Naturopathic medicine students from across North America will converge and connect at National University of Health Sciences during the Naturopathic Gathering 2012. The event will be held November 9-11 on the university’s Lombard campus in suburban Chicago. The theme for this year’s event is: “Rediscovering Our Roots: The Future of Nature Cure.”

Each year ND students from a different naturopathic medicine school host the Gathering at their campus. It is a chance for students from different regions to meet and share with each other, and benefit from the mentorship of seasoned naturopathic physicians who are invited to speak and lead small group sessions.

The speakers for the 2012 event are now confirmed and posted on the Gathering website. They include a roster of impressive leaders in naturopathic medicine, who offer both academic and practice experience to share, including:

Stephanie Draus, ND: a faculty member at NUHS and creator of “Feeding the Muse,”a website providing information on health for artists.

Reverend, Doctor Steven A. Bailey: specialist in fasting, immune support and patients with chronic and terminal illnesses.

Dr. Kyle Hawk Cronin: expert in women’s health and co-founder of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Susan DeLaney: a registered nurse and naturopathic physician, who completed her residency training with a homeopathic physician in India.

Dr. Louise N. Edwards: a member of the AANP “Founders Club” who is on the faculty of NUHS  as well as Bastyr University’s adjunct faculty.

Dr. Paul Epstein: co-founder and former co-director of the Israel Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Dr. Gerald Farnsworth: former NCNM board chair and past president of Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.

Dr. Judy Fulop: functional nutrition and naturopathic practitioner at Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, which is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University.

Helen C. Healy, ND: community-based faculty member of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Healy is a founding member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP).

Dr. Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa: president of Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, former dean of the College of Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport and former president of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.

Dr. Joel Shepperd: co-founder of the Illinois Homeopathic Medical Association who has authored the textbook Hahnemann’s Organon for Students.

Mitchell Bebel Stargrove ND, Lac: leading editor and co-author for major naturopathic textbooks and publications, and chief medical officer of MedicineWorks.com.

During the event, the guest speakers are honored as “elders.” Their mentorship is appreciated by students who will soon be new physicians in the dynamic and growing field of naturopathic medicine.

“We’re very happy that so many talented and respected physicians will be sharing their wealth of experience with us,” says Erica Cooper, chair of the student committee organizing the event at NUHS. “We’re proud that our campus, the newest of the naturopathic schools in North America, is hosting so many leaders in naturopathic medicine.”

For more information on event speakers, or to register for the Naturopathic Gathering 2012, visit www.naturopathicgathering.com.