For a little while now I have been giving occasional talks at a hospital in Hamilton. The subject of these hour and a half lectures is naturopathic medicine and the published scientific evidence behind the frequently prescribed treatments for common conditions. In attendance are usually 2-5 individuals, mostly 3^rd and 4^th year medical students in their clerkship rotations, with a few residents here and there. Since the very first talk, I have been amazed at the reception that I have received for my presentations. The students are not only interested in the material, but also appreciative for having it brought to their attention.  
 
This is in stark contrast to the responses to naturopathy I have often been told medical students hold. After one of my presentations, when I talked to a group of students about their enthusiasm, it came out that one of the reasons they had enjoyed the material so much was that in all of their studies, they had been taught virtually nothing about these subjects. I then proceeded to ask students from as many schools as I could about their education, and I soon learned the unfortunate truth. It would seem that, currently, the maximum education that allopathic students receive in naturopathic therapies is one day, where much of the day focuses on energetic medicines which are poorly researched or not researched at all. Furthermore, multiple students reported that the single lecture or day of lectures that they received on alternative therapies was not only optional, but was in some cases presented by an allopath with a negative inclination towards such medicines.
 
Upon learning all of this, I came to one very strong conclusion – what is needed to bridge the gap between the naturopathic and allopathic communities is education, plain and simple. It’s too easy for one side to discredit another when they haven’t seen the research or the clinical results, and this is a problem that affects both sides. If we want to bring together the members of the two primary care professions in this country, then we need people to teach and – even more importantly – we need a willingness to learn without predetermined judgment. I for one will try to do my part by continuing to give talks, and engage in conversations with people of both professions. I hope that as we move into the future, the mutual sharing of knowledge and information will help bring these two great medical professions together.