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Welcome to Sonoran University of Health Sciences! Before we get started, I'll share a few tips to help you navigate. The tour is organized around your experience as an on-campus student. To view our beautiful campus: Click the arrow to visit the next point of interest or pick it from the list on the left. Remember you can explore any point in more detail by clicking the supplemental icons. Sonoran University is an accredited leader in healthcare education founded in 1993 and located in beautiful, sunny Tempe, AZ. Our integrated curriculum, renowned faculty and state-of-the-art medical centers provide students with a rich landscape in their journey in becoming leaders in naturopathic medicine, nutrition, and more. The College of Nutrition and School of Mental Health offer innovative online programs that prioritize the student experience to ensure high-quality education where our learners are remote but never alone. In addition, the Ric Scalzo Institute of Botanical Research allows our students to see botanical medicine go from benchtop to bedside and change lives. We believe in the healing power of nature.
Lim Commons: Heart of Campus
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The Mr. Andrew C.G. and Dr. Ruth Tan Lim Commons is the heart of campus. The LEED platinum-certified building sits across our solar-covered car parking, generating clean electricity for campus. In the Lim Commons you'll find comfortable classrooms, the Thorne Auditorium, 18 study group rooms, our university library, fitness room, yoga studio, a healthy café, and a teaching kitchen. The Lim Commons houses our Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine, one of two state-of-the-art medical clinics on campus. The Lim Commons' spacious floorplan allows for gatherings, events, and other social engagements. Every detail is designed to enhance the student experience, whether you are attending a class, seeing patients in clinical rotations, studying with your friends in the sun-lit student lounge, or grabbing a healthy bite to eat.
Classrooms: Your Pre-Clinical Years
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The Sonoran University campus is a robust learning environment focusing on innovation and cutting-edge research. Our rigorous Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine curriculum, led by renowned faculty, includes clinical practice in your first quarter. You'll learn the biomedical sciences, principles of naturopathic medicine and clinical skills, bridging the gap between evidence-based medicine and time-tested natural healing therapies to bring patients back to health. On campus, comprehensive evidence-based lectures are supported by hands-on experience. Students practice their clinical skills through blood pressure checks and reading vitals. The next phase of clinical education includes practicing on standardized patients. These are important precursors to your clinical experience in our medical centers in years 3 and 4. To prepare for success, in-person and virtual classes employ best teaching practices which include team-based learning and evidence-based study. The College of Nutrition's online learning environment is equally student-centric and focused and has an engaging course infrastructure that prepares students for success. Programs in the College of Nutrition have implemented best practices in curriculum development specific to an online learning environment. In all programs, class sizes are focused so each student gets the attention they deserve. Our faculty are here to help you thrive in the classroom and online.
Teaching Kitchen: Hands-on Nutrition
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Our teaching kitchen is designed for demonstrating the ease of optimizing your health through diet. You will have multiple opportunities throughout your studies to put clinical knowledge to use, by taking part in targeted classes held right here in our modern teaching kitchen. Naturopathic physicians and clinical nutritionists improve patient and client health through diet. In this space you have the opportunity to engage in hands-on training to learn how to personalize dietary approaches based on individual needs. Online students have access to the teaching kitchen when they visit the university campus.
We are committed to your success as a student through our use of innovative resources and facilities. Our Student Success Center is your resource for academic advising and career counseling, staffed with a learning specialist and numerous peer tutors. Online students can also take advantage of this valuable resource through virtual appointments and lessons. On campus, students can learn from one another in study rooms that offer private and group meeting spaces with monitors, white boards, and large tables. We believe collaboration leads to success. Finally, students have several resources available as they go through either NPLEX or CNS® exam prep. It's no wonder our students outpace many schools in both the NPLEX and CNS® examinations. All student resources are designed to give you the support you need, how you need it, so you can achieve success.
Library
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The University library, spanning 4,100 square feet, offers a rich repository of over 6,000 resources including books, audio and video recordings, e-books, journals, and diverse learning aids such as anatomical models and acupuncture figurines. Accessible both on-campus and online, the library supports current students and alumni with extensive medical databases and academic resources from the National Library of Medicine and Library of Congress. Our facilities are equipped with free Wi-Fi, computers, printers, scanners, comfortable lounge chairs, and various study spaces, including four group study rooms, fostering an environment conducive to both individual and collaborative learning. Our students are well-equipped with the latest information in natural medicine, health sciences, and more, facilitating education, research, diagnosis, and treatment protocols.
Chi Workout Room and Prana Yoga Studio: Maintaining Balance
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Taking care of yourself during school is vital. We help students, faculty and staff practice what we preach to truly live a healthy lifestyle. We designed our Lim Commons with this in mind. Connect with fellow students and study in a comfortable, sunlit atmosphere, work off stress in our CHI fitness room, equipped with free weights, treadmills and ellipticals or find your Zen through meditation or yoga in the Prana yoga studio. Our wellness resources also extend beyond the studio with many available to students online as well! From free access to nutrition and mental health counseling services to a variety of supportive resources that aid in managing school, work, and life balance. Taking time to nurture your mind, body, and spirit is a necessary component to your studies and easy to do in our healthy and supportive environment.
Academic Building: Community & Experiential Learning
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The moment you step onto campus, you'll feel the welcoming environment. Our community celebrates diversity, accessibility, and individual and collective successes. Our Academic Building has the most history on campus. Mentors and alumni who pioneered some of the most influential naturopathic clubs and organizations, such as Naturopaths Without Borders, walked the same halls. Connections formed in class, online or on-campus, are strengthened through extracurricular activities. Students make new connections with others across all university programs to deepen their knowledge of whole-person wellness and form bonds with their peers in clubs like Applied Kinesiology, Global Traditional Medicine Club, Botanical Medicine Club, and more. Clubs are offered to both in-person and virtual learners, so connections are fostered around the world.
Anatomy Labs: Foundation of Biomedical Education
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Human Anatomy and Physiology are the study of the structure and function of the human body. Together, they are the foundational sciences of advanced biomedical and clinical medical education. In the College of Naturopathic Medicine, you will spend much of your first year in the Anatomy lab, building your foundational knowledge through valuable hands-on experience. The Anatomy lab, equipped with seven cadaver tables and interactive digital monitors, is an example of Sonoran University's commitment to classroom technology. The adjacent "dry" lab includes digital monitors, x-ray illuminators, and anatomical models for student use. The Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine Degree program's first-year curriculum prepares students for advanced systems-based medical education beginning in year two.
Academic Building – Ric Scalzo Institute
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Our Research Institute features seven rooms of lab spaces with specialized technology and instruments. The Biosafety Level 2 lab features a molecular and cellular biology lab, virus and cell culture spaces, a compound isolation lab, and a compound identification and quantification facility. Here, our researcher's study, test, and help develop new medicines, show the potential of nature's healing power, and provide boundless opportunities for human health and the health of our planet. Having the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research on our campus allows students to take part in transformational research, deepen their knowledge of plant medicine, and contribute to the progress of increasingly more effective and safe botanical products. Previous student research has been focused on proving the efficacy of botanicals toward antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and viruses including COVID-19, papilloma, herpes, rhinovirus, zika and Ebola.
Ric Scalzo Institute Lab – Bioassay Lab
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Equipped with state-of-the-art molecular biology and analytical chemistry resources, the Institute generates breakthrough discoveries from medicinal plants and other natural substances. Teaming up with the natural products industry, the Institute transforms these discoveries into commercially available natural remedies providing a rich source of medicines to treat current and emerging diseases. Natural products the Institute works with range from skincare, mental health, inflammation, veterinary, and anti-microbial.
Student Research
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In the College of Naturopathic Medicine, students are given opportunities to engage with our seminal research department, known for its groundbreaking studies in collaboration with world-renowned universities and organizations. Our research focuses on cutting-edge developments in anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and immune regulatory botanicals, emphasizing quality control and patient safety. The Botanical Medicine curriculum integrates traditional use and contemporary research through courses that include field study, lectures, and medicine-making labs. These courses cover clinical use, pharmacognosy, indications, dosages, formulations, and safety, enhancing students' understanding of botanical medicine for treating various health conditions, and promoting prevention and wellness. Students have the unique opportunity to collaborate on research at the Ric Scalzo Institute, contributing to studies that are published in peer-reviewed journals and presented both nationally and internationally. Our annual Research Night, attended by industry leaders, showcases the impactful work of our students and residents, positioning them at the forefront of naturopathic medicine innovation—from benchtop to bedside.
Medicinal Herb Garden
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The Sonoran University campus is enhanced by native Sonoran Desert plants, such as ocotillo and various cacti, reminding the community to remain resilient in adversity. The University Garden is rich with vegetation that lives in harmony with the desert plants. The north campus patio and garden offer herbs and vegetable gardens, various picnic and study tables, a variety of flowers, and other medicinal plants. Aside from being an oasis in the desert, it's a great place to learn about botanical medicine. The plants in the garden are used to enhance your learning experience. Learn to harvest aloe vera and make herbal salves or gather lemon balm leaves to make herbal tea. You will learn about the connection between plants and people and how botanical medicine heals. We are committed to advancing botanicals' importance through the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research student-led research projects, hosting the Southwest Botanical Conference since 1997.
Natural Medicinary: Largest in the Southwest
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The natural Medicinary is the largest in the Southwest and houses over 7,000 products. Here you will physician grade supplements, herbal teas and tinctures, Chinese medicinal herbs, body care products, and apparel. Time in the Medicinary is spent learning how to prepare botanical tinctures. In the classroom, you'll learn when to prescribe and how to safely administer various supplements, botanicals, or homeopathic remedies as part of a patient's treatment plan. The Medicinary serves more than just our campus community, it also serves the community. The Medicinary is open to the public and a portion of every tax-free purchase goes to support our Sage Foundation for Health, Sonoran University's nonprofit that brings free healthcare to under-resourced communities.
Medical Center: Clinical Experiences
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Arizona enjoys the widest scope of practice for naturopathic medicine; there is no better environment for training than Sonoran University of Health Sciences. Sonoran University Medical Center is where classroom learning meets practical application with patients. In years 3 & 4 of the Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine Degree Program, you will apply your intake and physical diagnosis skills to diagnose and treat pathology in patients. We employ some of the most well-known and experienced NDs, acupuncturists, and other integrative professionals – who will be your teachers, mentors and eventually colleagues. You'll learn to deliver the best patient care in a center focusing on general medicine, hormone health, pediatrics, geriatrics and everything in between. The University Medical Center features 27 exam rooms, 6 classrooms, an IV therapy suite, hydrotherapy, minor surgery suite and lab. Our CLIA-certified lab is where you'll learn to run a lab for your future practice.
University Medical Center Classrooms: Patient Case Prep & Review
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Thanks to a solid foundation of clinical introduction classes in years 1&2 of the Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine Degree Program, you'll have mastered your basic clinical skills with classmates through a simulated clinical environment utilizing standardized patient cases. Once you enter clinic in year 3, you'll be on clinical rotations and meet with fellow students and supervising physicians to observe and review patient interactions in classrooms like this. Clinical rotations are small – typically 6-8 students, and vary in focus including pediatrics, general medicine, physical medicine, pain management and acupuncture. As you progress from a secondary to a primary medical student, you'll take increased responsibility for the treatment and care of patients under the direction of a supervising naturopathic doctor.
Medical Center Treatment Room
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Each of the 27 exam rooms, like this one, include state of the art equipment designed to optimize your learning experience. The Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine clinical experience is not limited to the on-campus medical centers. Our mission is to increase access to quality medical care- and as a student, you'll play an integral role in this mission through your involvement in our many community clinics. The Sage Foundation for Health program includes clinics serving those living with HIV/AIDS, women and children working through trauma, elementary school-based centers, those recovering from substance use disorder, and individuals currently experiencing homelessness. You'll become a stronger clinician through experiencing the spectrum of cultural, economic and sociopolitical perspectives. Most importantly, you'll improve the quality of life of your patients and make an impact in the community. The College of Nutrition online students also take part in practice experience through Sonoran's self-paced Supervised Practice Experience (SPE) and one-of-a-kind Virtual Health Center for Personalized Nutrition.
IV Therapy Suite: Nutrients & Supplements
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Arizona's wide scope of practice for naturopathic doctors includes IV therapy. In this therapy, a variety of nutrients and minerals are administered intravenously to boost the immune system and accelerate the healing process. Here in our advanced IV therapy suite, you will be guided and instructed by a medical professional in administering IVs to patients. Patients benefitting from IV therapy include those suffering from conditions such as immune deficiencies and arthritis, to everyday illnesses such as colds and flu.
Hydrotherapy Wing: Harnessing the Power of Water
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Hydrotherapy is a powerful, yet gentle treatment using water in various forms to increase the body's ability to heal from chronic and acute conditions. Used for centuries to combat disease and restore health, you will learn to harness the detoxifying effects it produces and recognize it as a useful therapy for many conditions including colds, flus, upper respiratory conditions and removal of environmental toxins. The Sonoran University Medical Center offers a full hydrotherapy suite for our patients, creating an excellent learning laboratory for students, including the use of a wet sauna, infrared sauna, steam inhalation, and constitutional hydrotherapy, providing a restorative and therapeutic environment.
Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine: Integrative Pain Management
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Over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. No other profession offers more options for treating pain than naturopathic medicine, and no other college of naturopathic medicine has an integrative pain center like ours. At our Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine, you will study under naturopathic physicians, an anesthesiologist pain specialist, and acupuncturists. Working in an interdisciplinary clinical setting that emphasizes non-opioid approaches to pain gives students the skills and experience to be valuable providers within various medical practices. Students see patients at the Center for Regenerative Medicine and are taught the wide range of therapies we can offer in the state of Arizona – the widest scope in the United States. We can offer patients therapeutics including hands-on therapies, acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, mindfulness-based stress reduction, nutrition, regenerative injection therapies and when necessary, prescription medications. Studying in a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary clinical setting gives students the skills and experience to care for patients upon graduation.
Neil Riordan Center (Therapy Bay/Exam Room)
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Conventional pain management relies on surgeries and medications as a way of treating the symptoms of pain, but at our Center for Regenerative Medicine, we know that pain relief can come from the body's natural function with proper support. As a non-opioid pain solution, the therapies used serve as a more natural option and non-addictive alternative for pain relief, using minimally invasive techniques to maximize a patient's quality of life.
Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine: Fluoroscopy Suite
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In addition to utilizing natural therapies and ultrasound for pain treatment, students work with MDs and NDs in the fluoroscopy suite. The fluoroscope, or c-arm, is a video X-ray that allows doctors to precisely visualize the anatomical structure of the patient and where the needle needs to go when injecting into a joint like a shoulder, hip, knee, and especially the spine. Access to this type of equipment optimizes the learning experience and gives students a high-quality look inside the human body. Hands-on experience brings classroom knowledge to life, so students continuously expand their learning.
Shape the Future of Health Care
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Sonoran University of Health Sciences is proud to be leading a new generation of healthcare professionals, through innovative on-campus and online education. Our alumni are passionate about leading a new healthcare movement to meet patient and client demand for natural, integrative, evidence-based care. All students experience the satisfaction of helping others live healthier, more radiant lives. No matter where your degree takes you, we are committed to helping you design your ideal career based on your passions and strengths so you can make an impact. Work closely with patients or clients in your own clinic, discover new evidence in botanical medicine, or strengthen bonds through community health. Be a part of something greater, at Sonoran University. We hope you've enjoyed our campus tour; there is so much more to see in person. We invite you to make an appointment to visit the Sonoran University of Health Sciences campus.
