Northern Routes

Planetary health is human health. NOSM University is taking action on climate change.

Earth Day is April 22, 2023—and yes, there is a climate crisis. Hello, Bonjour, Aanin, Boozhoo, Tanshi, Kwe Kwe, Ahead of Earth Day, I am thinking about the planet and all of the life it supports. About nine years ago I was influenced by the following words: “Planetary health is an attitude towards life and a philosophy for living. It emphasizes people, not diseases, and equity, not the creation of unjust societies. We seek to minimize differences in health according to wealth, education, gender, and place. We support knowledge as one source of social transformation, and the right to realize, progressively, the highest attaina...

What’s the best-kept secret in health care today? That there’s some good news, too

Every day, I hear stories from people about ineffective or distressing experiences with the health-care system; every week, someone asks me to help them find a family doctor. Beyond the anecdotal, we all know that the federal, provincial and territorial governments are struggling with the ongoing crises in our health-care system. You need only look at a few recent headlines to see that the whole country is trying to grapple with the issue. It’s easy to be depressed by all of the bad news. But, I believe there are actually good reasons to feel optimistic. Foremost, the federal government agreed in December to a record $94...

Want to be a doctor? This is what you can expect.

I am frequently asked—in the grocery store, by email, in DMs on social media—“Why didn’t my child or cousin or neighbour get into NOSM University?” The journey to becoming a physician is a competitive, complex and challenging one. It is a passage that few people truly understand or appreciate. I hope to offer some insight into the process. Typically, Canadian citizens finish high school, then finish a university degree (in most cases) and then they apply to medical school. There are 17 medical schools in Canada, of which NOSM University is the only fully independent medical university. Acceptance to all of them is highly ...