Northern Routes

NOSM University’s Momentum— a thrilling series of events!

You might recognize this formula: p=mv, or momentum (p) is equal to mass (m) times velocity (v). So: a moving thing picks up speed (v) when something is added to it (m), and the more that happens, the stronger that thing’s momentum (p). Our medical school was already moving forward. And then… On March 4, 2022 the province made NOSM University Canada’s first independent medical university, effective April 1, 2022. Then, just eleven days later, we were told that NOSM University will expand to add 30 medical degree seats and 41 residency spots over the next five years. That’s a big jump: NOSM currently enrolls 64 MD studen...

It’s official! NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university

With the final dash of a pen at Queen’s Park in Toronto, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) has become the first independent medical university in Canada: NOSM University. This is a profound and historic moment for the NOSM community. I will take this opportunity to reiterate our gratitude to Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities and the Ford government for this incredible commitment to health education in the North and our renewed focus on health equity across our vast region. NOSM has blazed trails since its establishment in 2002. The unique, distributed, community-engaged learning model has grown into...

Residents. The nucleus of health care.

This week is Resident Doctors Appreciation 2022—a perfect time to acknowledge our residents’ hard work and their dedication to providing compassionate patient care across the region. In many cases, especially during the pandemic, residents have made the difference when it comes to keeping hospitals open in Northern Ontario. Residents are an integral part of the health-care system. As new physicians working towards their independent practice, they continue to learn a variety of specialized knowledge and skills, and they often serve as teachers for medical students during their clinical clerkship. Since COVID-19 changed the wo...