Our Students NCNM students are intelligent, motivated high achievers who want to make the world a better place. A diverse bunch, they include dancers, photographers, engineers and hospital lab technicians. They’ve worked in the financial industry, managed restaurants, taught language arts, mastered martial arts and lived abroad. Above all, NCNM students are forward thinking. Ultimately, NCNM students are healers with a dream for medicine that offers preventive, compassionate care. They have chosen a profession that offers unlimited opportunity for lifelong learning and personal transformation. They want to contribute to the health and wellbeing of patients seeking healthcare assistance from knowlegeable, caring practitioners.
“The college has a feeling of deep roots, but it’s also very alive and energizing. It’s a wonderful place to develop leadership skills, too.” ~Pedro “Eli” Morales, NCNM Naturopathic Medicine Program
“NCNM’s research program has given me, after years of academic research, the tools to conduct clinical research with human participants.” ~Kirsten Wright, NCNM Naturopathic Medicine Program and Integrative Medicine Research Program
“Classical Chinese medicine is taught by very few colleges and the faculty here is incredible. The program is set up around the ideal of doctors as scholars.” ~Kelly Shaw, NCNM Classical Chinese Medicine Program
Pedro “Eli” Morales, NCNM Naturopathic Medicine Program “I taught fourth grade in New York City for several years and found city life very draining and too removed from nature. I was interested in ways to heal people but didn’t know about natural medicine until I spoke to a friend who was an NCNM graduate. “At NCNM I’m learning about the art of medicine, just as I previously learned about the art of teaching—how to approach people as well as master needed skills. The college has a feeling of deep roots, but it’s also very alive and energizing. It’s a wonderful place to develop leadership skills, too. I traveled to Nicaragua with our local Natural Doctors International group to work in underserved communities. The experience made me realize the importance of promoting global health awareness and led me to become president of our NCNM chapter. I’ve also served as a student liaison to the college’s curriculum and planning committee. “I’m passionate about understanding how the body can heal itself. I hope to return to upstate New York and open a clinic, eventually an integrative facility. I also want to develop an elementary school health curriculum to help kids talk about health and their bodies.”
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Kirsten Wright, NCNM Naturopathic Medicine Program and Integrative Medicine Research Program “I was raised in a family that valued natural medicine and nutrition, and from a young age I knew that I wanted to pursue medicine. I grew up with plants and conducted research in plant evolution during my undergraduate biology studies. I began a postgraduate research program in the Netherlands in plant biomolecular chemistry, but withdrew when I decided to pursue naturopathic medicine. NCNM’s research degree was not established when I was accepted, but there was already a nurturing and challenging research environment. When the program began, I jumped at the opportunity and switched from the dual degree in naturopathy and Oriental medicine to naturopathy and research. Botanical medicine is my strongest interest, but I’ve also become fascinated by physical medicine and nutrition. “NCNM’s research program has given me, after years of academic research, the tools to conduct clinical research with human participants. My thesis research is investigating the effect of botanical medicine on endothelial function in people at risk for cardiovascular disease. When I graduate, I hope to find a post-doc position in botanical medicine and clinical research and later on transition into a combination of clinical work and research.”
Kelly Shaw, NCNM Classical Chinese Medicine Program “I grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where I was around herbs and natural medicine used by local tribes, but it wasn’t until after I finished college and had been working in archeology that I thought about a career in medicine. I wanted to be of service. A chance meeting with a naturopath led me to NCNM and when I read about the CCM program and Heiner Fruehauf, I decided on Chinese medicine. “Classical Chinese medicine is taught by very few colleges and the faculty here is incredible. The program is set up around the ideal of doctors as scholars. It gives students an exceptional grasp of what’s possible with Chinese medicine. It prepares us to learn from our patients and learn more options for using our tools. Students willing to take initiative do best here. I led a research project on Chinese herbal formulas at Helfgott. “I’m passionate about the classical texts in Chinese medicine and about herbal medicine. I hope to have a private practice and use Bazi—medical astrology—there and in consulting work. I’m especially interested in working with veterans and Native Americans, and in men’s health.”
NCNM Viewbook
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