Statement from Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Dean, and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine

“Since our founding, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine has been a point of pride for Northern communities. The Government of Ontario’s announcement of their plans to make NOSM an independent institution is the next step on our mission to strengthen health care and education across the North.

Despite the work NOSM has already done to educate the best doctors in the world, right here in Northern Ontario, health care in Northern communities remains in crisis: access to physicians is limited and inequality is worsening in Indigenous, Francophone, and rural and remote communities. At NOSM, we are committed to fixing this.

NOSM doesn’t belong to any institution, it belongs to the people of Northern Ontario. By making this step towards maturity, we will be able to strengthen our ties to both Sudbury and Thunder Bay while extending our reach into every corner of the North. Inaccuracy about the next steps regarding this legislation should be weighed carefully. To contribute to the public consultation, here is the link.

Every step of the way through this process we will continue to work with our municipal partners, rural, Indigenous, and Francophone communities, staff, learners and faculty, and our institutional partners. These groups will all play a key role as we build an even stronger institution to prepare world-class health-care professionals to practise in Northern Ontario.”

Facts:

• NOSM is the first Canadian medical school established with an explicit social accountability mandate. This means that NOSM is dedicated to improving the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario
• Since 2009, NOSM has produced 714 MDs – many of whom self-identify as Indigenous and Francophone.
• It is estimated that 235,200 patients in Northern Ontario have a family physician who completed their MD at NOSM.
• NOSM’s economic impact in 2019 was estimated between $129 million and $142 million. NOSM supports nearly 900 full-time jobs in the North.

“None of this will change with this new independent status. NOSM will continue to leverage its full potential across all of Northern Ontario.”