Francophone Features
Celebrating the unique contributions of NOSM’s Francophone physician faculty
Francophone faculty at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) come from diverse French-speaking backgrounds and they take great pride in practising medicine in French. With March being Francophonie Month, hear the voices of a few Francophone faculty as they reflect on their unique experiences treating the growing community of Francophone newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and Franco-Ontarian seniors and children in Northern Ontario. Dr. Amel Abdallah Dr. Amel Abdallah is a NOSM Assistant Professor and a family physician at Fort William Family Health Team in Thunder Bay who speaks French, Arabic, and English. She atten...
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NOSM student from Timmins aspires to be a hometown doctor
Sébastien Labelle is a second year Francophone medical student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). He holds an undergraduate degree in biomedical science from the University of Ottawa, where he studied solely in French. “I was a little nervous about coming to NOSM to study in English for the first time, but I have been very well supported here,” Sébastien says. “The Francophone Affairs team at NOSM, specifically Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue and Laïla Faivre, have been a great support and have ensured I can secure placements in French.” Sébastien says he is inspired by his family—his uncle, who is a surgeon...
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Francophone NOSM graduate returns to her hometown of Hearst
Dr. Shyanne Fournier, a Francophone graduate of NOSM’s MD Class of 2021, couldn’t be happier about returning to her community of Hearst to start her residency in family medicine. “It’s very exciting, I will practise entirely in French. A lot of our class always wanted to go home to practise in our communities,” says Shyanne. “I’ve already had the opportunity to work with preceptors here in Hearst who are also NOSM alumni. I recognize how fortunate I am.” She recalls her early pre-med university courses and the challenge of initially getting into medical school. “I always wanted to be a doctor. In my first year of my ...
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