This spring, medical students from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will continue their outreach program through the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). The program, calledAltitude: Health-Care Mentoring, is aimed at encouraging students in their final year of secondary school to seriously consider a career in the field of health care.

“The first year of our program was a success. We provided them with unique networking opportunities with professionals to encourage their passion for a career in health care,” explained Kayla Berst, second-year MD student and Outreach Coordinator for the Thunder Bay Altitude team. “It is an amazing experience to go into a local secondary school and talk to young, passionate students about what it takes to have a career as a doctor, nurse, or physical therapist.”

“In addition to outreach in local schools, we are also running Altitude@ sessions for university students at all levels who have interest in the health-care field,” said Mélanie Patrie, second-year MD student and Site Coordinator for the Sudbury Altitude team. “Altitude Mentoring was a huge success this year, and we look forward to even greater developments next year.”

The Thunder Bay Altitude team includes first-year MD student Jessica Nairn and second-year MD students Hillary Bohler, Valerie Nicholls, Stacey Tokar, Paul Benvenuto, Michelle McLean, Anthony Valente, Alanna May, and Savanna Webb. The Sudbury Altitude Outreach Program includes first-year MD students Zsolt Toth, Kaitlin Sheridan, Katrina Hickey, Heather Smith, Robyn Rodger, Nick Fortino, and Rose Michael, as well as second-year MD students Jessica Chan and Sabrina Badio.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean, applauds the efforts undertaken by NOSM’s medical students for embarking upon this important initiative. “By taking the time to speak to secondary students in Northern communities, our learners highlight their incredible sense of commitment to improving the health of people in Northern Ontario. It speaks to their willingness to give back, and the kind of physicians they will be in the future.”

The Thunder Bay and Sudbury Altitude Team Outreach teams are currently accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year. Students interested in a career in health care are encouraged to apply at:http://altitudementoring.ca/ . Applications are due June 1, 2013.

Balance, Expertise, and Range of Perspectives are  Key to Effective Governance

Using a combination of video- and tele-conference connectivity across Northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held a regular meeting of the Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

After presentations by the Board’s Governance Review Working Group, Directors of the Board voted to accept recommendations made to modify the size and composition of NOSM’s Board.  Comprised of 19 Directors, the new structure will give priority to the recruitment of different skills, expertise and experience of Board members, while still reflecting the geographic and demographic diversity of Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario, including Aboriginal, Francophone and rural and remote communities. 

Guidelines, which were developed by the Governance Committee in consultation with Board members and key stakeholders, recommend that Directors should be drawn widely to achieve a balance of skills and expertise needed for the Board to fulfill its governance roles and responsibilities.   In particular, the Board will look to recruit members with academic, governance, financial, health care, and external relations experience.  In addition,it is recommended that, subject to exceptional circumstances, all Directors should be residents of Northern Ontario. 

The modified Board size will take effect in September 2013, with an ongoing commitment to recruit members representing a range of perspectives who also bring different skill sets over time. 

The Directors received reports from several Board Committees, including the Finance and Audit, Quality Monitoring, Executive, and Advancement Committees.

The Directors also reviewed the Financial Report for the period ending January 31, 2013.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is the Annual Board Face-to-Face Meeting scheduled for May 9-10, 2013 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at www.nosm.ca.

Contact:

news@nosm.ca

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) has received notice from the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) that the School has successfully filled all spots in the first year of the Family Medicine
Residents of the Canadian Shield (RoCS) program for the first time since the program began in 2006.

Orthopedic Surgery, General Surgery and the newest program, Anesthesiology also filled all their positions in the first round of CaRMS.

Overall, NOSM has filled more than 80% of the positions in its nine residency programs. NOSM offers residency training in nine major general specialties in addition to the Family Medicine program. These include: Public Health and Preventive Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Anesthesiology. The remaining positions will be filled with well qualified applicants in the second round of CaRMS.

“These match results demonstrate that NOSM’s residency programs are attracting the attention of medical students from across the country who see great value in working, living, and learning in Northern Ontario explains Dr. Catherine Cervin, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education. Fully matching the Family Medicine Residents of the Canadian Shield program in the first round of the Canadian Resident Matching Service is an important achievement for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.”

NOSM Medical Students Achieve Successful CaRMS Match

Fourth-year NOSM medical students were also successful this year in matching to residency programs at NOSM and across the country. Nearly 50% of this year’s graduating class has chosen to complete training in residency programs offered by NOSM. Sixty-five percent have matched to family medicine (predominantly rural medicine) residency programs, while others have matched to general specialties, including internal medicine, general surgery, and pediatrics. Six percent of NOSM’s 2013 graduating MDs has been matched to subspecialties, specifically to dermatology and ophthalmology. Ninety-eight percent of this class matched to the programs of their choice in the first round.

“Each year the results of the Canadian Resident Matching Service have shown how our medical students are highly sought after by medical residency programs across the country,” explains Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM’s Dean. “This year we are thrilled to see that our residency programs are also becoming highly sought after by, not only by medical students who have studied with NOSM for four years, but also by medical students from other medical schools across the country.”

Background information about the CaRMS Process:

In the final year of medical school, each student must apply for residency training to become a fully-trained physician. Postgraduate residency programs are offered at all Canadian medical schools in various disciplines (for example, family medicine, anesthesia, dermatology, orthopedic surgery, etcetera) ranging in duration from two to five years, or more. Acceptance to a residency program involves students applying to medical school in a discipline of their choice. Students are then invited to participate in an interview with the school. After the interview process, both the student and the program they have applied to rank each other for preference through CaRMS. CaRMS then matches students, based on rankings, to postgraduate residency programs across Canada. The first round of CaRMS is open to Canadian Medical Graduates with no prior residency training. In addition there are designated positions for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). After the first round – all remaining vacant positions (294 across the country this year) are open to all IMGs and Canadian graduates with prior residency training.