Academic Calendar

NOSM University Academic Calendar

Vision

Innovative education and research for a healthier North.

Mission

To improve the health of Northern Ontarians by being socially accountable in our education and research programs and advocating for health equity.

We will realize this by:

Embedding social accountability as a core value in graduates. NOSM University will be a recognized leader in rural and Northern health knowledge and will influence and advocate for policy advances in health at all levels of government.

Increasing research capacity and expertise in population-based health to improve advocacy and evidence-based policy in Northern Ontario. NOSM University will have a positive research impact on Northern health, be known as the leader in Northern health research and increase grant and other research funding.

Incorporating advanced technology into curriculum and day-to-day activities of the school. NOSM University will be a leader in educational excellence through its curriculum renewal, competency-based training, adaptive technology, and will meet or exceed all accreditation standards.

Being a strong active partner with communities in need to create a flourishing health workforce to serve the North.

Securing sustainable financial and human resources to deliver on our vision of innovative education and research. We will be financially sustainable by ensuring access to resources and infrastructure to sustain and grow NOSM University through efficiencies and a culture of advancement.

Creating a sustainable working and learning environment. NOSM University will commit to diversity, wellness and respect for faculty, staff and learners.

Our Values

Innovation.
NOSM University encourages ingenuity, creativity, a culture of inquiry and discovery, and the importance of learning from others in every aspect of the School’s education, research, social accountability, and corporate mandates. NOSM University uses innovative approaches to ensure continuous improvement of our distributed model of education and research.

Social Accountability.
NOSM University adheres to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of the Social Accountability of Medical Schools as “the obligation to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region and the nation that they have a mandate to serve. The priority health concerns are to be identified jointly by governments, health care organizations, health professionals and the public.” As part of its social accountability mandate, NOSM University has the responsibility to engage stakeholders at all levels of its broad community.

Collaboration.
NOSM University pursues education and research goals in close partnership with its host universities. Collaboration and partnership is also important to NOSM University with its teaching hospitals, community physicians, health professional clinical teachers, health system stakeholders, and communities it serves. NOSM University values the insights, contributions, and support of its many partners that work to improve the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario. NOSM University recognizes that collaboration is both a process and outcome that engages different perspectives to better understand complex problems, and leads to the development of integrative solutions that could not be accomplished by any single person or organization.
Inclusiveness.
NOSM University fosters inclusiveness by supporting an environment which embraces differences in staff, faculty and learners and respectfully creates value from the differences of all members of the NOSM University community, in order to leverage talent and foster both individual and organizational excellence.

Respect.
NOSM University’s faculty, staff, and learners will learn and listen to one another respectfully and communicate openly. NOSM University’s staff, faculty, and learners treat others and their ideas in a manner that conveys respect as differences are discussed, fosters an open academic debate, and which respects academic freedom.

NOSM University’s Academic Principles

Introduction NOSM’s Academic programs, in both research and education, support NOSM’s vision, mission and values and uphold the School’s social accountability mandate through the delivery of programs that respond to the health needs of the communities that NOSM serves. In keeping with its vision to provide Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North, Distributed Community Engaged Learning (DCEL) continues as NOSM’s distinct model of education and research. The Academic Principles create a framework for the development, delivery and evaluation of the School’s academic programs. Academic Principles Interprofessionalism The term interprofessionalism includes the key features of participation, collaboration and collegial decision-making processes to improve learning, patient care and research activities. In the NOSM context, interprofessionalism can be applied to the way in which learners in all of NOSM’s programs learn with, from and about each other as developing and practicing healthcare professionals. In addition, it can be applied to the way in which health services provide care, to elements of research, and to the way in which continuing health professional education is provided and undertaken. The Interprofessional Care Strategic Implementation Planning Committee of the MOHLTC of Ontario accepted the definition of “interprofessional care” as:

“The provision of comprehensive health services to patients by multiple health caregivers, who work collaboratively to deliver quality care within and across settings.”

According to The World Health Organization (WHO)1 , Interprofessional education is “the process by which a group of students or workers from the health-related occupations with different backgrounds learn together during certain periods of their education, with interaction as the important goal, to collaborate in providing promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and other health-related services.” Integration Integration is the combination and interaction of individuals, groups and programs around common purposes to create meaningful experiences and address life-long learning and the continuum of education of health professionals.

The Oxford Canadian Dictionary2 defines “integrate” as “combined into a whole, united and undivided, uniting several components previously regarded as separate”. From an organizational perspective, integration implies collaboration and the creation of opportunities for the inclusion of individuals and organizations that may not have been part of organizational thinking and planning in more traditional medical school models.

From an educational perspective, the application of this principle at NOSM involves the development of opportunities within the curriculum whereby learners are guided to make connections between different domains of knowledge, examine problems from different viewpoints, and begin to construct the basis of their own future decision making and expertise. It also involves a whole school and community approach in implementing and evaluating these opportunities through a variety of learning tools and through the development of curriculum and programs that link within and across disciplines.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is the conceptual and pragmatic understanding of the dynamics of communities in Northern Ontario (geographical, social, cultural, linguistic and communities of practice) and the creation of meaningful, enduring partnerships involving all Northern Ontario communities and NOSM, the hallmark of which is integrated networks of education and research. According to Benner et al 3 community involves both physical and conceptual

components, thus the term “community based” in our view is too narrow because it implies only the physical component. Clearly, one cornerstone of community based medical education is a network of facilities that are learning locations in communities across the geographical region which is Northern Ontario. In this context these facilities may be clinics, hospitals, medical practices, rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities and a variety of institutions that provide care to individuals in one way or another. However, of equal importance is the conceptual component of community which is characterized by an understanding of the structure of communities, the dynamic of communities, the epidemiological and social aspects of communities and an understanding of how these components interact.

It is further evident in the commitment of NOSM research endeavors focused on northern community needs, and perhaps most evident in the social accountability mandate which forms the basis for NOSM’s creation. Community engagement occurs through interdependent partnerships between the NOSM and Northern Ontario communities and organizations for mutual benefit, always focused on improving people’s health. Distributed learning and research is the hallmark of community engagement. Distributed community engaged learning acknowledges that both learners and faculty members are distributed across Northern Ontario.

This focus on human resources as learners and teachers is concurrent with the availability of learning resources in a distributed fashion across the north. Inclusivity NOSM embraces the social, cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity and richness of the Peoples of Northern Ontario and strives to be inclusive of and reflect that richness. The social accountability mandate of NOSM speaks directly to the importance of the need to serve the socially, culturally, linguistically and geographically diverse populations of Northern Ontario. This implies the need to include experiences for learners, faculty and staff that contribute to a deeper understanding of the people and cultures of Northern Ontario, which enrich the fabric of life in the North. Inclusivity also demands the recruitment of faculty, staff and learners that represent the identified populations and cultures of Canada. Inclusiveness demands flexibility in creating a curriculum, a body of learners, and working and learning environments that address our social accountability mandate.

Generalism

Generalism is a broad, holistic and integrated view and approach to activities, values and knowledge in educational, organizational and patient care activities. “Generalism is a professional philosophy of practice, distinguished by a commitment to a holistic, integrated, person-centred care, the broadest scope of practice within each discipline and collaboration with the larger health care team in order to respond to patient and community needs. It involves: 1. Seeing the person as a whole and in the context of his or her family and wider social environment. 2. Using this perspective as part of one’s clinical method and therapeutic approach to all clinical encounters. 3. Being able to deal with undifferentiated illness and the widest range of unselected patients and conditions. 4. Taking continuity of responsibility for people’s care across many disease episodes and over time. 5. Coordinating care as needed across organizations, within and between health and social care.”4 Generalism as it is used and represented in the NOSM curricula as well as in multiple of educational forums such as plenaries, workshops and conferences, suggests a broad scope of skills, attitudes and knowledge regardless of whether or not the health care practice is community based care or institution based care. Furthermore, generalism implies that role modeling of the breadth of this expertise is an important component of the medical education program at all levels to meet the community needs. This notion applies therefore to the curriculum which students learn as well as the sites for education and the clinical faculty who serve as educators. Generalism, while wholly applicable to all stages of MD education can also be applied to other programs under the Academic Council.

Continuity

Continuity encompasses an approach to educational experiences from undergraduate through to continuing health professional development, as well as research that recognizes transitions between professional educational stages in a synergistic way. According to “Continuity as an Organizing Principle for Clinical Education Reform” published in NEJM in 2007, Hirsh et al., 5 describes the principle of continuity applicable to educational experiences, the curriculum as a whole and to the experience of supervision as faculty as follows:

Rooted in the principles of modern learning theory, the notion of educational continuity reflects the progressive professional and personal development required of physicians in training. A spirit of “ownership” of the entire curriculum, rather than one discipline-specific portion of the curriculum, is a prerequisite for educational continuity. As applied to the core clerkship year, educational continuity subsumes two interrelated integrating forces: horizontal integration (enhancing the development of general competency by linking learning experiences between and across clinical specialties) and vertical integration (enhancing evidence-based practice by linking advances in the biomedical and clinical sciences to clinical problem solving). Continuity of the learning environment fosters both patient-centeredness and learner-centeredness by establishing more opportunities for connections with patients (“continuity of care”); by integrating important educational themes across clinical specialties, focusing on the developmentally appropriate attainment and assessment of core clinical 4 PGME Collaborative Governance Council 5

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1 The World Health Organization (WHO), Report: Learning together to work together for health, Web. 1988. 2 “integrate.” Def. 1. The Oxford Canadian Dictionary. Canadian ed. 2004. 3 Benner et al, in New directions for medical education (1989). Chapter 4. New York: Springer-Verlag

David A. Hirsh, M.D., Barbara Ogur, M.D., George E. Thibault, M.D., and Malcolm Cox, M.D. New England Journal of Medicine NEJM, 2007; 356:858-866 February 22, 2007 competencies, and promoting the connection b

Important Dates

Important Dates | NOSM U

Academic Policies

University Regulations

By the action of registration, all Learners become bound by the policies and regulations of NOSM University. All Learners are responsible for familiarizing themselves with NOSM University’s policy and regulations. (e.g., Academic Schedule of Fees, Refund Policy, the Academic Schedule)

Registration is not considered complete until the tuition and ancillary fees are paid. Default of fees may result in a learner’s registration being cancelled. In addition, learners with amounts owing to the University will not be permitted to register in future sessions, receive their degree certificate, receive a transcript, or confirmation of enrollment.

Paying tuition and registration fees.

Tuition, registration, and ancillary fee payments are to be received according to the Payment due dates noted in the Academic Fee Schedule. Failure to pay account fees on time may result in academic holds and deregistration.

Unpaid tuition and registration fees/ Past due accounts

Learners with an unpaid balance will not be permitted to register in a future term until their account balance has been paid in full. Learners with an unpaid balance will not have access to final grades, official transcripts or degree certificates.

Registration after the published tuition fee payment due date

Learners who register after the published payment due dates should be prepared to pay their fees the same day to avoid late payment fees.

Continuance of Registration for Graduate Learners

All graduate learners must maintain continuous registration from initial registration until they have completed the requirements of their program. It is the learner’s responsibility to ensure they are registered by the appropriate deadline for each term.

Graduate learners who have failed to register by the deadline and have not applied for a Leave of Absence will be registered in a University placeholder course and will be assessed appropriate fees.

Graduate Learners who have failed to register for two consecutive terms will be considered to have left the program and will be withdrawn. Learners wanting to complete their program must apply for re-admission and pay the application fee.

Academic Integrity Policy

Establishment of the Schedule of Date

The Establishment of the Schedule of Date Policy is used to guide the University in establishing an annual schedule of dates for communication and used by the university community.

About NOSM University

Student Accounts	Learner Support Services
Fee Schedule	Addressing Learner Mistreatment
Payment Due Dates	Sexual Violence Prevention
Academic Fee and Refund Policy	Accommodations Policy & Procedure

Registrar’s Office	Financial Aid Office
Course Registration	Donor Funded Awards and Bursaries
Registrar Services

Programs

Continuing Education & Professional Development

Assistant Dean, CEPD
Director
General Email: cepd@nosm.ca

Admissions

CEPD offers in-person, online, and hybrid conferences, workshops, and courses for the NOSM community as well as for public registration. Eligibility for each program varies, so please refer to the course registration page for detailed information about the target audience and available registration options for different healthcare professionals. If you have any questions, please email cepd@nosm.ca.

Program Policies

The Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) Office is an accredited CPD provider, and has the authority to grant CPD credits by virtue of having undergone the Accreditation process of the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME).

The CEPD Office is therefore able to certify Mainpro+ activities on behalf of the College of Family Physicians and to accredit Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Section 1, Section 3(Simulation) and Section 3(Self-Assessment) activities on behalf of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Who can participate in the Online Learning Hub courses?

Eligibility for CEPD Online Learning Hub courses also varies by program. Courses may be tailored to specific target audiences, which will be indicated during the registration process. The CEPD Online Learning Hub is accessible to the general public through the CEPD Learning Hub Portal, where users can create an account. Some courses are offered free of charge, while others require a registration fee. For any questions, please email cepd@nosm.ca.

Accredit Your Program

Course Descriptions
Asynchronous Continuing Medical Education Courses
Continuing Medical Education Series & Workshops

Online Learning Hub
Effective Teachers and Learners
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Leadership Development
Career Progression

Academic Events Calendar

Dietetic Practicum Program (DPP)

Manager
dpp@nosm.ca

NOSM University’s Dietetic Practicum Program (DPP)—formerly known as the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program—provides the training required to become a Registered Dietitian.

Admissions
Program Policy
Course Description
Academic Schedule

Graduate Studies

Assistant Dean
graduatestudies@nosm.ca

The Graduate Studies Office

Master of Medical Studies
Admissions
Program Policies – Graduate Studies Handbook
Academic Schedule

Program Curriculum
Thesis-Based Program
Course-Based Program

Course Descriptions

Medical Electives

Medical Physicians Residency Program

Primarily working in hospital cancer care centres, medical physicists have specialized education in the application of physics to health care. NOSM University works in collaboration with Health Sciences North and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to provide the Medical Physics Residency Education Program (MPREP), which offers education in the clinical application of medical physics with a particular focus on radiation oncology. Learners in this program learn how to apply physics to the processes that constitute a radiation treatment program, including development of individualized patient radiation treatment plans, computation of radiation doses, verification of the accuracy of radiation treatments, maintenance of a comprehensive quality assurance program, and ensuring appropriate radiation safety in facility design and equipment operation, and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.

The radiation treatment centres are operated by two Northern academic teaching hospitals: Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury and in Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Admissions
Program Policy
Certification with the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine
Program Curriculum
Academic Schedule