Bastyr Center for Natural Health, Seattle, and Bastyr University Clinic, San Diego — The Teaching Clinics of Bastyr University
The mission of Bastyr University teaching clinics is to create an extraordinary environment committed to excellence in health care and clinical education that assists and empowers individuals and the community to achieve better health and a higher quality of life.
Bastyr Center for Natural Health (Bastyr Center or BCNH) is the largest natural health clinic in the Northwest. As the first teaching clinic of Bastyr University, Bastyr Center provides patient services and student training in a professional clinical setting that emphasizes a natural approach to health care in the Fremont/Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Bastyr Center serves the health care needs of a diverse patient population, which includes young people, growing families and senior citizens from throughout the Puget Sound area. Bastyr Center schedules approximately 35,000 patient visits annually.
Services at Bastyr Center include naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition counseling, homeopathy, mental health counseling and physical medicine. A Chinese herbal medicine dispensary and a larger natural medicine dispensary are also available. For more information about Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, please visit www.BastyrCenter.org.
Bastyr University Clinic, San Diego, was established when the University opened its additional location in 2012. The San Diego clinic was the first naturopathic teaching clinic in California and offers naturopathic primary care as well as nutrition and lifestyle counseling services. The recently expanded facility includes 17 patient examination rooms in addition to an IV infusion room, hydrotherapy room with sauna and Hubbard tank, and a physical medicine room with yoga flooring. For more information about Bastyr University Clinic, San Diego, please visit www.BastyrClinic.org.
All students in clinical programs receive training in one of the Bastyr University clinics. Clinical associate deans and clinical lead faculty members in conjunction with the chief medical officer oversee the clinical education and training of students and work closely with each program’s department chair or dean to ensure quality and consistency in care.
Clinical training is modeled upon mentorship in a team care setting. The average faculty/student ratio is 1:6. Each clinic shift begins with a case preview session during which students present to a faculty supervisor case histories for the patients they will see that day. During each patient visit, the supervisor spends time in the room with the student team and the patient. The supervisor and student team also review patient assessments and treatment recommendations. Each clinic shift concludes with students and supervisors meeting to jointly discuss selected cases.
External clinical training opportunities have been developed for most clinical programs to provide a broader educational experience for students. Bastyr faculty members supervise student clinicians at each external site. External sites provide learning opportunities in area such as pediatrics, senior citizens, multi-ethnic, low-income, Spanish speaking, and homeless populations. Availability of sites and opportunities varies and is subject to change.
In addition, students in most clinical programs must fulfill a preceptorship requirement in which they work with a variety of licensed, practicing health care professionals in various community and private practice settings. These placements provide students with valuable clinical experience. The combination of opportunities provided by external training sites, the preceptor experience and clinical rotations at one of the University’s teaching clinics assures diversity in each student’s clinical training and experience.