Kapuskasing Prepares to Welcome NOSM Medical Students

Students of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will soon be living and learning in the community of Kapuskasing as part of the School’s Comprehensive Community Clerkship (CCC) program. Kapuskasing will welcome four medical students in September of this year.

The students will begin learning in the community’s principal health-care facility, Sensenbrenner Hospital. An affiliation agreement between NOSM and Sensenbrenner Hospital has been signed, solidifying a partnership between the two institutions and allowing NOSM students to gain valuable hands-on practical experience in this community.

Al Yarush, CEO of Sensenbrenner Hospital, is proud to be a part of a true community-based medical school. “Welcoming NOSM medical students into our community is an important part of our commitment to developing physicians who understand and appreciate the unique features and benefits of practicing medicine in Northern communities,” he said. “As a Comprehensive Community Clerkship site for medical students, our professional staff is given the opportunity to instruct students in a unique medical environment where students are able to observe, learn and participate in the care of patients.”

Dr. Robert Ng-A-Fook, the hospital’s Chief of Staff, concurs. “The professional staff at Sensenbrenner Hospital will provide comprehensive, patient-centred training, allowing the students to observe, learn and participate in the care of patients in a distinctively Northern environment.” During their eight months in Kapuskasing, students will be taught by local physicians and other health-care providers who are NOSM faculty members.

In preparation for the students’ arrival, meetings are underway with local physicians, and other community members who will make up Kapuskasing’s Local NOSM Group. The group of eight to twelve individuals will act as an important link between the community of Kapuskasing and the students. The Local NOSM Group will assist the students by providing a smooth integration into Kapuskasing through orientation, relevant information and introductions to other community members.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Founding Dean, says the people and communities of the North are integral to the success of the Comprehensive Community Clerkships. “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to building partnerships with the communities and health organizations of Northern Ontario. Sensenbrenner Hospital, local physicians, other health-care providers and community members are welcomed partners,” he said.

This year marks the first time that Kapuskasing and Dryden are joining the Northern Ontario communities of Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Temiskaming Shores, Sioux Lookout, Parry Sound, North Bay, Huntsville, Kenora, Bracebridge, and Fort Frances as Comprehensive Community Clerkship sites for NOSM’s third-year students.