Explore how UWS faculty blend science, experience, and patient care to teach evidence-informed naturopathic medicine.
By Bryanna Somers
In naturopathy, being evidence-informed means leaning on the best available research while also considering a patient’s lived experience and the emerging science that hasn’t yet made its way into formal guidelines. In doing so, naturopathic doctors (NDs) meet patients where they are and create a plan that’s both safe and deeply personal.
To dig deeper into what evidence-informed medicine means in practice, we sat down with Marcia Prenguber, ND, dean of the Naturopathic Medicine program at University of Western States (UWS). A leader in integrative oncology and naturopathic medicine, Dr. Prenguber explains how evidence-informed care can support patients through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond.
What Evidence-Informed Care Means in Naturopathic Medicine
At its core, being evidence-informed means drawing on all the information available to make the best possible decision for a unique patient. In naturopathic medicine, that evidence can include:
- Published research from peer-reviewed journals
- Smaller-scale studies and observational findings
- Traditional knowledge of therapies used safely for generations
- Clinical wisdom from providers’ real-world experience
- Patient presentation and preferences, which shape how care should be delivered
Dr. Prenguber describes the evidence-informed approach as building a pyramid. Each layer of information—research, case reports, clinical wisdom, patient presentation—narrows the choices until the right approach for that individual patient becomes clear. “This allows us to build a picture of the person and what their conditions are,” she says. “By the time you reach the top of the pyramid, you have a treatment plan that’s grounded in science and also tailored to the whole person in front of you.”
Whole-Person Health in Naturopathy Training
A defining feature of the UWS naturopathic medicine program is its grounding in whole person health. Students are taught to see patients not as a set of symptoms but as complex individuals whose physical, emotional, social, and environmental realities all shape their health.
Dr. Prenguber shares an example: Two patients may arrive with the same respiratory infection. One is a young athlete living in a sunny climate; the other is an older patient living alone in a damp apartment.
“The condition might be the same on paper, but the treatment won’t likely be the same,” she explains. “It’s about who the person is.”
Evidence-Informed vs. Evidence-Based: What’s the Difference?
The terms “evidence-based” and “evidence-informed” are often used interchangeably, but in naturopathic medicine, they mean very different things.
Evidence-based care typically relies on standardized treatment protocols drawn from large clinical trials. It asks, “What intervention has been proven most effective for the majority of patients with this condition?” While this approach offers clarity, it can also leave out the unique circumstances, values, and lived experiences of individual patients.
Evidence-informed care, on the other hand, starts with the research but doesn’t end there. It also considers smaller-scale studies, clinical wisdom from years of practice, traditional knowledge, and (most importantly) the patient’s personal story, all of which contribute to whole person health.
Dr. Prenguber explains, “I can gather all the double-blind placebo studies, but those don’t always tell us what we need to know for this particular patient. Evidence-informed care asks us to listen, observe, and think critically about who they are and what will help them most.”
In practice, this distinction matters. Evidence-based care might recommend the same treatment for every patient with a digestive disorder. Evidence-informed care recognizes that one patient’s lifestyle, emotional health, and environment may call for a different approach than another’s, even if the diagnosis is the same.
“No study can tell us who this person is or what matters most to them,” Dr. Prenguber says. “We have to listen, observe, and think critically. That’s what evidence-informed means.”
The Naturopathic Toolkit: Homeopathy, Botanicals, and Beyond
Naturopathic doctors rely on an expansive toolkit that includes homeopathy, botanical medicine, nutrition, physical medicine, and lifestyle care. Each therapy comes with its own kind of evidence, and UWS faculty help students learn how to weigh it all.
Homeopathy, for example, is one of the most individualized therapies. “Two patients with the same respiratory infection might receive different remedies depending on how their symptoms present,” Dr. Prenguber says. “For example, maybe one wants to stay home in bed to recover, while another seeks activity and company.”
Botanical medicine requires creativity too. Students learn not just about single herbs but how to combine them into tinctures that have a driving force, supporting remedies and even considerations such as taste. Nutrition adds another layer of complexity, one in which countless dietary approaches exist, and the challenge is deciding which one best fits a patient’s needs and circumstances.
“We draw from conventional research,” says Dr. Prenguber, “but we also look at smaller studies, faculty and practitioner experience, and what we know about how a patient will respond. It’s about making smart choices based on all the evidence we have.”
This diversity of approaches ensures that UWS students learn to evaluate options, balance evidence, and adapt care to the person in front of them.
How UWS Prepares Students for Real-World Naturopathic Practice
UWS students begin their education with the sciences, including physiology, anatomy, and diagnostics.
As they progress in the program, they learn more about the symptoms that inform the condition (in courses such as gastroenterology, cardiovascular health, homeopathy, botanical medicine, and nutrition). What does it mean when two people share the same diagnosis but experience it completely differently? How does stress or environment change the way an illness unfolds?
By the time students reach the clinic, they’re ready to apply this learning with real patients. Here, they learn to treat diverse cases under the supervision of naturopathic physicians with different specialties.
“This hands-on training is where students learn to bridge the science they’ve studied with the human stories unfolding in front of them,” Dr. Prenguber says. This also helps students see firsthand that there are many safe and effective ways to approach a condition.
Evidence-Informed Care in Action
Dr. Prenguber recalls supervising a student who was working with a cancer patient. The student pressed ahead with clinical questions, even after the patient mentioned the recent loss of her father. With expertise in oncology, Dr. Prenguber took note, then said, “Tell me more about your experience navigating the death of your father.”
“Her grief around her father’s death was impacting her ability to heal,” Dr. Prenguber says. Grief was at the center of the patient’s healing journey, and addressing this grief became just as important as treating her physical symptoms. “Once we realized this, the student was able to help her navigate her grief with a homeopathic remedy, which then allowed her to focus on the health challenges she had with her cancer.”
Moments like these remind students that patient stories are a form of evidence, too. Evidence-informed education trains students to notice those details, to hold space for them, and to integrate them alongside science.
The Impact of Evidence-Informed Naturopathy on Students and Patients
As students grow more comfortable with the evidence-informed model, they begin to see themselves differently. “I see students light up when it clicks,” Dr. Prenguber says. “They walk into clinic and realize, ‘Oh, I can do this.’”
That confidence translates directly into patient care. When practitioners can explain the reasoning behind a recommendation and show how it fits the patient’s life, it builds trust, and that trust becomes part of the healing process itself.
Mentorship and Faculty Leadership in Naturopathy Training
At UWS, faculty are practicing naturopathic doctors with specialties ranging from homeopathy and botanical medicine to nutrition and lifestyle care. Each brings their own perspective into the classroom, which means students see that there are often many safe and effective ways to approach the same health concern.
“We talk openly about our own approaches,” Dr. Prenguber says. “If I get a sore throat, I might reach for one remedy. Another faculty member might do something completely different, and that’s OK. We model openness and humility in our choices.”
This diversity helps students learn to weigh options, evaluate evidence, and trust their clinical judgment.
“We want students to see that there isn’t always one ‘right’ answer in naturopathic medicine,” Dr. Prenguber adds. “What matters is learning how to evaluate evidence, apply it thoughtfully, and remain open to the patient in front of you.”
Faculty also serve as mentors beyond the clinic. They guide students in understanding the day-to-day realities of practice: how to manage uncertainty, how to communicate effectively with patients, and how to stay grounded in compassion when care becomes complex. Dr. Prenguber reminds students that their presence matters as much as their prescriptions: “Sometimes what heals most is that the patient feels heard, understood, and supported.”
Through these relationships, students begin to find their own voices as clinicians. They learn to balance rigor with creativity, to ask better questions, and to see patient care not as a formula but as an evolving partnership.
Ready To Explore a Career in Naturopathic Medicine?
If you’re ready to practice a model of care that sees the whole person, UWS can help you get there.
Learn how a whole-person, evidence-informed approach to care sets UWS students apart in the field of integrative health.
Explore the UWS Naturopathic Medicine program.