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Off and Running

Hello. Bonjour. Aaniin. Boozhoo.

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that this week, I assume my role as Dean, President and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). Thank you for the many words of welcome and well wishes I’ve received over the past few months. I look forward to meeting you, if I haven’t already.

About me

I am a proud Canadian. The third child of an immigrant, a single parent from Delhi, India. Influenced by the fight for independence from British colonialism and Gandhi’s peace movement, my mother raised our family to be good citizens, to serve our community and to have strong values, namely: honesty, kindness and transparency.

I hope you will see those values reflected in my work at NOSM, where I hope that together we will build a culture of compassion, caring, and cultural understanding. Together, we will continue to build on the legacy of the last 15 years and achieve our vision of Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North.

I believe ours is an ambitious but important agenda. In addition to having a visible presence in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, my first order of business is to engage with all NOSM partners and communities. I commit to visiting as many of the 90 communities as I can in my first two years at NOSM.

My intention with this blog is to give you a sense of my whereabouts, what I’ve been up to, and to highlight the current issues, opportunities, and challenges we face. I’ll do my best to keep it interesting, informative, and exciting. It will be sent biweekly by email and posted to NOSM’s website at nosm.ca/dean.

You are also invited to follow my journey on Twitter @ddsv3 using #WhereisDrVerma. Join me as I learn more about the glorious North, your role, and where NOSM lives.

If you have feedback or ideas about how I can better communicate with you, please let me know by emailing me at dean@nosm.ca or by taking a quick survey here at any time.

Strategic Planning

We intend to invest considerable time and energy into implementing the final year of Reaching Beyond Extraordinary Together – the NOSM Strategic Plan for 2015-2020, as well as begin our next strategic plan for 2021-2026. To that end, you can expect to see the NOSM team engage in town halls, open mics, and community consultations.

We want to know what you think, and where you see NOSM headed. I encourage you to share your daring ideas for the next five to 10 years. It is my full intention that the vision and next strategic plan for NOSM will be owned and co-created by all of us. Together, we will share in the responsibility of ensuring our aspirations are met.

Social Accountability

One priority will be to engage in a re-visioning of the meaning of social accountability. What does it mean to be socially accountable to our NOSM communities? Do we meet that goal by making more doctors? If producing physicians for the North is a priority, we must also strive to redesign health care in innovative and unique ways where health services are not accessible.

The Future of Health Innovation

The future of health innovation, digital health and modern medical education are key. I urge you to think of all the infinite possibilities – artificial intelligence, Apple iMed, Google Doc, and FiBit Care. Maybe they don’t provide ‘real’ health care yet, but I bet they will soon. With that in mind, health professional education, specifically for doctors, will have to evolve and change as will our notion of how successful health care is delivered directly to patients and communities.

Leading Education and Research

It is my hope that we will continue to grow NOSM. We are already one of the great Canadian medical schools. NOSM is internationally recognized for its innovative models of care for rural health delivery. Let’s continue to build our reputation as a premiere medical school and be considered first (or at least in the top three) schools of excellence for Northern, Indigenous, Francophone, rural and remote medicine, and for innovative models of education and cutting-edge population-based research.

We will keep training wonderful clinicians, creating new knowledge, generating new revenue, and improving health outcomes for the people of Northern Ontario through advocacy, leadership, and evidence of excellence.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity

As we continue to leverage our momentum and reputation, NOSM’s learners, faculty, staff, partners, communities and the people of Northern Ontario will proudly bear witness to our work as ambassadors. NOSM aspires to becoming a rich tapestry of the North representing its unique cultures and population. Here, all voices will be respected in the value of equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

My goal is to be an accessible Dean to you—especially NOSM’s learners, staff, and faculty members. As we are widely distributed, unlike other schools, it’s hard to simply stop by. So, I hope to see you as I travel across Northern Ontario. Also, I plan to meet those of you who live in Sudbury and Thunder Bay (where I will be splitting my time) by hosting regular ‘open houses.’ Please join me in our first Meet and Greet at the times and locations below:

NOSM in Sudbury
July 9, 2019
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.		 NOSM in Thunder Bay
July 18, 2019
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
HSERC 109
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 2C6		 BSC – Lobby
955 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 5E1

And so, I’m off and running!

Social Accountability

NOSM adheres to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of the Social Accountability of Medical Schools as “the obligation to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region and the nation that they have a mandate to serve. The priority health concerns are to be identified jointly by governments, health care organizations, health professionals and the public.” As part of its social accountability mandate, NOSM has the responsibility to engage stakeholders at all levels of its broad community.

In the Spotlight

NOSM student honoured with national award, inspiring a new generation of health leaders

Congratulations to third-year medical student Brittany Pennock, recipient of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) Award.

The award recognizes second-year medical students who exemplify perseverance, collaboration and an entrepreneurial spirit. Recipients have an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills and demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge.

“I am very honoured and humbled to have been chosen as NOSM’s recipient of the 2020 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award,” says Pennock. I have found great pleasure and a sense of accomplishment in working closely with NOSM to represent learners in various respects. My passion is for improving medical learner wellness, but I hope that my accomplishments can inspire other learners to engage in their own passions, to act as advocates, and to exemplify leadership in their own medical profession.”

Pennock is currently starting her third year of medical school at NOSM. She is the Learner Wellness Committee Chair at NOSM—a role where she advocates for wellness, respect and professional collegiality at the School and in the wider profession. Pennock also sits on the NOSM Student Council Executive and on the Canadian Federation for Medical Students (CFMS) Wellness Roundtable.

During COVID-19, she volunteered for the Thunder Bay Region PPE Drive and organized volunteering opportunities for other NOSM learners at the local Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA). She has also helped organize the inaugural Dean’s Lecture Series which brought Dr. Timothy Caulfield to Northern Ontario this past March. Dr. Caulfield addressed medical students on the topic of debunking health trends, misinformation, and health anxiety caused by fake news.

Pennock has begun her third-year Comprehensive Community Clerkship (CCC) in Kenora, Ontario.

Recipients of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award receive a cash prize of $5,000 and a travel subsidy to attend the 2021 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Vancouver, BC where they will have the opportunity to meet CMHF Laureates and interact with health leaders from across the country.

Northern Routes

Welcome, MD Class of 2024!

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A very warm welcome to our new medical students! We’re thrilled that you said #YestoNOSM. You have worked hard to get here and it has been quite a journey already. You’ve chosen a career of service and humbling work, one made up of heroes on the frontlines.

We are No Ordinary School of Medicine. NOSM was established with an explicit social accountability mandate, one that is internationally renowned. We are a major contributor to the health and well-being of the diverse peoples and communities of Northern Ontario, and you will soon be contributing to this mission.
As the newest members of the NOSM community, you will soon experience a collaborative atmosphere where your individual aspirations are encouraged and your successes are celebrated.

You’ll likely feel all kinds of emotions in the coming days and you may be asking yourself questions. Did you make the right choice? Was it worth the sacrifice? Absolutely. Without a doubt! The transition is challenging. Adapting from your previous life into medical school, then four years later into residency, will be even tougher. Let me try to prepare you for this first transition.

1. Act like a doctor starting now.

Most people, including patients you encounter, see you as a doctor now. That probably includes your family who will start asking you to look at rashes and examine their throats. This may seem weird to you. You may be asking yourself: “Do they realize they made a mistake admitting me?” I can assure you that NOSM’s Admissions team did not make a mistake. You are here because you deserve to be. You’ve earned it!

Research on imposter syndrome among medical students concluded that a quarter of all male medical students and nearly half of female students experience imposter syndrome. Be aware of this and note when or if it shows up in you.

With all of the privileges that come with this role, there are many responsibilities. Start thinking about your decisions, words and actions and how they might be interpreted by patients or colleagues. Watch what you post on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Remember that doctors have high standards of professionalism. Check out these CPSO education modules.

2. Embrace kindness and respect.

NOSM is committed to creating a climate where learners, faculty, staff, and patients can expect the highest standards of respect, kindness and professional collegiality and civility. If we can embrace and learn from each other’s differences—including our race, gender, abilities, backgrounds, beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and our infinite number of inherent and acquired traits—a compassionate future awaits. We have come together to create a culture of diversity, inclusion, respect, social accountability and wellness. Let’s work in a culture of kindness and Respect the Difference™. Verse yourself now, so you have an understanding of our culture.

3. Accomplish the skill of “drinking from a fire hose.”

The amount of information you will be required to learn will be massive. You will have to learn to study more efficiently. The goal is not to memorize and regurgitate, but to develop life-long learning skills. Medical knowledge and evidence will forever be rapidly changing and evolving.

There also will be multiple teachers with multiple styles. You will be expected to learn new information more quickly than ever. Be ready to adjust your schedule and study habits accordingly. Most importantly, learn as you go and try not to cram it all in before an exam. In practice, there will not be a ‘notice’ of an urgent patient issue and no time to cram—you need to learn how to access the information you need and to use it when needed.

4. Stay well and become resilient.

You may get to be so busy that you start to feel like you are losing touch with your friends and family. You may feel pulled in many different directions about how to best spend your time. Your social relationships will need to be renegotiated. It can take an emotional toll. Please know that this is a normal experience. You are not alone!

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need support in discussing this adjustment. Protect your own health by ensuring you carve out time to stay fit, healthy and take regular time off.

5. Be socially accountable.

You are embarking on a life-long journey. It will be amazing the first time you hear a murmur or correctly diagnose a disease, deliver your first baby, lead a team in a cardiac arrest resuscitation, or get your first research paper published. It will all be incredibly satisfying. Stay grounded in knowing that this work is for the betterment of people’s lives and communities.

You will hear the term “social accountability” a lot. NOSM adheres to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of the social accountability of medical schools: “the obligation to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region and the nation that they have a mandate to serve.”

You are the changemakers. In being socially accountable you must attend to the needs and the diversity of the populations of Northern Ontario. You bring your own unique experiences to this diverse learning community. So welcome! Welcome to the rest of your life. You’ve got this and we have your back.

Miigwetch, thank you, merci, for saying yes to this incredible career.
Dr. Verma

 

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