Naturopathic Doctor (Kinesiology, BKin)

Dr. Corina Kibsey, ND, Triangle Physiotherapy

By: Zoha Kan, Outreach & Support Peer

Dr. Corina Kibsey graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2011. She initially intended to pursue a career in teaching, but through education and involvement, she became interested in physical health and helping professions. Dr. Kibsey narrowed her options to physiotherapy and naturopathy and was accepted into the naturopathic program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, graduating in 2015. 

During her studies at Laurier, Dr. Kibsey’s passion for becoming involved in the community motivated her to volunteer and shadow at several clinics. At these clinics, she was able to learn about the day-to-day operations of a clinic, shadow medical professionals and gain valuable knowledge which helped her clarify her enthusiasm for naturopathic medicine. She participated in multiple clubs and societies at Laurier during this period, such as Habitat for Humanity, Students’ Union Campus Clubs & Faculty Association, Winter Carnival, Orientation Week and BACCHUS (Peer Connect). Volunteering at clinics and with clubs during her undergraduate years allowed Dr. Kibsey to develop new skills and gain hands-on experience while positively impacting and refining her career interests.  

Currently, Dr. Kibsey is working at Triangle Physiotherapy Group of Clinics, which has nine sites. She works at different locations every week. This enables her to gain exposure to various settings and interact with other demographics while also acquiring new skills such as business and marketing. In her position, she makes recommendations for nutritional supplements and products, identifies hormonal changes, performs hands-on therapies like acupuncture and writes requisitions for tests. Performing physical examinations and counselling patients make up the majority of her work. Due to the need to actively listen to patients as they discuss their medical histories and comprehend their perspectives, having highly empathetic listening skills is crucial for a Naturopath.  

According to Dr. Corina Kibsey, having good business skills is the most critical and challenging part of being a Naturopath. Even if you are a doctor, a Naturopath still needs to practice and run the business. A Naturopath must use a variety of marketing channels to establish a clientele. Dr. Corina spends part of her time advertising her services online through Google business and a patient-friendly website. Additionally, she is part of a networking group with people from all other professions where they exchange knowledge, give presentations and network to get more patient recommendations. Dr. Kibsey values this networking as she can engage with other professionals and take part in something she likes while simultaneously promoting her services. A few of her other hobbies include yoga, spending time with her dog and reading. Dr. Corina has written two novels as a ghostwriter. She also used to write blogs and articles for other health-related organizations but quit due to time constraints and to focus more on her career. She still writes blogs for her website focusing on healthy eating and lifestyle.  

Moreover, Dr. Kibsey highlighted the distinctions between a doctor and a naturopath. She noted that natural therapy-based naturopathy has the propensity to pinpoint the underlying source of symptoms and problems. In contrast, a doctor’s primary concern is treating the symptoms rather than examining the patient as a whole. It varies from province to province, but naturopaths are only permitted to employ non-drug therapy in Ontario. Although a naturopathic approach to problem-solving may take time, it gets to the root of the issue, which may result in more positive health outcomes. Therefore, one of the finest aspects of practicing naturopathy for Dr. Kibsey is watching patients improve and knowing she can help and make a difference in their lives.  

A career in naturopathy is worth the training, even though being a naturopath needs at least eight years of training - four years of undergraduate study and four years of naturopathy school. The undergraduate degree could be from any program of interest if you meet the requirements for a naturopathy school, including a strong GPA and prerequisite courses in biology, life sciences, chemistry, psychology and social sciences or humanities. Further information is available on the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine website. Although there is competition for admission to naturopathic school, if you are passionate and aware of what you are entering into and have a strong application (tip: attend a further education event at the Career Centre!), it will go well. Moreover, two tests are necessary after graduation from naturopathic school: the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEX) and the other is for the province in which the individual will be working to start practising. Dr. Kibsey strongly believes that everyone can study and get the grades they desire or need, but it’s crucial to have a love for working in the healthcare field.  

For those pursuing a career in Naturopathic Medicine, she highly recommends volunteering and shadowing at different clinics to determine the areas of interest. Another great thing to consider is how much you enjoy the topics covered in various naturopathic school pre-requisite courses you are taking. She also advises using the Career Centre at Laurier to explore your interests, as it helped her in the past as well. According to Dr. Kibsey, this line of work is best suited for those who have outstanding listening skills, great business skills and empathy for other people. “If you go into naturopathic medicine, do it to help people.”