NOSM’s New Strategic Plan Provides Blueprint for Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North

On Tuesday, June 22, 2010, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) launched a new strategic plan intended to guide the School’s progress through the years 2010 to 2015. Much has been achieved in NOSM’s first five years of operations, and this second plan builds on these successes with well-established priorities and a clearly articulated vision and mission.

NOSM’s new vision – Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North – is supported by a mission that will enhance the School’s mandate for the education of high-quality physicians and health professionals and reinforce the School’s international recognition as a leader in distributed, learning-centred, community-engaged education and health research.

The new plan calls for five strategic priorities that will enable the School to realize its new vision and mission. These include:

Enhancing NOSM’s Education Program

NOSM will expand its distributed education and learning model and ensure the ongoing inclusion and balance of integrated, interprofessional clinical learning throughout NOSM’s undergraduate, postgraduate, and health professional programs. This focus will enable NOSM graduates to easily integrate into community care settings which have adopted collaborative, patient-centered approaches.

Strengthening NOSM’s Research Initiatives

NOSM will focus on further developing its research agenda in line with its distributed education model, and continue to broaden the academic experience of its learners, faculty, and staff. These research activities will respect the unique cultural attributes of NOSM’s Aboriginal, Francophone, and other culturally distinct partners.

Developing NOSM’s Learning Environment

NOSM will continue to emphasize an inquiring learning environment tailored to the needs of all of its stakeholders, including students and residents, as well as staff, faculty, and medical and health practitioners.

Fostering Excellent Faculty Relations

NOSM’s operating model consists of unique challenges related to the recruitment and retention of qualified full-time, part-time, and stipendiary faculty. Innovative approaches toward faculty relations will be developed to ensure the sustainability of the NOSM model.

Enhancing Collaboration and Communication with Community Partners

NOSM’s distributed education model relies heavily on the support and involvement of the communities and key stakeholder groups. NOSM will continue to enhance communication tools that support the development of these community partnerships.

NOSM Dean Dr. Roger Strasser acknowledged the extensive work that was completed by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the many contributors to the plan. “The new strategic plan is the result of a full year of collaboration and consultations with NOSM faculty, staff, Board of Directors, and stakeholders across the North. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine has now transitioned from a start-up organization to a fully operational medical school, and so it is appropriate and timely to have a new strategic plan to guide this next phase of the School’s development,” he said.

The five-year plan builds on NOSM’s founding principles, which are consistent with progressive changes occurring at the forefront of medical education.

To access the full version of NOSM’s 2010 – 2015 Strategic Plan, please visit www.nosm.ca/strategicplan.