Help & FAQs
- Most Common Questions
The International Institute of Original Medicine meets the need for clear, complete, and practical programs in natural health and wellness in an easy-to-absorb format through an efficient delivery system. Our goal is to offer the most complete, up-to-date, and valuable teaching methods in this area to meet the ever-changing needs of our valued students. This requires innovative teaching techniques coupled with constant monitoring and updating. IIOM offers an educationally sound, structured curriculum and supervised study through an efficient distance-learning format between the student and qualified instructor(s).
The International Institute of Original Medicine provides comprehensive and practical instruction for those who wish to fill the growing need for natural health consultants and educators. We invite students to join us in making natural healing protocols available to the many people searching for this capability.
Our goal is to provide each student with the best possible quality education in natural healing, competently administered both academically and through personal attention. Our solid and comprehensive curriculum is enhanced by educational methods that are cutting edge and provide ample opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and real-life application of natural health concepts and principles, while enhancing personal enrichment and/or professional development.
Prescribing, diagnosing and performing surgeries is generally a part of the “practice of medicine” and it would be a violation of state medical practice laws for anyone to prescribe, diagnose or perform surgeries without holding the appropriate state license. A federal drug license is also needed to prescribe drugs legally. Naturopaths do not prescribe or advocate the use of drugs. Typically, Naturopaths are referred to as “drugless doctors”. A traditional naturopathic education does not include training in surgery.
Our graduates can put educational or professional designations after their name; however, a few states license naturopaths and unless they are licensed in those states, their laws may not allow you to practice or identify themselves as a naturopath (ND). You may practice as a natural health professional and designate yourself as naturopath, lifestyle counselor and many similar non ND designations.
Our programs are focused on relevant 21st century natural health knowledge. However, it is possible to begin a business to counsel clients in the areas of natural health. As far as utilizing the education in a public organization (such as a doctor’s office, schools or nursing homes), it depends on what educational requirements are expected. We do not provide job placement for graduates. However, your mentor can help guide and direct you to a variety of vocational pursuits.
Each program is done at the student’s own pace. The average times of completion for the programs are:
Doctor of Naturopathy: 2 years
Master Science: 1 to 1½ years
Bachelor of Science: 9 months to 1½ years
Certified Medical Missionary: 3 to 6 months
Certified Nutrition Counselor: 3 to 6 months
Certified Herbalist: 3 to 6 months
*Based on an average of 10 to 15 hours of study time per week
An online application must be submitted. An evaluation of your academic and/or life experiences will be used to develop your personalized curriculum. Then a form of payment must be submitted to complete the enrollment process. Using the “enroll now” button will take you to the payment screen where you can enter your payment information. We accept personal checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, and the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. You may also call our office at (410) 884-9319 for payment processing.
We have open enrollment all year round. Students can enroll at any time. Enrollments can be submitted through our website, fax, postal mail, and phone.
Any other questions?
- Enrollment Requirements
- Licensing Accreditation
We require the minimum of a high school diploma or GED to enroll in any of the certificate programs at IIOM. Students are not required to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree to take a certificate program. Students are required to have an Associate’s degree to enter the Bachelor’s program or Bachelor’s or equivalent life experience to proceed to the doctorate program.
Copies of transcripts can be submitted for review. Since IIOM is committed to graduating the finest trained naturopaths, credits for studies completed are not granted unless accompanied by a transcript and a course description. IIOM will consider credit for relevant academic and/or life experiences towards courses in both the certificate and degree programs. If courses are waived, monetary credit may be given towards tuition.
Each school sets its own policy on accepting credits from other institutions. We cannot guarantee that other institutions will offer comparable courses and grant credit for work completed at IIOM. However, we offer official transcripts and course descriptions.
The application process takes approximately 24 to 72 hours from the time it is submitted to allow for prior credits evaluation and generation of a personalized curriculum. We email materials upon receipt of the application fee, tuition fee or initial down payment. A welcome email will include, but not be limited to, welcome information, coursework, and a text source guide to assist with book order information.
Students paying for a program in full receive up to 5 courses upon enrollment. Courses can be done in any order. Students paying monthly on the installment plan receive a course monthly as they pay their installment payments. It is recommended that each course is submitted for grading as soon as it is completed. If a student works faster than the payments are being applied to the tuition balance, he or she may call in to make additional payments and receive additional coursework. The last course will NOT be sent until all financial obligations are met. Courses are sent in numerical order unless otherwise specified by the student.
No. Students do not have to complete every course listed under the ND program elective list. A personalized curriculum is provided for each student based on prior academic and/or life experience. All programs have elective choices. Refer to our website or catalog for the entire curriculum information, which includes the electives choices.
IIOM does not provide sample coursework or diplomas. The answers must be typed (unless the test directions state otherwise). The questions are in a variety of formats, i.e., true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short essay or short answer.
- Fees
See website for program fees. Yes, we offer installment plans. Books are an additional fee to programs. They can be purchased through various sources as noted in the student text source guide. Books may be purchased anywhere that is convenient for the student.
Depending on the primary program you enroll in, IIOM will provide discounts for additional programs. Any credits taken above the required amount for the certificate or degree program will be discounted for active students.
We offer lower tuition costs, compared to our competitors, because our objective at IIOM is to provide the most comprehensive set of offerings at the most affordable price.
Students may enroll in single courses (however, it is cost-effective to enroll in a program) the cost would be the current cost per credit, plus the cost of the book. If a student is already enrolled in a program but wants to add an additional course, the cost is offered at a discounted rate per credit, plus the cost of the book(s).
| Discounts Given To Family Members | |
|---|---|
| Certificates | 10% |
| Bachelors | 15% |
| Masters | 20% |
| Doctorate | 25% |
We realize that due to unexpected life circumstances students may have to withdraw from an Individual course or from a certificate or degree program. All withdrawals must be requested in writing. No tuition refunds are given after 10 days following enrollment.
No, they will need to be ordered and can be ordered at any time. They can be purchased from various resources with popular sources noted on the student text source guide. Some books are available on as e books for no cost. Books can be purchased all at one time or separately as needed. The price of the books will vary depending on the program chosen. A text source guide with all the information will be provided upon enrollment.
- Program Completion
Diplomas are sent when all required coursework is completed, passed and tuition is paid in full. The first copy of the diploma is free. Additional diplomas are $200.00 each. Transcripts are also available upon request. You will receive an official transcript upon graduation. Additional hard copies are $15.00 each and transcripts emailed are $10.00. Transcripts can be sent to the student or an institution.
Additional programs can be added on at any time with a written request submitted to the school. The additional courses are $90.00 per credit.
IIOM does not provide licensing information for each state. This information should be researched prior to enrollment. Some states have not finalized laws due to legal challenges from those who believe that naturopathy should not be licensed and is a public domain. If laws change after the completion of our program, it is ultimately up to that state as to how it handles the situation. Some states may choose to “grandfather” in prior NDs, while others may not. A recommended website with some licensing information is the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (www.naturopathic.org). Please be advised that as a traditional naturopath you may not be subject to the same laws.
IIOM is accredited and recognized by the American Naturopathic Medical Certification and Accreditation Board, Inc. in Las Vegas, Nevada (www.anmab.org) and The American Association of Drugless Practitioners (www.aadp.net). We have not, nor do we plan, to seek accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education.
We believe we have the most comprehensive education program available in naturopathy. We have comprehensive programs composed of a variety of well-designed courses, including original medicine, botanical medicine, nutrition, alternative, assessment, conventional and program completion courses. Our students consistently inform us how excited they are over the course materials. We utilize the best texts available. We provide every student with both an instructor and mentor to assist students with questions.
Our self-study approach means that students study at their own pace, without leaving home and moving to a campus site. Price is another consideration. Campus programs require tuition to pay for buildings, dormitories, dining facilities, gyms, and other facilities. On campus programs can cost up to approximately $75,000 to $100,000 more than IIOM.
We do not offer a classroom-type environment. Our programs are completed at home. Materials are emailed to students to study at home. Because we do not offer a classroom-type environment, students may want to consider a number of natural health seminars that are offered to supplement their online education. IIOM offers credit for relevant education the student acquires outside of IIOM.
Students are not required to travel to the school at any time.
We do not offer a discount for study groups. Students are more than welcome to study together. However, students must submit their own work. If IIOM determines that the answers are identical to another student, the student will be required to resubmit his or her own work and could also be assessed a penalty on his/her grade. The issuance of the penalty is at the discretion of the staff at IIOM. IIOM has a zero-tolerance rule regarding cheating (or sharing answers).
We do not offer a list of study groups or support groups to students at this time.
No, our school is recognized internationally. Our student body includes students from almost every continent.
IIOM does not provide sample coursework or diplomas. The answers must be typed (unless the test directions state otherwise). The questions are in a variety of formats, i.e., true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short essay or short answer.
- Course Questions
The hours listed are an estimated time of study hours that students can plan to spend on each course. These are not traditional credit hours.
Yes, each student is assigned an instructor and a mentor. If a student has questions on a test, he or she may contact the instructor responsible for grading the test. Assistance can be provided for clarification of material. However, we cannot, under any circumstances, provide the answers to course questions. Because tests are open-book, assistance is provided on a limited amount of questions. This is at the discretion of the instructor that grades the test. The mentor is available to help the student with advice and counsel regarding practicums, thesis/dissertation topics, career and related topics. The responsibilities of both instructors and mentors are outlined in the official enrollment letter.
A Dissertation is a scholarly, formal piece of writing that is significantly longer than an essay. It should be between 80 to 90pages. Suggested topics are provided to students. However, students can choose their own topic that is natural health related and not a personal experience. An outline must be submitted for prior approval. If students complete an approved project, the Dissertation may be waived. The Dissertation requirements are emailed at enrollment to give the student ample time for research and prepare.
For each course, you are emailed a syllabus, study guide, final test and answer sheet. Follow the instructions at the beginning of each exam. Answers are to be typed unless otherwise instructed on the exam and emailed back to your designated instructor. Exams are graded in the order they are received. Our objective is to email exams results within 72 hours of receipt.
We provide percentage grades. We require the minimum of a 95% or higher to pass a course. If a student scores below 95%, he/she will be required to resubmit the answers for only the questions that were missed the first time. If a student receives under 90% a total retest must be taken. Once the exam is resubmitted and successfully completed you will receive your official grade sheet.
There is no Board exam required through IIOM. Students would, however, be prepared through our courses of study to pass the National Naturopathic exam offered by the Council on Naturopathic Registration and Accreditation, to be certified by them. This exam is offered to graduating students of schools accredited with their organization, of which IIOM is a member. For more information on the exam, visit their website at www.anmcb.org. This exam is completely optional with an additional fee. The exam does not provide licensing. It provides students with an extra certification to validate their knowledge. IIOM will assist students in internships and practicum’s, as available.
For more information or clarification of any of the above topics, contact our office at
410-884-9319 or info@iiomonline.com