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In the Spotlight, Spotlight on Research

Improving mental health for marginalized populations in Northern Ontario

Dr. Hiba Al-Bayati is a student of the NOSM Master of Medical Studies (MMS) program researching northern mental health care for marginalized populations, with a focus on women’s mental health for immigrants living in Northern Ontario.  Her research topic will focus on the “Impact of social determinants of health on behavioural changes in rural areas.”

“As an immigrant, I want to advocate for the best approaches to care. There is an important focus on our mental health right now and this research will focus on how marginalized people access care and cope with all the challenges that come with being a newcomer and living in communities in Northern Ontario,” she says.

“I was really interested in the NOSM MMS program because it focuses on Northern Ontario health and I also have a strong interest in Indigenous health. My main topic of research is analyzing the specific behavioural issues in marginalized populations in the North,” Dr. Al-Bayati explains. “I want to understand if there is a link between their socioeconomic status and their behaviours with the hope of finding solutions that help.”

An International Medical Graduate from Al-Mustansiriyah University’s School of Medicine, in Baghdad, Iraq (MD class of 2017), Dr. Al-Bayati is currently pursuing her Canadian medical qualifications and residency in Canada. In Iraq, she practised medicine mainly in rural areas which led to her interest in rural psychological wellbeing and health promotion. After ISIS emerged, she volunteered for humanitarian groups in homeless shelters and in women’s rape crisis centres.

“I focussed on the well-being of the community and played an active role in developing a non-profit organisation in Iraq supervising medical students who volunteered to help and support the Iraqi and Kurdish people who continue to suffer from poverty, discrimination, and gender bias following the war.”

At NOSM, her MMS research study aims to take a closer look at the psychological and behaviour disorders in Indigenous, LGBTQS2+, immigrant, Black and low-income families and contrast them with the effects of their socioeconomic backgrounds on their overall mental well-being.

“I’m focusing on the psychological health of those marginalized within the unique context of Northern Ontario’s differing social determinants of health. What I hope will come to light are ways to help identify the best approaches to care and to help improve access to health services that meet their basic needs,” she says.

Currently based in Toronto, Dr. Al-Bayati says she plans to relocate to Thunder Bay or Sudbury to continue her clinical research studies and to apply to a NOSM residency program with the hope of someday practising in Northern Ontario.

“At first, I was attracted to the Masters of Medical Studies at NOSM because it is a virtual program and I am able to research and study remotely while I continue to do work in clinics and volunteer. It’s the flexibility and diversity of the program that is important to me. It conveniently gives busy physicians the opportunity to do their research, while they continue working,” she says. Dr. Al-Bayati also volunteers for Lakehead University’s Niijii Indigenous Mentorship Program helping deliver education and hands-on experience to Indigenous youth in Northwestern Ontario.

“Because my focus is particularly on women and empowering women, I currently volunteer with a sexual assault center in Toronto with a crisis hotline for women experiencing violence or who are survivors of sexual abuse or harassment.”

Dr. Al-Bayati says a strength of the program is that she was able to align her research interest with an appropriate supervisor based in Northern Ontario who also shares her interest.

“The NOSM MMS has given me a new passion to make a difference in the lives of marginalized women living in rural and remote communities in the North. My MMS supervisor, Dr. Elizabeth Levin, aligns well with this research and is also very interested in this topic. So far, the program is helping me identify new sources of information and guiding me on how to conduct this research. As an immigrant in Canada who is also working, I want to develop myself to accommodate working in diverse Northern environments. It’s challenging, but at the same time, if you’re someone who is willing to learn and to engage in the community, this is definitely a program that we need.”

She aims to share the findings of her research by 2023. “I hope the research will also shed some light on other needs and ways to approach and help marginalized people overcome unique hardships or barriers to the health-care system in the North.”

Homepage News, News

Dr. Diane Whitney named NOSM’s new Assistant Dean, Resident Affairs

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) announces Dr. Diane Whitney as the inaugural Assistant Dean, Resident Affairs for Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and Health Sciences Programs. Under the direction of the Associate Dean of PGME and Health Sciences, Dr. Whitney is responsible for overseeing the Resident Wellness program and the integration of Resident Affairs into the NOSM Learner Affairs Unit. She will work closely with the Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion to develop Resident-focussed policy and support for the PGME Committee, and will supervise the clinical leadership positions of the Education Advisory Board Lead, PGME Francophone Health Lead, PGME Indigenous Health Lead, and the International Medical Graduates Coordinator.

Dr. Diane Whitney is a practising community-based psychiatrist in Thunder Bay with clinical expertise in mood disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her community practice office is an active teaching site for NOSM Psychiatry residents, Family Medicine residents and medical students. She has been NOSM faculty since 2010 in the Psychiatry Residency program and the program Site Director in Thunder Bay. Since 2017, she has held the position of Program Director. Dr. Whitney was instrumental in restructuring the NOSM Psychiatry Residency program and is known to be a strong advocate for residents. She currently plans to lead the creation of unique resident wellness for Northern Ontario, built on collaborative relationships both within and outside of NOSM.

In the coming weeks, Dr. Louise Logan, Resident Wellness Clinical Lead, will collaborate with Dr. Whitney to assist with the transition into this new structure. On behalf of all our residents, staff, and program leadership, we thank Dr. Logan for her leadership in wellness since July 2020, and for her ongoing commitment to this transition.

Northern Routes

Season’s Greetings

What a year it has been! We’ve all experienced another long stint with the pandemic having to persevere in our professional and personal lives. I’m reminded by staff, faculty, and learners daily that our responsibilities extend well beyond the walls of our institution. In 2021, through it all, we’ve seen some of the best in ourselves. I think many of us have experienced a resiliency and a renewed level of care for each other that we didn’t know we had. Keep it up –that caring spirit is what sets NOSM apart.

Although the effects of the pandemic are bound to linger for a long time—impacting the way we work, the way our kids learn, the way we advocate for social justice, how we rebuild from the economic challenges, how we recover from the loss of loved ones and how we reconnect as human beings—we are faced with a new perspective.

There have been many wins this year; vaccinations rolled out, accreditations were successful, and we are now on the verge of an exciting transition to NOSM University. The future is bright and prosperous.

With input from more than 1,000 Northern Ontarians, I was delighted to present to the Board on December 2, an overview of the feedback from community visits and consultations with proposed priorities for 2022. I’m happy to report that our clear vision for improved access to northern health care has been approved and that NOSM University will reaffirm the mandate to make access to health care better for the entire region.

It’s time to shift from the rear-view mirror and instead look ahead. Grab your favourite drink (mine is earl grey tea), take a little break with me, as I reprise my annual “must-see” holiday movie list. Yes, here I go again!

A truly great seasonal movie should tug at your heartstrings, making you genuinely feel the holidays. Since we all have different traditions, it means that some holiday films must take on many different forms of chestnut-roasting and Jack Frost-nipping. There are so many to choose from: the unrelentingly cheery musicals to vaguely religious dramas; the defiantly grim horror films; the gleefully vulgar comedies. Here are some more of my personal favourites (building on my previous lists from 2019 and 2020).

White Christmas (1954)
White Christmas is the fruitcake of Christmas movies. It’s a holiday standard classic that you either love or love to hate. When it comes to holiday musicality, there are many reasons to use this wonderful film as a treatment for our 2021 blues. The many musical sequences—including the duet of “Sisters”—are spectacular. What’s not to like? In the ongoing pandemic, this movie is worth an afternoon in a snowstorm with a big bowl of buttery popcorn and a chance to escape a challenging year.

Holiday Inn (1942)
This Bing Crosby (yes, him again) and Fred Astaire musical debuted Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” before the composer repurposed it for the film. Holiday Inn is a rare movie depicting Christmas as the year’s crescendo. It takes you through a calendar of musical acts at the “Holiday Inn,” where Crosby and fellow characters perform Valentine’s, Easter, and Fourth of July shows that begin and end with Christmas. At times it is politically and culturally incorrect, begging us to think about the ongoing improvements in cultural sensitivity and how we evolved in 2021.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Elizabeth (Barbara Stanwyck) is a celebrated food columnist who writes anecdotes of her white-picket-fence lifestyle in Connecticut with her loving husband and newborn. But when her boss tasks her with hosting a Christmas dinner for a returning soldier (Dennis Morgan), she is exposed for who she actually is; a snobby, single New Yorker. Christmas in Connecticut gift wraps the nuances of crisscrossed relationships and gender dynamics. Its plot weaves socio-economic status and privilege into a romantic, holiday romp that provokes deeper thought about history, legacy, and the need for reconciliation.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Clark Griswold just wants to give his family a nice Christmas—and maybe a pool. From Cousin Eddie in his mini bathroom to the squirrel in the tree, this holiday classic has been cracking us up since the 80s. Don’t forget the young Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki in their roles as the Griswold kids. The takeaway here is that NOSM is a great place, with plenty of fun-filled moments, and even as we are in a serious moment in history as we become NOSM University, there’s a lot of fun to be found in this new adventure.

The Princess Switch (2018)
The prince and the pauper…but with a Christmas spin. Vanessa Hudgens pulls a “Parent Trap” and plays dual roles in this lighthearted tale of both a working-class baker and a repressed royal heiress. Turns out the two discover that they could pass as twins, and they decide to swap places. It’s a life-changing experience. Like the two sides of NOSM University with our dual locations in Thunder Bay and Sudbury. So similar and uniquely different. There is strength in our relationships and partnerships. Together, we will improve health care in Northern Ontario.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Technically a TV special that could never have known it would become a 50+ year, popular holiday tradition. These feature-length films, including Rudolph, Frosty and their claymation companions are holiday classics in my book. Plus, what’s a holiday viewing roundup without a stop-motion tale narrated by Burl Ives? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and …or is it “You know Ray, and Bill, and Cathy and David. Joanne, and Rahim, and Miriam, and Steve. But do you recall the most famous NOSMER of all?”

An Affair to Remember (1957)
Two people, both attached, happen to fall in love with each other aboard a ship travelling to New York. They devise a plan: Terry McKay and Nick Ferrante promise each other to meet at the Empire State Building in six months’ time to see if they are still in love. What ensues is a memorable cinematic moment. Here’s a proposal for you, to fall in love with … yup you guessed it: NOSM University. Meet me on Valentine’s Day 2022 to celebrate!

As 2021 wraps up, we can celebrate how we overcame profound challenge and realize that we’ve actually exercised the muscle required to get through this next one. If we can remember that, we can continue to buoy ourselves; to gain strength and continue to support each other with care while we move forward with a newfound grace we didn’t know was available to us.

I hope you will take time over the holidays to relax, spend time with loved ones and maybe try something new. As they say, change is better than a vacation but why not do both?

Bring it on 2022! A year dedicated to making history.

Miigwetch, thank you, marsi, merci,
Dr. Sarita Verma
Dean, President and CEO
Northern Ontario School of Medicine

If you have any feedback or comments, please reach out at dean@nosm.ca and follow me on twitter @ddsv3.

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-christmas-movies-of-all-time
https://www.glamour.com/gallery/funniest-christmas-movies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VXSzAhEpXg

Meeting the NOSM Challenge

Read our year-in-review report highlighting some of the important work and milestones of 2021. Thank you all for helping us meet the NOSM Challenge 2025 and for coming together and forming the most magnificent team of real-life superheroes. Read Meeting the NOSM Challenge. Please, read, share, and post your favourite stories and highlights from 2021.

Whole School Webinar 

Spend some time with us learning how we met the challenges of 2021 and what is in store for 2022.

December 17, 2021 | 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Via WebEx
Join by phone: 1-855-699-3239 | Access code: 242 204 49855

Followed by the Staff and Faculty Holiday Check Up–a seasonal romp courtesy of NOSM’s Communications Unit.

Northern Lights 2022

Register now for Northern Lights 2022! Don’t miss the NOSM Pan Northern Leadership Forum. This year, we’ll focus on strategies that are essential for being an effective leader. Keynote speakers include Dr. Homer Tien, President and CEO of ORNGE Air Ambulance and Trauma Surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Dr. Nel Wieman, Canada’s first female Indigenous psychiatrist. To register, visit Northern Lights. 

Submit your abstract for Northern Constellations 2022

Join NOSM’s annual faculty development conference, to be held virtually again this year May 6–7, 2022. NOSM Faculty are invited to submit proposals for 50-minute Interactive Workshops or 30-minute Virtual Hallway Conversations. Find out more at Northern Constellations 2022.

NOSM Awards of Excellence and Scholarship

Help recognize the contributions that NOSM faculty and MD students make to education, research, clinical care, mentorship, and administration. Nominate your colleague for a NOSM Award of Excellence and Scholarship. This year, it is easier than ever with the new online submission process! Open until January 3, 2022.


Attention NOSM MD Students, Residents and Learners:

Applications Open in January for NOSM Master of Medical Studies 
Apply to the Master of Medical Studies (MMS) Program in January for the upcoming 2022–2023 academic year! Stay up-to-date on all MMS news or email  graduatestudies@nosm.ca. See our list of Supervisors and Co-Supervisors and discover who aligns with your research interests.

PGME Orthopaedic Surgery Virtual Town Hall
Join the Orthopaedic Surgery information session and town hall discussion on December 15 at 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. via WebEx, hosted by Program Director Dr. Kurt Droll. NOSM Orthopaedic Faculty and Residents will be there to provide an overview of the program, for a general discussion, and to answer your questions.

PGME Psychiatry Information Session
Attention medical students! Learn more about Psychiatry at NOSM! Join the upcoming PGME Psychiatry session and Q&A on December 16 from 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. EST. To register, please email psychiatry@nosm.ca. More sessions will be held in January, and you are welcome to attend more than one session.

PGME General Surgery Information Session
Interested in General Surgery? Learn more at the NOSM General Surgery information session on December 15 from 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. EST, via WebEx. Hear from current residents who are training in Northern Ontario. Can’t make this session? Another session will be held on January 6, 2022.

NOSM University