TIMELINE

1993

In September, the history of Naturopathic medicine changed forever. Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) opens its doors to 42 eager and courageous Naturopathic medical students. For founding physicians, Drs. Michael and Kyle Cronin, it was the fulfillment of a long-term dream. As practicing Naturopathic physicians, the Cronin’s realized that Arizona had much to offer Naturopathic physicians and, more importantly, Naturopathic medical students. Arizona not only enjoys beautiful weather and a progressive community ready to embrace complementary health care, but it offers the widest scope of practice for Naturopathic physicians in the U.S.

Opening announcements and initial fundraising efforts enabling the establishment of SCNM were held in 1992 at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Conference. These efforts resulted in 12 Corporate Founders; a Presidential Corporate Founder, Shaperite Concepts; and many individual gifts all totaling over $600,000.

1994

SCNM establishes its first Research program headed by Naturopathic physician and faculty member, Dr. Ian Bier.

The first class enters their second year of their ND program and quickly approaches their clinical training years, in turn, SCNM celebrates the grand opening of the new medical center when the Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center opens its doors in Scottsdale, Ariz.

1996

For the first time, SCNM confers the degree of Naturopathic Doctor on 31 remarkable individuals.

Continuous growth in student enrollment, faculty and staff, leads SCNM to relocate to its current location in Tempe, Ariz. Set back on Broadway Road, the former health and racquetball club prove to be a perfect fit for Southwest College with large spacious rooms for classrooms, a grand hallway, high ceilings and natural lighting throughout. SCNM establishes the Southwest College Research Institute.

1997

SCNM receives its first Bauervic Foundation Grant which enables the College library to expand its current collection.

Naturopathic medicine in Arizona hits a major milestone when CIGNA, a major medical insurance company, signs a contract covering Naturopathic medical care for Maricopa County employees.

1998

Southwest College achieves initial candidacy status for accreditation with the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME).

1999

SCNM receives initial accreditation status with the CNME, the fastest of any accredited Naturopathic medical college in history.

2000

SCNM is one of the first schools nationwide to embrace electronic classroom support in the form of Blackboard.com. Through this new medium, faculty provides class notes, outlines and presentations online as well as chat rooms and bulletin boards for students.

Southwest College accepts a generous donation from Dolisos Homeopathics enabling SCNM to bring Dr. Stephen Messer, Dolisos Homeopathy Department Chair, to the faculty ranks.

2001

Southwest College achieves accreditation candidacy status with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and receives a major grant from Gaia Herbs endowing the Botanical Medicine department.

In the summer, SCNM announces the opening of the Career Center, the first of its kind in Naturopathic education and sets the standard for Naturopathic medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.

The Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center undergoes a renovation making it a green facility with all natural carpet fibers, recycled materials, and non-toxic paint and building materials.

SCNM President, Dr. Paul Mittman, partners with Naturopathic physician and famed author, Dr. Peter D’Adamo, to create the Institute for Human Individuality (IfHI). D’Adamo’s book, Eat Right for Your Type, forms the basis for IfHI and its programs with the primary goal to foster research in the expanding area of human nutrigenomics and epigenetics.

2002

Southwest College and the Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center become wireless campuses. Students are able to access class notes, presentations, and email anywhere on campus from their laptops.

The Career Center, under the direction of Joanna Hagan, develops a student vendor program, which allows students to become vendors for various approved nutraceutical companies on the SCNM campus.

The Sage Foundation for Health is created, under Southwest College, to provide the underserved and indigent people of Arizona with quality natural health care. The first grant received by the Sage Foundation for Health is from the Victoria Lund Foundation, enabling SCNM to fund a Children’s Clinic at Arthur M. Hamilton Elementary School in South Phoenix. Today, the Hamilton Clinic, along with 8 other medical clinics, make up the beneficiaries of The Sage Foundation and serve as extended sites for SCNM medical students to gain training while helping thousands of individuals receive medical care they otherwise would not receive.

Five students at SCNM found the Naturopathic Society, a flourishing group devoted to preserving, promoting, and enhancing the understanding of Naturopathic philosophy and its history.

2003

Southwest College embarks on a major renovation and expansion of the main building with the addition of the Olympian Labs Biomedical Sciences Wing. The new Wing houses the Basic Sciences faculty, student lockers, a nursing-parents room, and the future state-of-the-art gross anatomy lab.

All classrooms become fully equipped “Smart” classrooms with a faculty PC, projector and large screen, whiteboard, audio system, and outlets at each seat for student laptops.

Free, private on-campus counseling services also become available to students.

Thorne Research makes a major donation towards the new Environmental Center of Excellence, chaired by the renowned Naturopathic physician, Dr. Walter Crinnion.

The endowed Dolisos Homeopathy Department is renewed and the first ever post-doctoral fellowship in the United States in homeopathy is created at SCNM.

The Naturopathic Public Awareness Campaign (NPAC) is founded by current SCNM students and is dedicated to furthering and supporting current and future public awareness efforts for Naturopathic medicine in the United States and Canada. This group of highly dedicated and motivated individuals is comprised of students from the accredited Naturopathic medical colleges. They volunteer their time in the pursuit of nationwide licensure for Naturopathic physicians and work closely with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), individual state Naturopathic associations, and students from the accredited Naturopathic institutions.

2004

Southwest College receives HLC accreditation and their accreditation with the CNME is reaffirmed.

A technologically advanced gross anatomy lab is built and the first Naturopathic Gathering is held at SCNM.

Naturopaths Without Borders (NWB), a non-profit student-based organization is founded by SCNM students with the vision to overcome language, cultural, and socioeconomic barriers that exist through outreach and education of Naturopathic medical care in Latino and underserved communities globally.

2005

The Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center undergoes another renovation and the endowed Gaia Herbs Botanical Department is renewed.

Dr. Eric Udell, SCNM alumnus and faculty member, is one of two Naturopathic physicians sent to Sri Lanka to provide medical care to survivors of the tragic South Asian tsunami through the international organization “Homeopaths Without Borders”.

Jonci Jensen, 2008 SCNM alumna, becomes the founder of the Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA). The NMSA is created to provide a “voice” for Naturopathic medical students and unite students from accredited CNME colleges throughout North America. NMSA serves as a conduit for interacting with students from other organizations such as the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the Naturopathic Education and Residency Consortium (NERC), and Natural Doctors International (NDI).

The SCNM admissions team brings in a record 108 students and the Career Center reports the highest pre-graduation placement of 68%.

2006

Dateline NBC airs “Autism: The unorthodox practice of chelation” in which Jim Adams, Arizona State University, with SCNM’s own Dr. Matt Baral, faculty member and Naturopathic physician, design the first double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of chelation to determine if chelation therapy works to treat autism.

In March, the first Naturopathic Medical Lobby Day for the state of Arizona takes place at the State Capitol.  The event is a collaborative effort of the National Public Awareness Campaign (NPAC), Southwest College, and the Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association (AZNMA). SCNM students, Naturopathic doctors, and staff meet with committee members to explain the rigorous training of Naturopathic doctors, in addition to the conventional and natural treatment modalities NDs utilize. This becomes an annual event in Arizona.

The Directed Skill Development Laboratory (DSDL) is unveiled. The DSDL is created to support and advance the clinical skill development of SCNM students through a directed laboratory learning experience. The modalities covered include manipulation, acupuncture needling, IV injection therapy, and phlebotomy.

In August, the Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center undergoes another renovation and expands 500 square feet. The Natural Medicinary doubles in size, a Hydro/Treatment suite is created, and two new exams room are constructed, as well as a separate library and kitchen/break area. New Welch-Allyn equipment is installed in each patient room, a call center is added, and closed circuit cameras are installed in select patient rooms.

2007

In March, the residency program at SCNM becomes certified by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). SCNM also receives CNME approval as a certified sponsor of residency programs. This certification not only helps to grow the SCNM Residency Program within Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center, but it allows for SCNM to have approved residency distance sites.

The Lab within Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center is accredited by the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA) and registered with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).

SCNM creates a Pediatric fellowship under the direction of Dr. Matt Baral, SCNM faculty and Hamilton Clinic Medical Director.

The Hamilton Elementary Clinic, an extended site for SCNM students, goes through a renovation and expansion. The Clinic’s patient rooms, which were once divided by cubicle walls, now has five examination rooms with jungle animal murals, a bathroom, new medical equipment, a waiting room, and a doctor/student clinician private teaching room. At least 2,600 children are now receiving medical care here each year, in addition to their immediate families.

The Teach/Learn initiative is initiated as a professional development program for SCNM professors to understand the different ways in which students learn and innovative methods of instruction and student engagement. The goal is for each student to receive the same learning experience and opportunities.

The NMSA becomes incorporated into all of the accredited Naturopathic medical colleges.

2008

The SCNM Research Department builds an association with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, the University of Arizona, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN).

Under the direction of Dr. Robert Waters, Research Department Chair, and Dr. Jeffrey Langland, Research Department Vice-Chair, SCNM students become the first in the Naturopathic profession to perform Genetic Expression Analysis.

SCNM collaborates with the University of New Mexico’s College of Medicine to establish faculty development workshops.

In May, the Doctoré Development Center (DDC) opens in memory of the late SCNM biomedical science faculty, Dr. Thomas Richards. Richards was passionately committed to helping students reach their goal of becoming well-respected Naturopathic physicians, or “Young Doctorés.’ Overseen by the Dean of Students, the DDC is staffed with nine upper-class student tutors and is offered as a free service to the SCNM student body.

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) recognizes the Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA) and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) as liaison organizations.

Eleven SCNM students travel to Belize to study Mayan healing.

For the first time, an SCNM naturopathic medical student participates in AMSA’s HEART rotation.

2009

SCNM acquires a 42,000 square foot building adjacent to the College for the new on-campus Medical Center (2010).

Under the direction of the Advancement Office, SCNM establishes an Alumni Association with a Board of Directors and members.

The first annual Tournament of Champions Golf Tournament supporting the Sage Foundation for Health is held in March bringing in over $13,000.

The SCNM Career Center reports the highest pre-graduation placement of 80% - the highest of any naturopathic medical college.