MD-DO Supervisory Agreement

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Establishing a supervisory relationship with an MD or DO can take a fair amount of legwork. We recommend sending out letters to many doctors in your area that you can then follow up with by phone, and try to set a short in-person appointment with to explain your qualifications, education, and licensure. You can also participate in grand rounds at nearby hospitals to make connections with potential supervisors.

Also, keep an eye on the doctors that your patients are seeing. Sending that doctor a report (if the patient is ok with that) can be a good way to open the door to a potential supervisor. Then send them a letter explaining that you're seeking a supervisor for prescribing privileges, and follow up by phone.

As far as the letters, gear them toward professionals and include examples of conditions that you typically treat and would like to be able to prescribe medication to treat. You can also include the documents on this webpage, which compare naturopathic training with conventional training, describe the PCP services you are licensed to perform in CA, and compare prescribing rights of NDs in licensed states. If you are able to set an appointment with a local doctor, we recommend bringing the handouts to your meeting as well.

Many MDs or DOs are completely unfamiliar with naturopathic medicine, and simply don't know about the training you go through to become a licensed doctor. Getting your foot in the door is a big step to securing a supervising relationship! You can bring your CV, discuss your education, and provide a potential supervisor with the attached information. It's also helpful to let them know you can act as a resource - many MDs/DOs are moving in the direction of integrative medicine and natural treatment, but lack training and expertise. You can provide that, plus be a source of referrals (and they can refer to you as well).  

Here are some resources you can take with you when meeting a potential supervisory MD or DO:

• Establishing a Supervision Agreement (PDF)
  
  For an example of a supervision agreement, please download a document from the list:

• Sample Supervision Agreement (PDF)

• Sample Supervision Agreement (Docx)

• Sample Formulary (Docx)