Gallery
Dr. Aidan Wharton
When I graduated from Laurentian University’s undergraduate biochemistry program, I didn’t plan on going to medical school but I knew I wanted to work with and help people. I moved to Toronto to study to become a perfusionist*, but the more I learned about the cardiorespiratory system, the more I wanted to understand the bigger picture of health and disease. I applied to NOSM because I support its social accountability mandate and its values coincide with my own. My experiences in northern and rural communities while studying at NOSM opened my eyes to some of the challenges these communities face in health care and beyond. This tr...
Learn more about NOSM alumnus, Dr. Aidan Wharton.
Dr. Kayla Berst on studying, working and living in the North
Dr. Kayla Berst I’m a graduate of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and a family physician in Northern Ontario. As a medical student, I experienced what it would be like to work in the North and most importantly learned about the specific health issues that may affect my patients here. NOSM is more than just a medical school; it exists because people like you, in communities like yours, believe that everyone—no matter where they live—deserve access to quality health care. Because of NOSM, my patients don’t have to travel to see a doctor. They have access to me—a homegrown health-care provider—in their own com...
Learn more about NOSM alumna, Dr. Kayla Berst.
Behind the Scenes: Joseph LeBlanc
Joseph LeBlanc is the new Director of the Indigenous Affairs Unit at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Tell me a bit about your background. What were you working on before you came to NOSM? I’m a life-long Northern Ontarian and member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. I’ve worked for Tribal Councils and Political Territorial Organizations (PTOs), as well as academic institutions and First Nations charities. My PhD work was with communities in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) territories looking at the impacts of industrial forest management on their food systems, and before coming to the Northern Ontario School of Medici...
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