On July 1, 2013, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will welcome its first class of Anesthesia residents training in the School’s newest Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) program. The five-year program will be based in Sudbury, with learning opportunities in communities including Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and North Bay, as well as other smaller communities.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s Anesthesia Program will be a great benefit to the people of Northern Ontario,” explained Dr. Catherine Cervin, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education at NOSM. “Having highly-trained Anesthetists practicing across the North will ensure needed surgical and other procedures are possible.”

Anesthesia is required for surgical procedures, pain management, obstetrical care and intensive care. Many communities across the North are currently experiencing anesthesia skill shortages that impact their surgical volumes and influence the care provided in those communities.

“When the Northern Ontario School of Medicine first opened its doors, the hopes and dreams of Northern Ontario was that the School would address the shortage of physicians in the North,” explained Dr. Strasser, NOSM’s Dean. “Now, NOSM-trained physicians and other health professionals are practising in the North, and we are expanding our residency offerings to include the training of highly-specialized anesthetists. This is great news for NOSM and the region.”

For more signs of NOSM’s success, please visit: www.nosm.ca/signsofsuccess

On May 29, 2012, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was honoured to host a special reception and faculty development workshop in celebration of the Medical Council of Canada’s (MCC) centenary year. To mark this milestone, the MCC is sponsoring events at each of Canada’s medical schools. NOSM was the first to be able to congratulate the MCC on 100 years.

Representing the MCC at the reception, which included the viewing of a celebration video, was MCC President Dr. Michael Marrin, and MCC Executive Director Dr. M. Michael Ian Bowmer.

A workshop titled “The Art of Writing Good Multiple Choice Questions for High-Stakes Exams” followed the reception, and was lead by Dr. Claire Touchie, a General Internist at the Ottawa Hospital and Associate Professor in the Division of General Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and Vice-Chair, Education for the Department of Medicine.

“On behalf of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, I congratulate the Medical Council of Canada on their 100 year anniversary,” said Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean. “NOSM is truly honoured to open the celebrations being held at medical schools across the country in celebration of the MCC’s important milestone.”

Formed in 1912, the MCC has become a leader in medical assessment and provides qualification and licensing to candidates who meet its requirements and pass its examinations.

NOSM students and residents have achieved above-average scores in the MCC exams including top ranking scores in the clinical decision-making and the patient interaction sections.

In 2008 and 2010, NOSM residents’ total scores in the MCC part two (clinical) examination placed NOSM number one of 17 medical schools.

Earlier this month, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) hosted concurrent research conferences in Thunder Bay at Lakehead University. NOSM’s seventh annual Northern Health Research Conference (NHRC) and the 7th Meeting of the Canadian Oxidative Stress Consortium (COSC) attracted over 150 delegates from across the country and around the world.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine was delighted to host the Northern Health Research Conference and the Canadian Oxidative Stress Consortium meeting concurrently in Thunder Bay this year,” said Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM Associate Dean, Research. “Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North is the vision of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. These conferences are one way the School can highlight the fantastic research projects underway across Northern Ontario and demonstrate the positive impact they are having on the health of those living in Northern communities.”

NHRC Conference Highlights

•The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Sonia Anand, Professor of Medicine and the Heart and Stroke Foundation Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Population Health Research at McMaster University. The title of her presentation was The Epidemic of Diabetes among Aboriginal People in Canada: Cause and Consequences. Dr. Anand’s thought-provoking presentation generated many questions from participants regarding rates of diabetes in the North.

•A special session was organized for high school students from around the City of Thunder Bay. Hosted by NOSM’s Francophone Affairs Unit, the session provided youth with an opportunity to learn about health research, health-care careers, and the NOSM M.D. program from a researcher and NOSM staff member. Students also sat in on four presentations from a registered nurse and researchers from Laurentian University in Sudbury.

•Conference participants had the opportunity to hear presentations on a variety of themes. During the two-day conference, 23 oral presentations and 37 posters were presented on topics including: opportunities and challenges for integrating sex and gender considerations into basic experimental biomedical research, tobacco use in emergency department patients, and an exploration of family influence on the acceptance of dietary recommendations for type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal communities.

COSC Conference Highlights

•Dr. Enrique Cadenas, from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Southern California, provided the keynote address entitled The mitochondrial energy-redox axis in brain aging and neurodegeneration.

•With a particular emphasis on new researchers, trainees had an opportunity to present on a variety of oxidative stress topics. Awards were presented to trainees in the categories of best poster and best oral presentation.

•Throughout the three-day conference, 42 oral presentations and 28 posters were presented on topics such as oxidative stress and heart failure, why fruits are rich in antioxidants, and oxidative stress and cancer pain.

The aim of the Canadian Oxidative Stress Consortium is to bring together today’s leading Canadian researchers from the vast field of oxidative stress. The COSC is the largest Canadian conference focusing on oxidative stress. Assembling scientists from this exciting field provides an opportunity for all to exchange novel ideas, provide insight into their current work, and initiate collaborations.

The Northern Health Research Conference demonstrates NOSM’s commitment to health care and education to the people of Northern Ontario and beyond, and continues to explore research activities within Northern Ontario arising from community-based activities. It will highlight projects underway from students, residents, and community-based researchers, and provides opportunities for collaboration and community networking.

The next Northern Health Research Conference will be held in North Bay in the spring of 2013.