Naturopathy is a form of alternative medicine that primarily focuses on an individual's natural healing capacities. People practicing naturopathy are known as naturopathic doctors, and they combine the traditional means of curative medicine with the modern knowledge and approach to medical science, thus resulting in a wholesome and effective treatment. There are various ailments that can be cured with the help of naturopathy, and their salary varies according to the scale of operation of the doctor. What these doctors basically do is, administer natural and non-toxic substances into a person's body in order to enhance and accelerate the individuals healing rate, and also their general body immunity. The various medications and pills that medical science provides us with today have a lot of side effects, and some of them even end up causing more harm than good to the body. Since this is a radical and alternative form of medicine, not many people are comfortable with this form of treatment. As a result of this, the compensation again depends on the reputation of the doctor and the affluence of his patients. Duties and Responsibilities Once we see the basic responsibilities, we can understand their role better.

• Instead of focusing on purely medical causes of an illness, a naturopathic doctor aims to understand the complete psyche and environmental intricacies of an individual. This ranges right from his physical health history to his emotional well-being to his upbringing.
• Instead of applying contemporary medicinal treatments for the cure of ailments, he aims to stimulate the body's healing by administering a range of natural medicines and therapies.
• Instead of berating the patients for failing to take care of their health, he focuses on the prevention of these diseases by making the patients realize that they are themselves responsible for their diseases. These physicians do not believe that most illnesses are caused by external factors, so in a way, the treatment is also a spiritual method of recuperation.

The salary also depends on the approach that the doctor adopts. He will question the patient on a number of subjects, and then apply his knowledge to arrive at a suitable conclusion and remedy. The causes of illness that he searches for are as follows.

• Inadequate exercise
• Inadequate sleep and rest
• Amount of stress, both physical and psychological
• Presence of impurities in the air and in the food
• Deficiencies in the diet
• Allergic reactions
• Genes and hereditary factors
• Side effects of other drugs and chemicals.

Educational Qualifications A person requires to undergo 7 years of education before he can start practicing and open his own clinic. He must have completed 3 years of pre-med sciences at the university level for his post-secondary education, and after that, he is needed to complete 4 years at an institute with a Doctor of Naturopathy program. If a doctor wishes to follow a specific specialization, he can even choose to pursue a postgraduate program in that field. The more qualifications that he has, and the more reputable the institute where he got his degree from, the higher will be the average pay. In the United States there are only 4 schools that offer a doctor of naturopathy program.

• University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine - Bridgeport, Connecticut
• National College of Naturopathic Medicine - Portland, Oregon
• Bastyr University School of Naturopathic Medicine - Seattle, Washington, and San Diego, California
• Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences - Scotsdale, Arizona
• National University of Health Sciences - Lombard, Illinois

Salary Range A naturopathic doctor has to go through many rigors and obstacles in order to start practicing. Once his reputation is built up, he can be assured that he will earn a reasonably high. Their average annual pay is around USD 80,000. This is an average figure, as there are some doctors who even make around USD 150,000 annually. On the other hand, there are some who earn around USD 20,000 annually as well. Some of the other factors that determine this average figure are the overhead costs of running the clinic, kind of specialization, and years of experience. At the end of the day, this is a highly satisfying line of medicine for the doctors, as this is a field that is chosen only by those who have a true passion for this branch of medicine. The remuneration is more than sufficient to sustain the business and live a life of good quality, but the mental satisfaction that comes with helping people get healthy is worth all the risks and the lengthy time period of obtaining the degrees. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.