In the Spotlight

Sault Ste. Marie continues to bring doctors home

Dr. Megan Culina was in her fourth year of her Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) residency in Sault Ste. Marie when she became the recipient of the Bring a Doctor Home bursary in 2013. The funds went a long way and today Dr. Culina has a full practice in Sault Ste. Marie with a 1,300 patient roster. She says returning to her home community where she had support was extremely helpful. “The bursary was a huge help,” Dr. Culina explains. “Medical school is very expensive. People don’t realize the financial implications of taking on a career like medicine. In fact, I’m still paying off my student loan. These sorts of ...

A message to learners,

From Dr. Jonathan DellaVedova, Wellness Lead Clinician, NOSM Postgraduate Medical Education: Each December I am grateful for the twinkling lights, comforting foods and Christmas party invites. A festival of lights and togetherness seems fitting during this darkest time of year. December can be difficult, especially when the connections aren’t there and the sheen of the holidays fails to live up to its promise. We residents and doctors also sacrifice our own restoration time so others can be merry. Last December we faced our most difficult period as a school when we sadly lost one of our own. A counsellor here in Sault Ste. Marie ...

Mental health tips for NOSM medical students

If you're feeling overwhelmed, please reach out. NOSM is here to help. Nick Alderton is a Senior Learner Affairs Officer at NOSM who also holds a Masters in Applied Sports Psychology from the University of Ottawa. His forte is counseling high calibre athletes, and he draws parallels between them and the high achieving medical students he sees at his day job. Both thrive on competition and pressure to perform and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Here are a few of his tips for helping manage mental health: 1. Be self-aware and recognize the signs of high anxiety and stress. “There’s a variety of different reasons wh...