In the Spotlight

NOSM alumnus helps to end Atikokan’s doctor shortage

A few years ago, Atikokan was a town in crisis having only one full-time and one half time family physician for a population of approximately 2,800. The community relied heavily on a rotation of locums to meet its health-care needs. Today, the town has a stable physician workforce that is able to provide patient-centered care, continuity of care and, importantly, a supportive network for physicians. Dr. Shawn Minor is a graduate of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) MD Class of 2016 and completed his residency at University of British Columbia in 2018. Originally from Thunder Bay, Dr. Minor and his wife, with their young c...

Daring Leadership in an ever-changing and unpredictable world

NOSM’s best-attended Northern Lights Forum features a key address from Dr. Jane Philpott and Dr. Gigi Osler. Dr. James Goertzen, NOSM’s Associate Dean, Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD), spearheaded the 2021 Northern Lights Forum. He and the CEPD organizing team arranged for Dr. Jane Philpott and Dr. Gigi Osler to each provide a key address on the theme of Daring Leadership in Difficult Times. This virtual forum enabled NOSM faculty to join small breakout sessions where they had opportunities to ask questions and interact directly with Drs. Philpott and Osler. Dr. Jane Philpott is a family physician a...

Donor supports transformation of physician workforce planning in Northern Ontario

Derek Day recently donated $210,000 from his late mother’s estate—the Estate of Ruth Day—to assist in transforming physician workforce planning in Northern Ontario and support the creation of a new Rural Generalist Pathway (RGP) at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). Since NOSM’s inception in 2002, its objective has been to graduate physicians and health-care professionals to meet the health needs across the region. With a total of 714 NOSM MD graduates to date, there is still a need for 300 family physicians and specialists in rural and remote Northern communities. “It is important to me that I contribute fro...