Upcoming Courses

UPDATE: REGISTRATION ON THIS PAGE IS ONLY FOR THE EXAM. Registration for the course and all course content can be found at Therapeutics Education. If you previously registered for the course and exam on our website, there is no need to register again.

The Canadian Therapeutics and Prescribing Course for Naturopathic Doctors is offered by Therapeutics Education Collaboration (TEC). The course is offered by instructors Dr. James McCormack and Dr. Adil Virani.

The pharmacology upgrade course is offered to all registered naturopathic physicians wishing to add prescriptive rights to their practice. The course and all supporting materials are available online to allow registrants the freedom to work and study at their own pace, and then sign up for the next examination when ready. It is recommended that registrants allow 3 to 4 months of preparation before attempting the exam.

The course consists of two parts. The first is a series of recorded lectures including sessions describing:

The specific medical topics that feature recorded lectures were chosen by committee, including members of the profession, and represent the most likely conditions doctors can expect to see in their practice. The self-study topics may not be as commonly seen by practicing naturopaths. While the self-study topics are not as strongly emphasized in the course, participants are expected to be able to use them safely and effectively. The content of the video-supported lectures and chapters are tested in the oral component of the examination. All of the required chapters may be tested on the written component of the final exam. A more detailed description of the processes, examinations and expectations for the course is available on the website once you have registered. Registrants of this course will be required to attend the final assessment.

If you have any problem with getting access to the course materials, please contact James McCormack at james.mccormack@ubc.ca
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The next exam date is Saturday, October 23, 2021.

The exam registration deadline is Saturday, October 9, 2021.

ALL course registrants ARE REQUIRED to confirm by email their attendance to sit the exam before the exam registration deadline. Confirm attendance to speters@ccnm.edu. We appreciate your kind understanding and patience as we all navigate through changes with the prescribing course and exam.

Registration may close earlier than date shown above if maximum registrant numbers are reached.

The assessment procedure takes place in two parts at CCNM-Boucher Campus. Each must be successfully completed by participants in order to complete the program. Both parts of the exam are finished on the same day and the entire examination takes between 4 and 5 hours.

Part I is a one-on-one oral assessment exam. Participants will be given 3, 1-2-page cases, which will include background information, a brief description of the patient’s chief concerns, the diagnosis, the current drug therapy, and pertinent lab values. Participants will be given 25 minutes per case to develop a prescribing plan, which includes writing a prescription and a follow-up evaluation of the patient. Participants will be given all 3 cases when they begin the oral exam and have 75 min of preparation time where they will have access to written references as needed. After the preparation time, participants will meet with an oral assessor for approximately 20 min/case.

Part II is an open book, multiple-choice examination. The exam will consist of approximately 100 questions and will take two hours. Registrants should see the TEC website for more on the exam.

Only registrants who have completed the Therapeutics and Prescribing Course are eligible to register for the Prescribing Upgrade Exam.

Where: CCNM-Boucher Campus
When: The next exam date is Saturday, October 23, 2021.

The exam registration deadline is Saturday, October 9, 2021.

ALL course registrants ARE REQUIRED to confirm by email their attendance for the exam before the exam registration deadline.

Please note that being registered for the course does not mean that you are registered for the exam. Email speters@ccnm.edu to be registered for the exam and make sure you receive a confirmation that you have been added to the exam registration list. If you have any questions regarding the exam registration, please contact the Continuing Education Coordinator at speters@ccnm.edu.

If you have any problem with getting access to the course materials, please contact James McCormack at james.mccormack@ubc.ca.

CCNM-Boucher Campus Institute accommodates two exams per year, in October and April.

Registration may close earlier than date shown above if maximum registrant numbers are reached.

The Support Forum is administered by Therapeutics Education Collaboration. It is an opportunity for course participants to ask questions and seek clarification on source content. The forum will have approximately 200 questions for practice and discussion. Each question will provide feedback on your choices, correct or not, to walk you through the decision-making process and refine your approach to prescribing.

Q: I understand that pharmacology is not covered in the prescribing course and that it is based only on prescribing. Are we going to be given a guideline for what information we have to know for the exam regarding pharmacology?

A: While pharmacology will not be the focus of the course, a level of understanding is expected in order to understand prescribing choices and monitor implications. You will find that the readings from that text are referenced in the reading lists. Up to one third of the examination will refer to the pharmacological information from this material.

Q: Which drugs and what information on each is on the exam (e.g. dosing, indications, contraindications, interactions)?

A: The exam will be based on the assigned readings. Focus on the readings in general to prepare for the first lecture, which will allow you to refine what you are studying if needed.

Q:Can doctors outside the Lower Mainland take the exam remotely?

A: Unfortunately, remote attendance is not possible at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes, but it is necessary to travel to Vancouver for the duration of the exam.

Q: I have the book list, could you provide more practical guidance on how to catch up on the assumed background for the course?

A: Begin with the textbook readings, and seek additional support on our forum. Your instructor will monitor the activity on the forum, and if it seems people need help they will set up additional support.

Q: If I am not prepared to write the exam, when will there be another opportunity?

A: The dates will be announced well before the next exam is offered (in October for the following April, in April for following October).