Application Process
Download a copy of the ICIM application form here. You may mail the completed form to our Admissions office at: admissions@icimphil.com

Admission to ICIM is competitive and it is the College’s goal to admit only the most highly qualified applicants. The College reserves the right to admit or reject applicants at the sole discretion of the Admissions Committee at any point in the admissions process. For more information, email us at the office of admissions.

Applications are available on ICIM's web site and through the Office of Admissions ( ). Initial consideration goes to candidates who apply by the dates listed below. However, ICIM continues to consider applicants on a space-available basis thereafter.

Early Decision November 1, 2009
Priority Decision February 1, 2010

Candidates who have selected ICIM as their first choice are encouraged to apply on or before the early decision date.
Note: The Office of Admissions and ICIM assume no responsibility for applications that are not considered because they are incomplete.

Completed application files will be evaluated and those individuals who competitively meet requirements may be invited to interview. The on-campus interview is required for acceptance. Telephone interviews are normally not granted, but can be considered under documented, extenuating circumstances.

MSOM Program
Applications are available on ICIM's web site and through the Office of Admissions. Initial consideration goes to candidates who apply by the dates listed below. However, ICIM continues to consider applicants on a space-available basis thereafter.

Early Decision November 1, 2009
Priority Decision February 1, 2010
ND/MSOM Program

Exceptional students in the ND program may apply to the dual ND/MSOM program during their second year for admission the following fall.

Application Requirements for U.S. Citizens and Residents
• Completed and signed application form
• P_____ nonrefundable application fee
• Official sealed college transcripts for all college and university coursework, sent directly to the ICIM Office of Admissions from the institution
• Catalog course descriptions for all courses that qualify as science prerequisites
• Two letters of recommendation, one from a college or university faculty member, and one from a professional, preferably in a health-related field
• A one-page chronological resume of work, educational, and volunteer experience with references and phone numbers
• A Verification of Student Conduct Form mailed or faxed directly to the ICIM Office of Admissions from every college and university attended
• Signed Criminal Disclosure and Information Consent form
• Signed Technical Standards statement

Please follow the application packet's detailed instructions and direct all application materials to the Office of Admissions - address shown above.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that materials are received by ICIM on time. Application materials become property of ICIM and will not be returned or forwarded to other institutions.

On-campus Interview
Completed applications will be evaluated and those individuals who competitively meet requirements will be invited to a required interview on campus. Telephone interviews are normally not granted, but may be considered under extenuating circumstances. The interview allows students to visit the College and decide if it is a good fit.

Technical Standards
ICIM's goal is to broadly prepare students for the practice of naturopathic or Chinese medicine. This goal is achieved in part by undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education, and preparation for life-long learning. Modern medical education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of skills and professional attitudes and behavior. Our faculty has the responsibility to graduate the best possible practitioners and physicians; thus, admission into ICIM is offered to those who present the highest qualifications for the study and practice of naturopathic or

Chinese medicine
Applicants to ICIM must possess the following general qualities: critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, physical and mental stamina, and the ability to learn and function in a wide variety of educational settings. In all phases of medical education, students of medicine must use their intellectual ability and must maintain emotional stability, particularly when under stress. Graduates of ICIM must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and render a wide spectrum of patient care.

Motor Skills
Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. Candidates should be able to execute motor functions necessary to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.

Sensory and Observational Skills
Candidates must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in experiments as required by the ICIM curriculum. They must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance as well as close at hand and be able to obtain a medical history directly from the patient, while observing the patient's medical condition. This observation necessitates the functional use of vision, hearing and other sensory modalities.

Communication Skills
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively both orally and in written form with patients. At times these skills must be performed in clinical settings when time for communication may be limited.

Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Skills
These skills include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem-solving and diagnosis, the critical skills demanded of physicians, require all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, candidates must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

Behavioral and Social Skills and Professionalism
Empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions process and throughout a student's medical education. Candidates must possess the emotional well-being required for the full use of their intellect; the ability to promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; and the capacity to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively when stressed. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function within the uncertainty inherent to the variety of clinical problems patients present.

In summary, the mission of ICIM faculty is to prepare students for the comprehensive practice of medicine. ICIM will consider for admission applicants who demonstrate the ability to perform or learn to perform the essential skills listed in this Technical Standards section. ICIM must ensure that patients are not placed in jeopardy by the students or physicians as a result of substantially impaired intellectual, physical, or emotional functions. Students will be assessed not only on their scholastic accomplishments, but also in their physical and emotional capacities to meet the full requirements of the school curriculum and to graduate as skilled and effective practitioners of naturopathic or Chinese medicine.

Students who believe they may not meet the criteria listed above should contact the Dean of Student Affairs to discuss his or her specific circumstances. The Dean will coordinate assessment and accommodations as deemed appropriate. Unresolved issues concerning a student's ability to meet these standards may result in delay or disqualification of the student's admission or registration.

Application Requirements for International Applicants
In addition to the requirements outlined above, international applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Complete an international student Certificate of Finance. This satisfies visa application requirements by verifying adequate financial resources to cover the anticipated period of study.
• If English is a second language, submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). NCNM requires a score of 550 on the written exam or 213 on the computer exam.
• Submit all non-english transcripts for translation and evaluation to one of the following approved evaluation services

International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
310.390.6276
Office of International Education Services
202.296,3359
World Education Services, Inc.
212.966.6311

• Transcripts from accredited US, Canadian, English, Australian and New Zealand colleges and universities are generally exempt from this requirement. ICIM reserves the right to require outside evaluation in certain cases.
Second Degree Admission and Transfer from Other ND or Oriental Medicine Programs
Copies of policies regarding transfer students are available from the Office of Admissions. Note that there is a P____ nonrefundable transcript evaluation fee.

Second professional degree candidates, defined as a health care practitioner with a doctoral level degree, ND, DC, MD, DO, DDS, or DPM, may apply for fall, winter or spring term admission. Depending on prior completed coursework, a full-time schedule may not be available for one of these terms. A proposed class schedule for the intended term of entry and a degree completion plan can only be created after a candidate's prior course work has been evaluated.
Due to the classical orientation of the MSOM program, only a limited number of credits from programs with a traditional orientation are transferable.

College and Program Accreditation
The degrees of Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) and Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) are under application for approval by the State of Oregon, Office of Degree Authorization, 1500 Valley River Drive, Suite100, Eugene, OR 97401. Approval is granted to institutions that satisfy state academic requirements.

ICIM has applied for accredition at both the master's and doctoral degree levels with the US Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The Northwest Commission is one of six U.S. regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U. S. Secretary of Education. NWCCU is located at 8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052.

The ND degree program is under application for accreditation by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), a programmatic accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Department of Education. Their offices are located at P.O. Box 178, Great Barrington, MA 01230

The MSOM program is under application for accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), a programmatic accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Department of Education for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners. They are located at Maryland Trade Center 3, 7501 Greenbelt Center Drive, Suite 820, Greenbelt, MD 20770 .

The MSOM program is under application for approval additionally by the California Board of Acupuncture (allowing graduates to sit for the California licensing exam) and the New Mexico Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

The above programs are offered by ICIM in collaboration and partnership with National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. The application by ICIM to the various US accrediting bodies is supported by NCNM, an international and US partner of ICIM. For further information regarding programs at National College of Natural Medicine, please contact: Office of Admissions, National College of Natural Medicine, 049 SW Porter Street, Portland, OR 97201, 503.552.1660.