Alumni Stories

Left: Eric Grimm wears a sun hat at a canoe portage. His canoe pack is behind him, with a lake in the background. Right: Dr. Tiana Bressan stands at a lookout. She is holding a camera. Rolling hills with fall colours are in the background. À gauche : Eric Grimm porte un chapeau de soleil à un portage de canoë. Son attirail de canoë est derrière lui avec un lac en arrière-plan. À droite : La Dre Tiana Bressan tient un appareil photo sur un belvédère devant des collines aux couleurs de l’automne.

Medical Learners Choose to Stay in the North, Thanks to Rural Pathway

NOSM University’s Rural Generalist Pathway was designed to shore up Northern Ontario’s physician workforce. Now in its fifth year, the initiative supports doctors as they train for rural practice. Both Eric Grimm, a third-year MD student, and Dr. Tiana Bressan, a first-year medical resident, were influenced to choose NOSM University because the pathway would support and prepare them for careers as rural generalists. “My interest in rural practice absolutely influenced my decision to choose NOSM University,” says Dr. Bressan. “NOSM University was one of the only schools where I could spend a significant portion of my...

NOSM University’s CampMed Marks 20 Years of Encouraging Youth to Dream Big

For 20 years, NOSM University’s CampMed has inspired high-school students to choose careers in health care. Designed for youth from Northern, rural, and remote parts of Ontario, the annual summer camp gives grades 10 and 11 students a hands-on preview of careers in a variety of health-care fields and medical specialties. This year, CampMed takes place July 6-10 in Sudbury and July 13-17 in Thunder Bay. “My time at CampMed reinforced my passion for medicine and set me up for a lifelong career in health care,” says Dr. Alyssa Labelle, who is from Sudbury. A previous camper and volunteer at CampMed, Dr. Labelle went on to graduat...

Read more about how CampMed shapes youths' dreams.

A compilation of photos of the three physicians. Dr. Alexa Lesperance, left, wears a colorful ribbon skirt and holds a drum. Dr. François Doiron, top right, hugs a goat. Dr. Justin Bell, bottom right, stands in front of a small red plane. Compilation de photos de trois médecins. La Dre Alexa Lesperance, à gauche, porte une jupe à rubans colorés et tient un tambour. Le Dr François Doiron, en haut à droite, tient une chèvre dans ses bras. Le Dr Justin Bell, en bas à droite, se tient devant un petit avion rouge.

Rural Physicians Fill Gaps in Gender-Affirming Care

A trio of physicians are stepping up to fill major gaps in the health-care system and improve access to gender-affirming care in Northern Ontario. Gender-affirming care can be difficult to access anywhere in Canada, but in rural Northwestern Ontario, patients may travel long distances for even routine health checks. Blazing a trail in health care for trans and gender-diverse patients are physicians Dr. Alexa Lesperance in Fort Frances, Dr. François Doiron in Dryden, and Dr. Justin Bell in Sioux Lookout—all NOSM University alumni and faculty, as well as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community themselves. “Gender-affirming care is lif...

Read more about physicians who provide gender-affirming care.

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