Home/
Integrative Medicine Careers
Integrative Medicine Careers
Research what it takes to begin a career in integrative medicine. Learn about education requirements, job duties, salary and job outlook to find out if this is the career for you.
What Are Career Options in Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine combines the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of medical science with healing modalities that address mind, body, spirit and emotion as an interconnected whole. As a doctor of integrative medicine, you would be concerned about more than the illness or part of the body in question. Your patients' nutrition, physical fitness, and stress level are all factors in determining their need for medical treatment. Because of this approach, you likely will spend a significant amount of time interviewing and speaking with patients to get a full understanding of their personal and medical history, as all of these could play a role in their treatment. Consider the information in the following table to determine if a career in integrative medicine is right for you.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Education Required</b></td><td>Bachelor's degree plus at least 4 years of medical school</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Training Required</b></td><td>Residency program lasting 3-8 years</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td>Communication, compassion, leadership, dexterity, and problem solving skills</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Licensure Required</b></td><td>Required by all states</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)*</b></td><td>3% for all physicians and surgeons</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Average Salary (May 2020)*</b></td><td>$218,850 for all physicians and surgeons</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.</i>
</p><h3 id="section---HowWouldIBecomeADoctorOfIntegrativeMedicine">How Would I Become a Doctor of Integrative Medicine?</h3><p>To become a doctor of integrative medicine, you must first become a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). Typically, the training and education takes 11 or more years. Education begins by obtaining a bachelor's degree, preferably in premedicine. Extracurricular activities can demonstrate character development, and you need to take the Medical College Admission Test. When you apply for medical school, you must provide college transcripts and letters of recommendation from professors or others who know of your capabilities.
</p><p>Medical school requires four years of specialized education followed by on-the-job training through a residency program. Residencies provide rotations among specialties, allowing you to experience them first-hand. These usually last from 3-8 years, depending on your chosen specialty. As a student interested in integrative medicine, your choices may include family medicine, oncology, obstetrics, internal medicine, orthopedic medicine or cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Once you have completed your residency, you can become a licensed physician by taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination through your state's medical board.
</p><p>Since the availability of programs in integrative medicine is limited, you may wish to consider becoming certified through the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. This step would occur after you become a licensed MD or DO and are board certified in your specialty. You can take the examination after your residency, but your status would not take effect until you meet the licensing and certification requirements. ABIHM certification, initially or in the certification maintenance process, does not require a specific curriculum, but a study guide is available.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCanIExpectToEarn">What Can I Expect to Earn?</h3><p>The national average salary for all doctors was $218,850 annually in 2020, however your actual salary would depend on which state and type of institution you choose to practice, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Statistics specifically for integrative medical practitioners aren't available, but physicians and surgeons overall earned a median salary over $208,000 in 2020, as per the BLS. Although the executive branch of the federal government pays an average salary of $248,870, hospitals offer more job opportunities, with average pay of approximately $178,260 the BLS reported in the same year. Outpatient care centers offer fewer positions, but average salary is one of the highest, at $247,790 per year (<i>www.bls.gov</i>).
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>You may also be interested in pursuing a career as a chiropractor, which requires a doctoral degree as well. Chiropractors are interested in working with the neuromusculoskeletal system and treating patients who are experience various types of pain related to this system. They adjust patients using spinal manipulation and various other techniques. Another option is a job as an advanced care nurse, like a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners work on a medical team and see, diagnose and treat patients with a number of medical conditions. This career requires a master's degree.</p>
