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NOSM University receives $100,000 gift toward Nicolas Michael Farkouh Bursary

Gallery Tuesday February 21st, 2023 Alexandra Poling

Gift to be matched by FDC Foundation, creating $200,000 endowment

NOSM University students will enjoy some financial help thanks to the Nicolas Michael Farkouh Bursary, funded by the John Carl MacIsaac Foundation of Greater Sudbury.

With this family foundation’s generous gift of $100,000, and a matching gift of $100,000 from the FDC Foundation through their $10 million matching commitment, a $200,000 endowment will be established. Each year, the Nicolas Michael Farkouh Bursary will support a student in need with a gift of up to $5,000.

“We are grateful to the John Carl MacIsaac Foundation for investing in NOSM University students,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean and CEO of NOSM University. “Helping to offset the cost of tuition is the best way to recruit the most diverse and motivated future physicians for Northern Ontario. The Nicolas Michael Farkouh Bursary will afford students some peace of mind to focus on their education.”

“Nick Farkouh immigrated to Canada as a Palestinian refugee in 1956,” says Andrew MacIsaac, Trustee of the John Carl MacIsaac Foundation. “It is a great honour to recognize Nick and his life-long contributions to the community of Greater Sudbury.”

Trained as an accountant, Mr. Farkouh began his career with Denison Mines in Elliot Lake. He moved to Sudbury in 1967 when he joined the MacIsaac Group of Companies. As the Chief Financial Officer of MacIsaac Industries, Mr. Farkouh became a founding Trustee of the John Carl MacIsaac Foundation. Upon his retirement, Mr. Farkouh served on the board of Laurentian University and helped to inspire and energize the early efforts to establish the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, now NOSM University.

Since 2005, NOSM University has been delivering on its mandate. It has graduated 838 MDs, 65 of whom are Indigenous, and 171 of whom are Francophone. More than half of NOSM graduates have stayed in Northern Ontario. NOSM University estimates that about 400,000 people have been helped so far by a graduate.

NOSM University has embarked upon a mission to raise the first $50 million for its Student Endowment Fund. Read more about that effort here.

(Photo: Jennifer McGillivray, Dr. Rayuda Koka, Nicolas Michael Farkouh, Andrew MacIsaac, and Joanne Musico.)

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For further information, please contact: news@nosm.ca

Homepage News, Indigenous Stories, Media Releases, News

Métis Nation of Ontario supports NOSM University students with $515k bursary

Gallery Tuesday October 25th, 2022 Alexandra Poling

Donation will be matched by the FDC Foundation totalling $1,030,000 for Métis medical students

The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is providing an endowment of $515,000 to NOSM University, Canada’s first independent medical university.The endowment will fund a bursary program for Métis students pursuing their MD at NOSM University and is being matched by the FDC Foundation.

“As the government representing Métis in Ontario, we are proud to do what we can to encourage academic and skills development, helping citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario achieve their goals,” said MNO President Margaret Froh. “This bursary will enable Métis citizens to play a role in the future of medicine in Ontario—a profession Métis people have been under-represented in for far too long.”

This MNO funding will support up to six Métis students annually beginning this year at a minimum of $5,000 per year.

“NOSM University aims to represent the diversity of students in Northern Ontario by recruiting applicants directly from our local communities,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Vice Chancellor, Dean and CEO of NOSM University. “We are grateful to the Métis Nation of Ontario for its support and encouragement of Indigenous students and the confidence they have shown in NOSM University as we continue our work to improve health outcomes for Northern Ontarians.”

“As Métis students, we bring cultural understandings of health from our own lived experiences,” said Provisional Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario (PCMNO) Post-Secondary Representative Hannah Bazinet. “Encouraging students to share that insight will make way for a more equitable future.”

NOSM University was established to address critical physician shortages in Northern Ontario. In 2011, the MNO and NOSM University signed an agreement to collaborate closely on several initiatives including improving the provision of medical programming that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to Métis people.

Applications to NOSM University’s MD program are completed through Ontario Medical School Application Service, which will open mid-July annually. The deadline for application is the first week of October, for admission in September of the following year. MNO citizens who are enrolled at NOSM University are eligible to apply for this bursary.

Pictured (left to right): Jennifer McGillivray, Advancement Officer, NOSM University; Hank Rowlinson, Chair, Métis Nation of Ontario; and, Simon Sutherland, Manager, Post-Secondary Education, Métis Nation of Ontario

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About the MNO

In 1993, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) was established through the will of Métis people and their communities coming together throughout Ontario to create a Métis-specific, democratic, province-wide governance structure. The MNO represents and advocates on behalf of its citizens who are rights-bearing members of Métis communities that collectively hold rights, interests, and outstanding claims protected by sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, including, but not limited to, the right of self-government. Ontario is home to the 2003 Powley decision, in which the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the existence of the Métis right to harvest for food that is protected by Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Powley was—and remains—the only Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decision affirming Métis rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Victoria Belton
Senior Consultant, Media Profile
Victoria.Belton@mediaprofile.com
416-997-5179

About NOSM University

NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. More than just a medical university, it was purpose built to address the health needs of the region. While advocating for equitable access to care, the university contributes to the economic development of Northern Ontario. NOSM University relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. With a focus on diversity, inclusion and advocacy, NOSM University is an award-winning, socially accountable organization renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. NOSM University connects researchers, learners, teams and their findings to research entities, provincial health teams, research institutes, academic health sciences centres and health-care organizations. The university strengthens research capacity in Northern Ontario, improving performance and measurable outcomes in health services, quality health care, health and biomedical research and knowledge translation.

communications@nosm.ca

Addressing the Gaps, Community Stories, In the Spotlight

Great things happen when good people come together

Gallery Thursday October 20th, 2022 Alexandra Poling

A reflection on community learning experiences in Marathon

All of us can make contributions to communities, no matter where we are. Medical professionals and medical learners often have skills, interests, ideas, and energy to contribute to community life beyond what they offer in health care.

This summer, Logan Brennan, fourth-year NOSM University medical student, spent two weeks on a rural generalist elective in Marathon. Coincidentally, one of the high school volleyball coaches was hosting a volleyball camp in preparation for the coming season.

Logan—who has played at the varsity level and was a member of the Canadian National men’s volleyball team—offered to support the local team development in the evenings while he was on placement.

Coach Ray Lake, in an email after Logan’s elective, noted “What has astounded me is how well Logan can communicate how to do skills through words. I’ve seen growth in the players after three days that I have not produced in three years. It is a real gift for these kids to have someone of Logan’s calibre work with them.”

Dr. Sarah Newbery, Associate Dean of Physician Workforce Strategy at NOSM University, has been impressed over many years with the terrific ways that medical students contribute to community life. “As medical students learn in communities, there are opportunities to which we, as community preceptors, can invite their participation—whether in sport, music, or local events,” she says. “The sharing of skills, and gifts of time and energy impact people and communities in such positive ways.”

Logan reflecting on his experiences noted that rural medicine is all about community. “Health care and education are the backbone of a community,” he says. “Without stability, structure and opportunity in these key pillars, it is difficult to foster and grow community. Marathon is blessed to have exceptional community members who have demonstrated and taught me what rural medicine and community are all about.”

“On the first day of camp, I told the athletes that defence is 90% effort and 10% skill,” says Logan. “In some ways, rural medicine is similar. You may not be the most specialized or skilled, but if you show up every day with a purpose and the goal to be your best for your community, good things happen.”

“My goal for the athletes—and the physicians’ goal for me during my elective—was to demonstrate that great things happen in small places when good people come together to form a community.

“The best things around that I have ever seen, came from small towns and big dreams”
– Paul Brandt

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn, coach and explore Marathon this summer. It is a wonderful community with exceptional opportunities and potential,” says Logan.

Long-time Marathon physician and NOSM University Professor, Dr. Eliseo Orrantia, reflected on his gratitude for hosting learners in the community. “Formally, they are here to learn from us, but we also learn and grow through them. That bidirectional learning is essential in the formation, development and importantly the maintenance of rural generalist skills and how we respond to the needs of the community together.”

Have a story to share about the impact of NOSM University students in your community? Let us know at communications@nosm.ca.