NYANP's Licensure Intentions [Freedom to Deceive!]

here, I cite from the New York Association of Naturopathic Physician's [NYANP] page regarding licensure [see 001., below]; and then from the proposed licensure bill itself [see 002., below]:

001. NYANP states in "NYANP Promotes Access to Natural Medicine" [vsc 2010-12-19]:

"the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians is committed to ensuring that citizens in New York and all 50 states have the freedom to access natural health care and the broad array of alternative therapies available. Our goal is to build awareness of the efficacy of natural medicine and the positive results our patients experience [...] naturopathic doctors are specialists in natural medicine [...and] treat illness using [...] the healing power of nature [coded vitalism...] THE INTENT OF OUR LEGISLATIVE EFFORT IS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO NATURAL MEDICINE BY LICENSING NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT UNDER A DEFINED SCOPE OF PRACTICE [their caps...] it is not the intent of the NYANP to restrict the use of natural therapies to naturopathic doctors [...] it is not the intent of the NYANP to restrict the use of homeopathy to naturopathic doctors [...] WE DO INTEND TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM UNTRAINED PRACTITIONERS WHO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AS DOCTORS OR PHYSICIANS, BUT HAVE OBTAINED THEIR CREDENTIALS FROM DIPLOMA MILLS. WE DO INTEND TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM PEOPLE WHO TREAT AND DIAGNOSE WITH LITTLE OR NO CLINICAL TRAINING [their caps]."

Note: what NYANP doesn't, apparently, value is transparency.

E.g.: why don't they tell us that their HPN is actually the science-ejected figmentation known as vitalism, and that it is at the heart of their worldview?  

The freedom they want is the freedom to be legally deceptive [an oxymoron].  Efficacy?  Well, they mention homeopathy and so much for efficacy having any meaning. 

002. the New York State Assembly states in "A01370 Text"  [vsc 2010-12-19]:

"15    S  6577.  DEFINITION  OF THE PRACTICE OF NATUROPATHY.  THE PRACTICE OF

16  THE PROFESSION [professions claim]  OF NATUROPATHY UTILIZES EDUCATION AND  NATURAL  THERAPIES

17  TO  SUPPORT  AND STIMULATE A PATIENT'S INTRINSIC SELF-HEALING PROCESS [coded vitalism] TO

18  PROMOTE WELLNESS AND TO PREVENT, DIAGNOSE, TREAT AND PRESCRIBE FOR HUMAN

19  HEALTH CONDITIONS CONSISTENT WITH  NATUROPATHIC  PRACTICE [which is based on vitalism, supernaturalism & kind]."

Note: NYANP summarizes the bill here.

Boy, there is so much missing that is necessary to make an informed decision regarding naturopathy, both as a legislator and as a member of the public.

The coded vitalism hidden in the bill merely scratches the surface of naturopathic opacity / deception. Engaging in such nontransparency voids their claim of professionalism, period.

Does this bill protect the public, when the bill itself would license as physician's these metaphysicians who do not distinguish between the science-ejected and the scientific, between the efficacious and the figmentatious, between the natural and the supernatural, between the opaque and the transparent [more oxymorony]?

Naturopathy's Coded Vitalism, Science-Expertise Claim, and Professions Claim - Chronogram Magazine 2010-07-28

Klosterman, L. (PhD{zoology} UC Berkeley) writes in "Naturopathic Medicine: A Holistic Profession You Need to Know About":

"[NYANP President  Wilson (ND Bastyr 2000)] 'naturopathic doctors are a group of highly trained professionals' [...] naturopathic doctors take four or five years of graduate-level classes in medical sciences [...] naturopaths work from the following set of foundational principles: [#1] the healing power of nature.  The body has an inherent ability to health itself, and seeks a healthy equilibrium; a naturopathic physician guides patients toward reestablishing health by addressing multiple facts that may be out of balance [coded vitalism...] the body's natural healing abilities [coded vitalism...] naturopathic doctors refer to the 'therapeutic order' when considering interventions."

Note: obviously, we have the label of "profession" and the claim of science expertise.  But, what profession codes its basic science-ejected premise deceptively?  HPN -- that science-ejected concept known as vitalism -- is not accurately communicated here.  The therapeutic order is also within a vitalistic context -- ye olde 'harmonize life forces'.  This is not journalism, this is propaganda.

NYANP - Naturopathy's Vitalism-UnExplicit Code of UnEthics

here, I analyze the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians [NYANP] page "Code of Ethics" [see 001., below]; and then I illustrate how naturopathy is fundamentally unethical, even on this AANP chapter's ethics page [see 002., below]:

001. NYANP states in "Code of Ethics [COE]" [vsc 2010-07-01]:

"the naturopathic physician acts to restore, maintain and optimize health [...] following these principles of naturopathic medicine [...#1] first, do no harm [...] primum non nocere [...#2] the naturopathic physician shall recognize, respect and promote the self-healing power of nature inherent in each individual human being (vis medicatrix naturae) [...#4] the naturopathic physician shall educate [...] doctor as teacher [...] the naturopathic physician shall acknowledge the worth and dignity of every person [...] the naturopathic physician shall act judiciously to protect the patient and the public when health care quality and safety are adversely affected by the incompetent or unethical practice by any person [...] the naturopathic physician shall [...] strive for professional excellence through assessment of personal strengths, limitations and effectiveness and by advancement of professional knowledge [...] the naturopathic physician shall conduct her/his practice and professional activities with honesty, integrity and responsibility for individual judgment and actions [...] the naturopathic physician shall strive to participate in professional activities to advance the standards of care, body of knowledge and public awareness of naturopathic medicine [...] the naturopathic physician shall respect all ethical, qualified health care practitioners and cooperate with other health professions to promote health for the individual, the public and the global community [...] the naturopathic physician shall strive to exemplify personal well-being, ethical character and trust worthiness as a health care professional."

Note: I will respond to what's in red in 002.  Note: NYANP lists their Board of Directors as:

"Donielle Wilson, ND [Bastyr] - President [...] Peter B. Bongiorno ND [Bastyr], LAc - Vice President [...] Sharon Stills, ND [SCNM] - Treasurer [...] Ed Murach, ND [Bastyr 2003] LAc - Secretary [...] Robert Woodbine, ND [NCNM...] James Prego, ND [Bastyr 2004...] Paul Mittman, ND [NCNM 1985...] Sean Heerey, ND [NCNM]."

002. analysis of 001.'s COE highlights:

002.a. regarding "self-healing power of nature [...] vis medicatrix naturae [SHPN-VMN]":

this is naturopathy's vitalistic context, coded.  Wow, this COE gets off to a really bad, unethical / opaque start!  How are patient's to be adequately informed if EVEN the COE of naturopathy doesn't transparently disclose naturopathy's essential sectarian science-ejected context and instead engages in coding?  This doesn't meet the disclosure requirements of commerce, never mind the higher transparency requirements of professionalism!  In order to be informed fully, NDs would need to tell you explicitly what SHPN-VMN means and that it is indeed science-ejected.  Here's some help, by way of the alma mater of four of the NYANP BOD members (Stills, Woodbine, Mittman and Heerey), NCNM, who hosts the page "Principles of Healing" which states:

"these principles stand as the distinguishing marks of the profession: [#1] the healing power of nature -- vis medicatrix naturae. The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician’s role is to facilitate and augment this process."  Ah, that science-ejected premise of vitalism, transparently stated at the source of North American naturopathy.  But, I wouldn't be too relieved: NCNM, on the same page, states "these principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease and are examined continually in light of scientific analysis."  Yes, NCNM then states the falsehood that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.  In fact, on that page, NCNM states that vitalism is "in fact."

 
002.b. regarding "first do no harm":
 

the context of this rather naturalistic- and reasonable- sounding principle is actually vitalistic.  Again, via NCNM and that same page, we're told clearly:

 

"first do no harm -- primum no nocere.  The process of healing includes the generation of symptoms, which are, in fact, expressions of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complementary to and synergistic with this healing process. The physician’s actions can support or antagonize the actions of vis medicatrix naturae; therefore, methods designed to suppress symptoms without removing underlying causes are considered harmful and are avoided or minimized."

 

Note: so, again, vitalism is at the CORE of naturopathy BY THEIR OWN DEFINITION.  But, you may ask, why won't NYANP tell the public that directly / themselves?  Something as simple-sounding as nonmalefeasance [!!!] / do no harm codes a sectarian, figment-centered article of faith context.

 

002.c. regarding "the naturopathic physician shall educate":

 

well, seeing as science has hugely ejected vitalism from itself for hugely mundane reasons, I wouldn't count on anything but miseducation from, as Barrett has said, 'these muddle-heads'!

 

002.d. regarding "naturopathic physician shall acknowledge the worth and dignity of every person";

 

when the alma mater / trunk of all this is so FALSEHOOD based, hmmm.  How is incompetence, science-illiteracy, and plain old irrationality going to lead to such a noble goal?  In embracing this nonsense, I don't even think NDs are acknowledging their own worth and dignity!

 

002.e. regarding "when health care quality and safety are adversely affected by the incompetent or unethical practice by any person":

 

my irony meter is off the scale!  Naturopathy is both incompetent and unethical!  It's very premise, that the science-ejected is the scientific hugely degrades health care quality and safety, because it's INSANE!

 

002.f. regarding "professional excellence [...] professional knowledge":

 

they love the professional label.  But, insanity is not excellent.  And when all kinds of knowledge are blended and mislabeled as science, then no knowledge actually exists.

 

002.g. regarding "honesty, integrity and responsibility":

 

well, this COE page is dishonest, in my view.  So, so much for that.  All of the NDs listed as NYANP BOD members do not, even on their own web practice pages, clearly communicate the science-ejected vitalistic core that is naturopathy.  There is no integrity.  None of this nontransparency fulfills the responsibilities of professionalism.

 

002.h. regarding "to advance the standards of care":

 

NDs label homeopathy a "clinical science" on their NPLEX board exam. That's like dentistry including the Tooth Fairy in their SOC.

 

002.i. regarding "knowledge and public awareness of naturopathic medicine":

 

again, the irony meter is almost busted!  NDs don't abide by the preponderant / consensus definition of what actually is within science: and that excludes vitalism, supernaturalism, and teleology.  And they don't transparently communicate 'the essentially naturopathic.'

 

002.j. regarding "ethical, qualified":

 

not.

002.k.regarding "cooperate with other health professions":

not health professionals.

002.l. regarding "ethical character and trust worthiness as a health care professional":

ha, ha, ha, ha.

NYANP's False Label of Allopathy, Coded Vitalism, and the ND Superscience Claim:

at their blog page Naturopathy in New York, the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians hosts the essay "Preventing Chronic Diseases through State Licensure of Naturopathic Medicine" by [apparent nonND and undergraduate student] Goldstein, S. (? ?) who states: 

"allopathic and osteopathic doctors [...] a naturopathic doctor who is trained in both allopathic and homeopathic medicine [...] naturopathic doctors, who will most likely see fewer patients in the same period of time when compared to allopathic and osteopathic doctors [...] after the four years, just like allopathic and osteopathic students, naturopathic students have a cumulative exam to license them as naturopathic doctors [...] naturopathic, allopathic, osteopathic [...] allopathic-MD, naturopathic-ND [...] pharmaceutical companies persuade allopathic and osteopathic doctors (M.D.’s and D.O.’s) [...] allopathic and osteopathic general practitioners [...] alternative (defined as other than allopathic) treatments [...] organized medicine (allopathic) [...] allopathic doctors [...] the allopathic health care field [...] allopathic and naturopathic [...]  licensed allopathic and other physicians [...] allopathic physicians tend to practice within the structured framework of their medical doctor license [...] there is a considerable difference between how allopathic and naturopathic doctors are taught to treat their patients [...] allopathic drugs [...] teachers at the naturopathic medical schools, just like the allopathic medical schools [...] an allopathic medical student [...] allopathic medical students [...] allopathic medical community [...] allopathic medical community [...] allopathic and osteopathic doctors [...]  allopathic and osteopathic doctors [...] 

# of hours of basic & clinical sciences [...] conventional medical schools [...] ≈1524 [...] 4-year naturopathic medical schools [...] ≈1535 [...] 

curriculum at one of the four, 4-year federally accredited naturopathic medical schools [...] spring & summer courses [...] The Vis Medicatrix Naturae [VMN...] credits [...] 1.5 [...] future naturopathic doctors in medical school are taught the six guiding principles of naturopathic medicine, such as 1) healing power of nature (trusting in the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself) [coded vitalism...] the six principles of naturopathic medicine [are used] as the guiding reason for selecting specific treatment modalities."

Note: allopathy, allopathy, allopathy.  It is as accurate to label modern medicine allopathy as it is to label modern astronomy astrology.  So, I regard the categorical labelings of this long essay as unsound.  I have labeled the mislabeling of modern medicine by naturopathy "the reverse sectarian accusation." 

Also, it is not true that having a greater numbers of science classes in an ND degree than an MD degree makes naturopathy scientifically legitimate. I call this "the ND superscience claim."

When all is said and done, VMN overarches naturopathy's context, which is HPN, which is the science-ejected vitalistic context of naturopathy [coded here, because that is the naturopathic MO].  I call this "the thing itself."