in just 3 days. Instagram also boasted a large engagement, with 604 different posts using the #NatMedWeek2018 hashtag.
Expanding opportunities for graduating NDs
The inaugural cohort of the INM Residency Consortium is underway as of October 1! This new naturopathic residency program relies on a three-part funding model with support from host clinics, corporate partners and a local school to increase the sustainability of expanded residency opportunities. This unique approach reduces the financial burden on residency clinic sites. The program’s first group of nine fresh ND graduates, based regionally around Seattle, is receiving top-notch clinical training on robust practical enrichment in business, marketing, research and more. The 2018-2019 class has been made possible by the support and generosity of Bastyr University, RLC Labs/NatureThroid, Standard Process, Thorne Research, and Integrative Therapeutics.
Efforts to expand the program to sites in the San Diego area for the 2019-2020 program are in progress. Do you know a clinic in southern California that may be a great host site? Contact residency@naturemed.org for more information.
Reaching communities across Washington State
The INM is proud to announce the launch of a community clinic outreach program in Washington State. In partnership with public health and health access organizations within the state, the purpose of this effort is to make it possible for licensed NDs to provide care in medically underserved communities while qualifying for a state student loan forgiveness program. Our vision is for this program to help connect rural and medically underserved communities in Washington with qualified, licensed NDs in an accessible way, and to change the paradigm for excellent primary care.
Opportunities for this program are expected to be open in 2020.
The Institute for Natural Medicine is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educate, empower, and transform the community understanding of naturopathic medicine. Learn more about INM’s ongoing work at naturemed.org.
