1.  Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is prevalent among medical students, residents and physicians. It’s the feeling of being a fraud or not being enough, despite credible evidence of being qualified. Feeling like an imposter can be a very distressing experience, which is often pronounced in underrepresented groups. To combat this feeling:

• Be open about what you’re experiencing and talk to others about it. You may think you’re the only one who feels that way, but many of your peers feel the same way.
•  Notice when you are comparing yourself to others and remind yourself of what got you into medical school.
• Keep a list of your strengths and accomplishments and read it whenever a reminder is needed.

2.  Write Down Ways to Relax

Relaxing is one of those things that’s easy to say and harder to do. Unwinding and staying calm can take practice.

• Write down a list of ideas for positive ways that you can de-stress.
• Try them out, one step at a time. When something works, try it again.
• Remember that your goal is your improving your mental wellness.
• Add a mental image or a photo of a beautiful place that you’ll visit someday.

3.  Put the Screens to Sleep Before You Go to Bed

Studies have shown that looking at screens before bedtime can affect how quickly you fall asleep and the quality of that sleep. Blue light from your smartphone affects the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep/wake cycle. Reading, texting, posting, etc. keep your mind active when it should be winding down instead. Oh, and then there are those texts in the middle of the night.

4. Mindfulness

Mindfulness-a great way to recalibrate yourself and your goals.
Mindfulness is meditation with a purpose. It has been studied in many clinical trials. The overall evidence supports the effectiveness of meditation for various conditions, including:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Pain
• Depression
• Insomnia
• High blood pressure (hypertension)

How can you practice Mindfulness? Here are some examples of mindfulness exercises:

Mindfulness can be a great way to improve your mental health and keep you energized.
Further resources can be found here:  Mindfulness exercises – Mayo Clinic

5. Book an appointment with Learner Support Services to check-in.

If you are in need of support with day-to-day learner life, contact the NOSM University Learner Support Services office to book an appointment. We are always here to help. NOSM University medical learners also have access to LifeWorks Assistance Program.

Learners experiencing personal issues may access services by contacting a Learner Affairs Officer. Where appropriate, referrals to external agencies or services may be suggested.

Highly confidential issues should be sent directly to the email of the Learner Affairs Officer.

Our interactions with learners are safe, respectful and confidential. Our services are for any learner who may require an accommodation, have questions about finding community resources, are seeking advice for strategies to cope with a personal, academic or professional problems, or navigating a serious crisis.

LifeWorks Student Assistance Program

NOSM University learners and their dependent family members (e.g. spouse and dependent children) can access LifeWork’s bilingual short-term professional assessment, counselling, consultation, resource referral and case-management program by calling 1-800-387-4765 (for service in English) or 1-800-361-5676 (for service in French).

You will be provided with the full access to face-to-face, telephonic, and e-counselling as well as resource kits and online services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With your first connection, they look for the best modality for you to connect, the first available counsellor and set the date, place and time for the first appointment. After that, the learner and counsellor work on times for next meeting.

24/7 via website: LifeWorks Workhealthlife

You can confidentially register with the site (top right-hand corner). Enter Northern Ontario School of Medicine as the organization and select Northern Ontario School of Medicine – Student Program

My EAP, a free mobile application will allow you and your family members to enjoy access to interactive health and wellness resources alongside access to EAP (employee assistance type) services from your mobile device.

Visit the ‘App Store’ specific to your mobile device to initiate the free download.

More Feet on the Ground

More Feet on the Ground is an online resource is intended to be a one-stop shop for any campus professional or student leader looking to understand more about mental health and refer a student to relevant programs or departments. It was developed to help faculty, administration and campus staff learn how to recognize, respond and refer students experiencing mental health issues on campus.

Good2Talk – Ontario’s Postsecondary Student Helpline

Good2Talk is a free, completely confidential and anonymous service that offers you professional counselling, mental health information and connections to local resources. 24 hrs. a day/365 days year-round in both English and French.

ConnexOntario

ConnexOntario provides service information for people experiencing problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol, or mental health. Helpful, supportive system navigation specialists answer all calls, emails or web chat requests 24/7. Our referral service is free and confidential. Call ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 or visit ConnexOntario website.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Location and contact information for offices across Ontario

Find CMHA Local Office

Other Contacts

Assaulted Women’s Help Line – 1-866-863-0511
Victim Support Line, Ministry of the Attorney General – 1-888-579-2888
National Eating Disorder Information Centre 1-866-633-4220
Crisis Pregnancy Hot Line – 1-800-665-0570
Ontario AIDS Hot Line – 1-800-668-2437
Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) 1-800-268-8326
211-Ontario Health Care (including medical & counselling Walk-In Clinics)

Self-Serve Wellness Resources

Mind Your Mind
Not Myself Today
Anxiety Canada
MoodGYM
Resilience: The BASICS Checklist: Preparing a Personal Action Plan

Learner Wellness Room Officially Named Dr. Garwood Herbert Shields Wellness Room. The wellness rooms (MS 2001A and HSERC 100D) have been generously supported by Mrs. Clare Shields, in honor of her husband Dr. Garwood Shields. Dr. Shields was an empathetic physician in Sudbury and Toronto. Mrs. Shields is an advocate for wellness support for learner wellness. Through her generous donation NOSM University learners have a place to find sanctuary from the everyday challenges of school. Wellness rooms are available for use of learners on drop-in basis or can be reserved ahead by contacting your Learner Affairs Officer.

NOSM University Well app is intended to help promote healthy and safe learning environments among NOSM University learners, as well as providing support for those who may be struggling personally, academically and/or professionally.

Within the app, NOSM University learners will find many helpful features including COVID-19 updates, emergency information, support resources, a calendar of Learner Support Services & Learner Interest Group events, and even a way to secure a taxi ride in many northern communities.

The must-have NOSM University Well app is free to all learners and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the App Store. Download your copy of the NOSM University Well app today!

Support for Francophone Learners

The Francophone Affairs Unit offers a variety of learning sessions, mainly extracurricular, on Francophone health to the Francophone and Francophile learners, as well as in the entire student body, always, with the aim of contributing to the improving knowledge, cultural competence, awareness and improvement of the level of comfort in future interactions with Francophone patients.

Support for Indigenous Learners

The Indigenous Affairs Unit has staff available to support Learners from recruitment to graduation.  The Learner Recruitment & Support Coordinator is responsible for learner recruitment and retention at various ages and stages as well as building relationships with communities and partner organizations to support learner success.  The Community Coordinator is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with communities and partner organizations for NOSM University placements and working closely with the Local Community Coordinators and stakeholders. The Cultural Coordinator is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with knowledge keepers and connecting learners, faculty and staff with cultural experts. The Unit Coordinator is responsible for coordinating services and supports in all program areas in Indigenous Affairs and can be reached for general inquiries.  To learn more about Indigenous Engagement at NOSM University please visit our web page.

Ashlie Laframboise, Learner Recruitment and Support Coordinator
807-766-7512
Email: alaframboise@nosm.ca

Sarah Jacko, Unit Coordinator
705-662-7251
Email: sjacko@nosm.ca

Sally Monague, Cultural Coordinator
705-662-7113
Email: smonague@nosm.ca

Sam Senecal, Community Coordinator
705-254-7826
Email: ssenecal@nosm.ca