Integrative Medicine Education, Schools, and Career Overview

Integrative medicine melds the scientific methods of conventional western medicine with the wisdom, human connectedness, and intuition of alternative healing methods. It was born of the highest ideal: To create and promote healing and sustained wellness by addressing the whole of the human condition and thereby isolating and treating the core issue behind physical ailments, and not just the manifested symptoms.

Integrative medicine schools present the idea that the Integral Worldview represents the ultimate in medical integrity because it seeks to define and promote physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual wellness in a collaborative effort between physician and patient. Integrative medicine in practice combines the scientifically substantiated aspects of western medicine with alternative modalities that have been proven effective in bringing about healing and sustained wellness. Integral medicine combines the best of what we know about natural medicine, with the best of what we know about psychology, environmental medicine, and conventional medicine. But it also based on two main premises:

• Everything in your life – diet, exercise, work, beliefs, attitudes, the environment, and your family – can have some influence upon your health.
• Human beings are more than just biochemistry. We are body, mind, energy, beliefs and creative consciousness all functioning simultaneously and interdependently while being immersed in a social and environmental milieu.

Integrative medicine seeks to eliminate the occurrence of the symptoms indefinitely by addressing and resolving the core issue, rather than just making the symptoms easier to live with.

Integrative Medicine Practitioner Duties

Integrative medicine is a form of medicine that involves the applied use of conventional western medical techniques while embracing the view that accepts all known natural and alternative concepts of healing. This form of medicine is sometimes referred to as the “third path” for patients with chronic and undiagnosed conditions since it offers answers that neither conventional nor natural medicine by themselves have been able to.

Some common ailments addressed through integrative medicine would include: Adrenal Fatigue, chronic fatigue (Fibromyalgia), hormone imbalance, allergies, asthma, skin conditions, menopause by use of natural hormones, chemical sensitivities, ADD and ADHD in both children and adults, headaches, back and neck pain, digestive issues, car accident injuries, general fatigue, immune system imbalances, arthritis, addictions, sleep disorders, physical and emotional traumas (PTSD), chronic pain or illness, auto-immune diseases, newborn cranial treatment, and many other unusual or undiagnosed conditions. Doctors of integrative medicine may also perform Lifestyle-Wellness evaluations to help individuals stay healthy.

Integrative Medicine Specializations

Deciding which alternative methods of bodywork to embrace as part of an integrative medical practice is a personal decision based on an exploration of various modalities. Many modalities are culturally derived, and can be more appealing to practitioners who either come from or relate to a certain cultural background. Integrative medicine programs may help aspiring students arrive at a decision by offering an opportunity to gain exposure to a number of different modalities, such as:

• Ayurvedic bodywork
• Chinese medicine
• Homeopathy
• Chiropractic work
• Craniosacral Therapy

How to Become a Integrative Medicine Practitioner

Practitioners of integrative medicine represent the most well-rounded and universally knowledgeable segment of the medical community so their scope of practice generally isn’t limited to treating only certain physical ailments. These conventionally trained and uniquely skilled physicians are able to apply the principals of western medicine or alternative healing modalities based on what is most appropriate for their individual patients. 

Here are the steps needed to becoming a practitioner of integrative medicine:

1. Pursue a formal medical degree, osteopathy degree, doctor of naturopathy degree, or nursing certificate by first taking related courses in physiology, biology, chemistry, anatomy, kinesiology, etc.
2. Gain exposure to both ancient and newly developed alternative approaches to health and wellness to become familiar with the known concepts of healing. This would include the various forms of bodywork.
3. Adopt an Integral Worldview that is accepting of all known concepts of healing, both alternative and conventional.
4. Explore different forms of complementary and alternative bodywork. Find the ones that you have a natural affinity and propensity for.
5. Pursue a certificate program in massage and bodywork through massage therapy or integrative medicine schools to develop mastery of your chosen bodywork modality.

Earning a doctorate-level degree so as to earn the Medical Doctor (M.D.), Doctor of Naturopathy (ND), or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) credential requires four years of undergraduate study followed by an additional four years of medical school. After the academic and clinical study is complete an additional three to eight years of residency is also customary.

Integrative medicine degree programs

To practice Integrative Medicine one must make an academic journey that usually begins with a formal education in either conventional medicine or naturopathy. Students of Integrative Medicine will also engage in hands-on training in one or more of the many complementary and alternative modalities of healing bodywork, as well as a full exploration of the various approaches to natural medicine. 

Part of what makes Integral Medicine so unique is that any naturopathic doctor (ND), osteopathic doctor (DO), or doctor of conventional medicine (MD) who chooses to explore and study alternative healing modalities, and who accepts an Integral Worldview that respects all known methods of healing, can effectively practice this form of medicine. The academic path chosen by the individual is as subjective as his or her own life experience, but will always involve formal training in either conventional, osteopathic, or naturopathic medicine; as well as training in some chosen alternative approaches to healing that will often involve bodywork.

Integrative medicine schools

Accredited bodywork training programs will include course study in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, business ethics, and will also provide hands-on instructional practice in the chosen modalities of bodywork and the specific techniques that these involve. 

Full-time and part-time programs are available and can typically be completed in six to 18 months respectively. Many programs offered through accredited integrative medicine schools will also assist with apprenticeship placement. This allows students to complete the 600 hours of apprenticeship needed to meet the licensing requirements set by some states, and the requirements set by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) in order to earn bodywork certification on a national level.

Integrative medicine certification and licensure

Since integral medicine involves complementary and alternative modalities of bodywork as well as the practice of conventional western medicine, there may be questions about the necessary licensure required to establish an integrative medical practice.

Those interested in how to become a doctor of integrative medicine should note that since this type of medical practice is in fact the integration of conventional and natural medicine that simply incorporates one or more chosen alternative modalities of healing bodywork, there is no certification specific to the practice of integrative medicine itself. An integrative medical practice that incorporates bodywork is very accessible to those who have earned doctorate level degrees. An M.D. (Medical Doctor), N.D.(Naturopathic Doctor), or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) needs no additional license or certification to perform bodywork. They are able to perform specialized forms of healing bodywork on their existing medical licenses.

Since this type of medical practice is in fact the integration of conventional and natural medicine that simply incorporates one or more chosen alternative modalities of healing bodywork, there is no certification specific to the practice of integrative medicine itself.

A license to practice bodywork is granted upon completion of an accredited bodywork program, which includes a number of hours spent in clinical practice, and the successful completion of an exam that tests related knowledge and applied skills. Because this test and the subsequent licensure is administered and granted on a state level, it isn’t transferrable to other states. Only a few states have continuing education requirements to maintain state licensure, and these requirements are typically minimal. In most cases submitting an online application for re-licensure and paying a fee that rarely exceeds $200, are the only state-mandated requirements for renewing a bodywork license.

An organization called the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) provides national certification that satisfies the requirements for licensure enforced by most states. The NCBTMB administers an exam called the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). Completing a program through an accredited school and successfully completing the NCETMB exam will earn graduates the NCTMB credential, which stands for Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. NCTMB certification must be renewed every four years, but it isn’t particularly difficult to meet the requirements for doing so. Massage therapists who wish to retain the NCTMB credential are expected to complete 200 hours of therapeutic massage or continuing education within this four-year period.

Integrative Medicine Practitioner Salary and Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is careful to note that the number of years in practice, the location of the practice, and the number of hours spent in the office are significant factors in an independently employed physician’s yearly income. According to the BLS, a physician’s demonstrated skill, professional reputation, and even personality can play a significant role in yearly income as well. This can be particularly true of practitioners of Integrative medicine who are likely to develop a following of devoted patients who provide a steady stream of referrals. 

For an idea of salary and more – job outlook in the coming years – the following table represents information published by the BLS, specifically various specialized medical practices in which certain physicians might incorporate the practice of integrative medicine:

Sources:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, accessed 2019, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm