NOSM’s Francophone Symposium Registration Deadline Approaching

On October 10, 2012, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will host its 4th NOSM Francophone Symposium as part of Rendez-Vous 2012, a major world conference being hosted by the School in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This one-day symposium convenes stakeholders and conference registrants with an interest in Francophone health. The deadline to register for this exciting opportunity is September 25, 2012.

Participants will examine current best practices and resulting impact of service, education, and research on the health status of Francophones in Northern Ontario and around the world.
Throughout this interactive day, conference participants will engage in group work, individual conversations, and small group discussions, including the opportunity to:

1. Discuss and identify elements and successful strategies to integrate community within the medical education framework in an effort to assist medical schools meet their social accountability mandate;

2. Identify mechanisms for the priorities of linguistic and cultural minorities being connected to a medical school’s social accountability;

3. Discuss and identify the elements of collaboration between Francophone community partners and medical schools in the provision of opportunities for service learning;

4. Discuss how culture and language impact a population’s health status; and,

5. Identify partnership strategies from a regional, national, and international perspective for integrating health-care services and delivery within the context of the Francophone global community.

The symposium will feature presentations from well-known medical educators and professionals such as Dr. Charles Boelen, Dr. André-Jacques Neusy, Dr. Paul Grand’Maison, Dr. Aurel Schofield, Andrée Robichaud, and France Jodoin. M. François Boileau, Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner, will act as moderator.

The deadline to register is quickly approaching. For registrants who require accommodations while in Thunder Bay, please contact Lianne Baron, Administrative Assistant, Francophone Affairs Unit at lbaron@nosm.ca or by telephone at 807-766-7507 by September 25, 2012. Interested participants not requiring accommodations can register beyond September 25, 2012 by contacting the Francophone Affairs Unit at NOSM.

Participants should note that all presentations will be in French, with simultaneous interpretation to English available. Please contact the Francophone Affairs Unit at NOSM for further information about the Francophone Symposium’s program.