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Alumni Stories, Indigenous Stories

“I feel a gravitation to small towns because of what you can do…”

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Source: Northern Ontario Medical Journal | 2017/07/26 Written by: Norm Tollinsky 

“I feel a gravitation to small towns because of what you can do with family medicine in a rural environment,” said Francois, who grew up in Terrace Bay and Marathon. “You can work in the Emergency Department, find a niche and gear your practice to that. Plus, when you are working with a team of physicians in a small town, you really work together as a team to support each other.”

Photo of NOSM Graduate, Dr. Francois DoironWorking as a registered nurse with physicians at the Marathon Family Health Team turned out to be a life-changing experience for Francois Doiron.

“It was really inspiring to see an amazing team of physicians providing such excellent care with limited resources,” he confided. “Marathon is a prime example of rural medicine at its best. You have very close relationships with your patients and can have such a positive impact on their lives. That was the main reason I decided to go into medicine.”

Francois was accepted by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2013 and was based at the school’s Thunder Bay campus. He graduated in June 2017 and matched to NOSM’s two-year family medicine residency program in Thunder Bay.

Following completion of his residency, he hopes to practise medicine in a small town somewhere in Northern Ontario.

“I feel a gravitation to small towns because of what you can do with family medicine in a rural environment,” said Francois, who grew up in Terrace Bay and Marathon. “You can work in the Emergency Department, find a niche and gear your practice to that. Plus, when you are working with a team of physicians in a small town, you really work together as a team to support each other.”

During his four years of med school, Francois and his partner operated a small hobby farm in Kaministiquia, 40 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, raising chickens and turkeys. A passion for poultry and the availability of farmland will, therefore, factor into an ultimate decision on where in Northern Ontario they will end up.

A member of the Métis Nation, Francois was particularly touched by a one-month Aboriginal placement with the Eagle Lake First Nation near Dryden.

“It was a really amazing experience,” he said. “I grew up in Terrace Bay and Marathon – not on a reserve, so I didn’t have a connection with my Indigenous roots. Members of the community were so welcoming even though they didn’t know me at all. I was treated like family. Having that experience made me feel closer to my culture.”

NOSM’s distributed model of medical education also took him to Hearst, where he was based for his eight-month clerkship in third year, as well as to Marathon, Dryden and Mindemoya during his first two years of med school.

Aside from hitting the books and plucking turkeys, Francois enjoys cross-country skiing and hiking in Northern Ontario’s great outdoors.

Media Releases

NOSM Hosts Pathways to Well-Being Workshop in Thunder Bay

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Gathering Addresses Youth Suicide in Northern and Indigenous Communities

On Wednesday, June 28, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) hosted a one-day workshop titled Pathways to Well-Being to address the high rates of youth suicide in Northern and Indigenous communities. The event, held in Thunder Bay, brought together 90 participants, including Indigenous Elders, youth, leadership, community members, and community-based health-care providers, to develop an action plan to create a future in Indigenous communities without suicide.

The one-day workshop comes from a recommendation made during NOSM’s Indigenous Research Gathering in Sault Ste. Marie in June 2016—shortly after a state of emergency was declared in Attawapiskat. “It was noted during the Indigenous Research Gathering that there were not many youth in attendance at the Gathering in Sault Ste. Marie,” says NOSM Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser. “It was also observed that Indigenous youth suicide was too common in their communities. Those observations led to today’s Pathways to Well-Being workshop.”

After hearing about death prevention and life promotion from Dr. Ed Connors, an Indigenous psychologist and leader in his field, participants discussed in small groups topics such as Traditional Ways, meaningful conversations, the role of communities, and the role of health-care providers. One of the key outcomes of the Pathways to Well-Being workshop is a commitment to develop a multi-year plan, led by a Steering Committee with representation from across the Northern Ontario.

“As a medical school with an explicit mandate to be accountable to the peoples we serve, we continually seek the guidance of our Indigenous partners to ensure activities are directed towards the priority health concerns of Northern Ontarians,” says Strasser. “We hope the work started here today will support Indigenous communities in creating a future where youth thrive and envision exciting opportunities for themselves throughout their lives.”

The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minster of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and MP, Thunder Bay-Superior North, spoke to Pathways to Well-Being participants. Philpott spoke to the federal government’s commitment to addressing the shortage of Indigenous health professionals in Canada and announced the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) are investing $8 million to form a cross-country mentorship network for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples considering a career in health research.

Photo caption (left to right): Ms. Valerie Ooshag; Chief Arlene Slipperjack; Mr. Jason Smallboy, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief; Dr. Charles Branch, Co-Chair, NOSM Indigenous Reference Group; Hon. Jane Philpott, Minister of Health; Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean; Hon. Patty Hajdu, Minster of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and MP, Thunder Bay-Superior North; and, Mr. Don Rusnak, MP, Thunder Bay-Rainy River.

Indigenous Stories, Media Releases

NOSM Celebrates National Aboriginal Day

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Releases School’s Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action

Today, as individuals across Canada celebrate the summer solstice and National Aboriginal Day, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) releases a report titled NOSM’s Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. The report—a culmination of extensive consultation across the School undertaken in 2016—demonstrates the ongoing work of the portfolios and units within NOSM since 2003.

Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples is a key component of what makes the Northern Ontario School of Medicine unique. Even before NOSM’s Charter MD Class was welcomed in 2005, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine was committed to improving the health of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario. At the earliest stages of development, NOSM engaged the Indigenous communities of Northern Ontario as part of its mandate to be accountable to the social, cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity of the region.

“From its inception, the activities of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine have been created for the context of the North, specifically designed to meet the needs of Northern, rural, remote, Indigenous, and Francophone communities,” says NOSM Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser. “With our many partners and collaborators, we are proud to have built a medical school that strives to ensure that the School’s education and research reflect the needs of the peoples and communities of the region.”

The 94 Calls to Action, released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), urges all Canadians to work together to repair the harm caused by residential schools and move forward with reconciliation. NOSM addresses 19 of the 94 Calls to Action linked to health, education, language, culture, and youth. NOSM’s response serves as a living document accountable to all communities of Northern Ontario. Designed as a framework for ongoing work, the report will serve as a measure of progress with annual reporting to the NOSM community for input and guidance. In this way, the School will invite all collaborators for ongoing input as we continue to address the spirit and intent of the 94 Calls to Action.

The report, available in OjiCree, French, and English, can be found at nosm.ca/reconciliation.

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