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Medical Electives

NOSM University provides a variety of high-quality rural, remote,  small urban and tertiary center clinical learning opportunities in northern Ontario, through the Northern Electives Program (NEP).  NEP  is designed for internal and external undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents to complete elective placements in family medicine and specialty disciplines. All medical trainees from any medical university in the world can gain access to northern community-based clinical learning opportunities by registering for visiting electives through the AFMC Portal.

NEW: NOR-STAR Travel and Accommodation Reimbursement Funding Program for Northern Ontario Postgraduate Clinical Electives 

Canadian postgraduate trainees undertaking clinical electives in Northern Ontario through NOSM University will be reimbursed for travel and accommodation expenses by Health Force Ontario (HFO) through the NOR-STAR Program. Learn more. 

Visit the NOSM University Clinical Elective Catalogue to browse opportunities and learn more about communities. 

 For more information, visit nosm.ca/electives or contact us at electives@nosm.ca. 

How to browse NOSM University clinical elective opportunities across Northern Ontario

NOSM University’s Clinical Electives Catalogue is a fully interactive map that displays community profile information and general descriptions of all the elective opportunities.

Search Functionality:

Learners can search the Clinical Electives Catalogue in two different ways:

  • By Discipline: This filter option will display all the communities in which the specific discipline is offered and then learners can advance their search by sub-specialty.
  • By Community: This filter option will display all the disciplines offered in that specific community.

IMPORTANT FEATURE: When you are performing your search, you must click on the main disciplines name (with the grey arrows), which will produce a drop down list of all the sub-disciplines within it.

Community Information:

Learners can find out more information about the specific community they are seeking to perform placements in. When a learner selects a specific community, there will be a “Profile” link that provides helpful community information.

Quick Application:

Once a learner has decided to apply for a specific elective opportunity, they can click on the appropriate quick link (i.e., PaNDa or AFMC) which will bring them directly to the application platform.

  • For PGME residents (at NOSM U or visiting residents): please use the PaNDa application link.
  • For NOSM University MD students: please use the PaNDa application link.
  • For visiting Canadian or international MD students: please use the AFMC Portal application link.

For more information regarding elective placement requirements and application processes please visit the Medical Electives – For Applicants section.

Clinical Elective Placements at NOSM University

Learners can expect a high-quality educational experience that often offers one-on-one individual teaching with a clinical facilitator in an exciting practice environment. Our teaching physicians are enthusiastic and knowledgeable clinical role models, who uphold a high standard of care and thrive on achieving patient well-being.

Each elective provides an opportunity to develop skills in an informal setting and offers hands-on exposure to a wide range of medical situations that are often not available in a larger urban teaching center. Each learner works closely with a clinical facilitator to meet his/her objectives, with regular feedback and evaluations. Electives are available in Family Medicine, Rural Family Medicine, and Emergency Medicine, as well as in many specialty disciplines.

The walls of the NOSM University are the boundaries of Northern Ontario and span 800,000 km2 that include Indigenous, Francophone, remote/rural communities, and urban centres.  Below are 63 profiles of the more than 90 communities where NOSM University students live and learn.

Please visit our Community Profiles for additional community information provided to give learners a helpful insight into Northern Ontario communities and what they have to offer. We hope this information helps to guide your electives choices.

NOR-STAR Funding Program: New Funding for PGME Visiting Electives – Effective July 1, 2023

This initiative provides funding for travel and accommodation for postgraduate trainees from any Canadian residency program to undertake electives in Northern Ontario.

Northern Ontario is defined as all communities in the Territorial Districts of:  Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay or Timiskaming and including the single-tier municipality of Greater Sudbury.

Muskoka District is not designated as Northern Ontario.

All applications electives must be submitted through NOSM University’s Medical Electives Program. Although, placements in specific communities are not guaranteed at the time of application, every effort will be made to connect Residents and Fellows with a similar community if the community of interest does not have capacity, or alternatively, we will work to find alternate elective timing to fit their needs.

The NOR-STAR Program is specifically designed to help Family Medicine and Specialty Medicine Residents and Fellows learn through electives in Northern Ontario by providing supplemental travel and housing funding. This funding is available effective July 1, 2023, and will continue for a duration of 3 years, ending March 31, 2026.

For information regarding all the elective opportunities across Northern Ontario, please visit NOSM U’s Interactive Clinical Electives Catalogue.

View the NOSM U PGME Elective Opportunities Poster.

Application Process:

General Application Rule:

  • All Elective Applications must be submitted 12 weeks ahead of the placement start date.
  • If coming from outside of Ontario, please allow additional time for the licensing process.
  • The elective must be a duration of 1 weeks or more (Note: 1-week electives are not eligible to utilize NOSM U Housing)

Application: Apply through the NOSM U’s Visiting Resident Elective Application website.

Funding Eligibility:

  • In order to be eligible for travel and expense reimbursement via NOR-STAR, resident electives must meet the following criteria:
    • Start on or after July 1, 2023
    • Booked on the NOSM University Online Portal
    • The elective must take place in Northern Ontario (those communities covered by the Northeast or Northwest Ontario Health regions). Please note: electives in Muskoka District (which includes Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville) do not meet this criteria and therefore are not eligible for NOR-STAR funding.
    • Fellows must be registered with a Canadian Medical University or Program.

    Within the NOR-STAR Funding Program, there are two Programs (i.e., Locum Dyads or PGME Electives) that seem very similar but are distinct and have separate eligibility and funding parameters. Please refer to the table below to see what Program you belong to.

NOR-STAR Funding Program
Faculty-Learner Dyad Program NOSM U PGME Electives Program
General Description:
  • A resident from another Canadian university undertakes an elective in Northern Ontario with one of their own institution’s faculty members who is coming to northern community to locum. This is considered a faculty-learner dyad and not a NOSM University Elective.

i.e., A resident from University of Toronto travels with a faculty member from UofT who is working as a locum in Northern Ontario. The UofT faculty member (locum) is responsible for learning goals, teaching and supervision and learner assessment.
  • This initiative provides funding for travel and accommodation for postgraduate trainees from any Canadian residency program to undertake electives with NOSM U faculty in Northern Ontario.

i.e., A postgraduate trainee comes to Northern Ontario to work with NOSM U faculty. The NOSM U faculty member is responsible for teaching, supervision, and assessment.
Application/ Scheduling
  • All scheduling, credentialling, and any possible housing accommodations is completed between the preceptor/faculty/locum and the Hospital/FHT for the resident.
  • PGME trainees that are eligible for this program can be determined by their own institution.

Please Note: Faculty-learner Dyads are completely separate from NOSM University, and they do not need to go through NOSM U’s Northern Electives Program (for visiting PGME electives).
  • Applications are submitted on the NOSM University Online Portal.
  • The elective must take place in Northern Ontario (those communities covered by the Northeast or Northwest Ontario Health regions).

Please Note: Electives in Muskoka District (which includes Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville) do not meet these criteria and therefore are not eligible for NOR-STAR funding.

PGME Learners eligible for NOR-STAR funding:

1. NOSM U Resident:

  • Elective must be conducted outside of their home base community (still within Northern Ontario)
  • Must be a duration of 1 weeks or more. (Note: 1-week electives are not eligible to utilize NOSM U Housing)
  • Application: Apply through normal PaNDa Application.

2. Visiting Resident and Fellows:
Funding:
  • Funding and Reimbursement is completed and processed strictly though Ontario Health – Health Force.
  • Funding and Reimbursement is completed and processed strictly though Ontario Health – Health Force.
  • Please find all the funding and reimbursement information and processes included in the NOR-STAR Resident Information Document.
Questions/Help:
  • For more eligibility or funding information, connect with Ontario Health – Health Force at norstar@ontariohealth.ca.

Funding and Reimbursement Information:

Please find all the funding and reimbursement information and processes included in the NOR-STAR Resident Information Document.

Please direct all questions to the following offices:

  • Please have a look at the NOR-STAR FAQ document to see if you questions is there.
  • For Elective Applications, connect with NOSM U’s Electives Office: electives@nosm.ca
  • For more funding information, connect with Ontario Health – Health Force at norstar@ontariohealth.ca.

Last update: November 30, 2023

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Medical Electives