I had to steal the headline from the Sacramento Bee article--it's just too cute. But the meat of it is pretty interesting--and CME providers in that state may have a new market to serve (lengthy registration is required to view the article, but it's free): Naturopathic practitioners.
Under the The Naturopathic Doctors Act, passed by the Legislature last year, naturopaths now can be licensed, and those with licenses can perform physical exams, make diagnoses, order lab tests and prescribe various therapies and medications. But while you can call them doctors, you can't call them physicians--that's still the domain of the MD, according to the article.
And, just like physicians, they'll have to "pay license fees and take continuing medical education classes to keep their licenses current. Naturopathic doctors are graduates of accredited, four-year naturopathic medical schools."
Interesting, eh? I wonder if this will stay on the left coast, or if it will eventually migrate elsewhere?
