Seattle, Wash. — The Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) is proud to announce its partnership with NOW Foods / Protocol for Life Balance, a leading natural products and practitioner education company. INM and NOW are joining forces to scale up INM’s Residency Consortium (IRC), a sustainable residency model for top naturopathic doctor (ND) graduates. Their shared objectives are standardizing and expanding ND postgraduate training, building the ND workforce, and broadening access to evidence-based natural health care.
The need for ND residencies is substantial: Five out of six graduates seek additional training, yet consistency across programs and access to them remains a concern. Current residencies lack business training, vital for successful ND practices. Program costs and accessibility pose further challenges for new NDs. There’s a clear need for improved structure, oversight, and fair compensation to foster greater resident engagement and success.
Populated by successful multi-practitioner primary care clinics, the IRC shares funding among host clinics, naturopathic educational partners, the business community, and individual donors. By directly subsidizing resident salaries, implementing standardization across multiple clinics, and hosting leading educational events, the IRC strives to lead the way in improving the naturopathic residency experience. The IRC is about to reach a major milestone, with nearly 100 graduated residents.
“We are excited to embark on this journey with INM and further our shared goal to empower patients to live healthier lives by providing practitioners with the best possible resources and ingredients available,” NOW said in a statement.
About INM
The Institute for Natural Medicine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the human potential for health by promoting whole person care enriched by the medicine of nature.
About NOW Foods / Protocol For Life Balance
NOW Foods has empowered healthy living over the last 50 years with a passion for making natural products in the supplement industry better. Their Protocol for Life Balance division sells high-quality dietary supplements formulated with practitioners in mind and mainly distributed by healthcare practitioners.
Media Contact
Wyn Delano
Institute for Natural Medicine
