As many of you may know, naturopathic medicine in Ontario – first granted a license 90 years ago in 1925 – has been granted an updated licensing as of July 1, 2015. For more information on this go to www.oand.org, www.collegeofnaturopaths.on.ca. In general this transition is good for the profession and good for our clients. Many administrative glitches that are currently affecting the full scope that we used to practice under still need to be clarified over the next few years, as is often unfortunately common with anything new.
This is my 36th year in practice and my 33rd as a naturopathic doctor. The changes we are going through now in naturopathic medicine in Ontario can be of great benefit, however it is important that we keep to our founding principles so that we do not lose the legacy of knowledge of those that have come before us.
These elders are the ones that survived in practice when the NDs in Ontario numbered under 50 registrants. I encourage all my colleagues to speak up, especially those with years of practice, even though it appears at times we are not talking in the social media language of our younger colleagues. Each of you has gems of wisdom to share (check out The Legacy Project on the OAND web site). I encourage the younger NDs to ask the long-time practicing NDs how they survived in practice and what made them resilient and successful, clinically and financially, in their vocation.
Let us mentor each other during this time of change and respond to what the future has in store for naturopathic medicine in Ontario.
Many of you have asked when I will be teaching again. Probably next year. I have just completed the rebuild and sale of my office business condo after the May 2013 fire. I am recuperating and seeing clients about 3 days per week.
See you at the OAND convention September 25–27, 2015.
