News
NOSM University appoints interim Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty Affairs to enhance academic leadership and clinical faculty support
Dr. Barbara Zelek is NOSM University’s Interim Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty Affair, Professor, and a rural generalist family physician in Marathon, Ontario. NOSM University has named Dr. Barbara Zelek as the new Interim Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty Affairs leading the Clinical Sciences Division. Dr. Zelek graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1998 and completed her Family Medicine residency at Queen’s University. Since 2002, she has practised as a rural generalist family physician in Marathon and other Northern Ontario communities, providing care in emergency medicine, office-based practice, obstetrics, and hospital me...
Read more about Dr. Zelek's appointment.
NOSM University Welcomes Two New Governors and Announces Incoming Vice-Chair
NOSM University’s Board of Governors plays a vital role in guiding the University’s mission to advance health equity, education, and research across Northern Ontario. More than a medical university, NOSM University was purpose-built to train physicians and health professionals to meet the region’s unique health needs, while strengthening equitable access to care. Two new members were recently appointed to NOSM University’s Board of Governors, bringing a wealth of experience and regional representation to its leadership. Georgina Daniels, appointed through the Lieutenant Governor in Council, officially joined the Board in Se...
Read more about the appointees.
Recruitment event for NOSM University medical learners aligns education with local needs
Physician recruiters from communities across Northern Ontario met with NOSM University medical learners on the evening of Thursday, November 13, 2025, at an event designed to support physician recruitment in the North. The Northern Ontario Community Concierge and Connection Event, hosted in Sudbury, featured physician recruiters from more than 30 communities across Northern Ontario—from Hearst to Kenora. The inaugural event responded to community recruiters’ requests for a Northern Ontario–based forum to connect with NOSM University learners, providing space for communities to engage directly with the next generation of phys...
Read more about Recruitment Event.
Researchers Mark Two Decades of Tracking NOSM University MD students’ success
When NOSM University opened its doors in 2005, it premiered a new model of distributed, community-engaged medical education in Northern Ontario. Established with an explicit social accountability mandate to improve health equity, NOSM University educates future physicians, dietitians, and health-care professionals for practise in rural, Northern, Francophone, and Indigenous communities. As part of NOSM University’s social accountability mandate, researchers began tracking students and graduates to understand the long-term impacts of the model by conducting a longitudinal research study that is now internationally renowned. The study...
Read more about tracking study.
NOSM University and research institute partners awarded prestigious CIHR Project Grant
Health equity is central to the mission of NOSM University and its partners. Through community-engaged, evidence-informed research, faculty and collaborators are addressing real-world challenges that affect the accessibility, quality, and fairness of health care—particularly in rural, remote, and Northern communities. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded a research group affiliated with NOSM University a Project Grant totaling $803,251, reflecting the strength of collaboration and the impact of research rooted in local realities. Dr. Erin Cameron, Professor and Director of the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre of...
Read more about this CIHR-funded project.
RBC Foundation donates $250,000 to NOSM University to strengthen rural and Northern Ontario physician training
A transformative $250,000 gift from the RBC Foundation is helping to shape the future of health care in Northern Ontario. Over the next three years, this donation will support an innovative NOSM University program designed to train and retain physicians in rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities. By equipping future rural family doctors with the diverse, adaptable skills needed to thrive in community-based practice, this initiative will strengthen access to compassionate, high-quality care for people across the North. The funding will support initiatives led by Dr. Sarah Newbery, Associate Dean of Physician Workforce Str...
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NOSM University leader wins national award for contributions to Francophone health
A pillar of Francophone health education advocacy in the North, Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue was recently honoured with the national Une étoile montante (Rising Star) award from the Sociéte Santé en français. The award recognizes a person whose actions exhibit promising leadership in their field and demonstrate exceptional commitment to the development of Francophone health. Barbeau-Rodrigue accepted the award at the Sociéte Santé en français’s AGM on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Director of the Francophone Affairs Unit at NOSM University since 2005, Barbeau-Rodrigue has changed the face of Francophone health education in N...
Read more about Danielle's achievement.
NOSM University welcomes four new Section Chairs
At NOSM University, Section Chairs provide academic leadership that is essential to the success of our medical education and scholarly mission across Northern Ontario. They foster excellence in teaching and research by supporting faculty, strengthening clinical and academic programs, and ensuring that learners benefit from high-quality training in their disciplines. This year, NOSM University welcomes four new Section Chairs whose leadership, expertise, and commitment will further advance our collective efforts to support faculty and deliver on NOSM University’s academic and scholarly mandates. Dr. Ehsan Mohammadi – Section Chair, ...
Read more about NOSM U's new Section Chairs.