Education & Training
 
To obtain a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, students must have three years of undergraduate pre-medical sciences followed by successful completion of a 4-year full-time in-residence medical program at an accredited Naturopathic medical school. This includes more than 4,500 hours of classroom training and 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience. For more information on Naturopathic medical training, please visit The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education at www.cnme.org.
 
There are seven accredited Naturopathic medical schools in North America. To learn more about these schools, please visit the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges at www.aanmc.org.
 
To be licensed or registered in states or jurisdictions that allow licensure or registration as a healthcare provider, Naturopathic doctors must pass NPLEX board exams that are written after the 2nd and 4th year of study. For more information, please visit the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners at www.nabne.org.
 

Dr. Hawkins has passed the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination (NPLEX) administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE) and holds a license as a primary care naturopathic doctor in Washington state. She is not yet licensed in North Carolina because North Carolina has no law to date regulating the practice of naturopathic medicine. Currently, 23 states plus the District of Columbia and the United States Territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands provide for the licensure or registration of naturopathic doctors. Naturopathic doctors in North Carolina are actively working toward licensure legislation.

 

Dr. Hawkins is the current President of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians as well as the Co-Chair of the NCANP Legislative Committee. She is also a professional member of both the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and serves as the North Carolina Delegate to the AANP House of Delegates.