The Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) and NOW Health Group (NHG, Bloomingdale, IL) are introducing the Protocol for Life Scholarship, an initiative named in honor of the company’s visionary founder, Elwood Richard. With a generous six-figure investment spread over five years, this scholarship marks the single largest commitment ever made to advance naturopathic residency programs, reinforcing NHG’s deep-rooted commitment to medical education and training.
According to NHG, the Protocol for Life Scholarship is designed to enhance the accessibility, sustainability and standardization of naturopathic residency training, addressing a critical need in the field. This investment will create more residency opportunities for future naturopathic doctors (NDs) while ensuring that programs maintain the highest quality standards. The flexible nature of the scholarship allows for its use across various aspects of residency training, providing essential support to programs that align with these goals.
“The Richard family was inspired by my mother, Betty Richard, who grew up very poor and received financial aid to go to college,” says Dan Richard, NHG’s vice president of global sales and marketing. “Our family is helping pay for residency education and training as a way to ‘pay it forward’ to others who also have financial needs. The important work INM does in whole-person health aligns very well with our company’s philosophy.”
Yalda Shokooh, PharmD, PhD, director of science and nutrition at NOW, shares this enthusiasm, “Supporting residency opportunities best serves people. I am very grateful for the generous donation from the Richard family and cannot wait to see the tremendous impact it will have on education.”
This scholarship comes at a pivotal moment for the naturopathic community, as residencies play a crucial role in the professional development of NDs. By expanding training opportunities and standardizing training, the Protocol for Life Scholarship addresses a growing need for highly skilled naturopathic providers in primary care, ensuring more practitioners are well-equipped to deliver effective natural and sustainable health care solutions.
For more information, visit https://naturemed.org/community-resources/inm-residency-consortium.
