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Rehab Testimonials

Siyani Kugathasan (McMaster University, PT)

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Siyani completed a physiotherapy placement in Thunder Bay through McMaster University. During the placement, she was able to participate in traditional Indigenous events and deepen her interest in Indigenous health.

Siyani Kugathasan

I completed my rehab placement with the Neurology Outpatient program at St. Joseph’s Care Group in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Highlights from my NOSM University experience include the support from the teaching team, the excitement from the NOSM U team and the beauty of Northern Ontario.

My placement was so much more than just a typical placement. I walked in excited to learn more about Indigenous health in Canada and left with so many immersive experiences that further sparked my passion. Every person I came across jumped to share cool attractions that were must-visits and every weekend my roommate and I would head out on new adventures.

Some memorable moments include attending my first Pow Wow on Mount McKay at Fort William First Nation for Indigenous Peoples’ Day and sharing a meal with the excited children dressed in beautiful colours. I enjoyed the culture and work experience I gained in the small city and believe that both have made me a better health-care professional.

 

 

In the Spotlight

Building a culture of wellness, respect, and equity

NOSM University fosters inclusiveness by supporting an environment that embraces differences in staff, faculty and learners and respectfully creates value from the differences to leverage talent and foster both individual and organizational excellence. We are creating a climate where learners, faculty, staff, and patients can expect the highest standards of respect, kindness and professional collegiality and civility. By embracing and learning from our differences—race, gender, abilities, backgrounds, beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and our infinite number of inherent and acquired traits—we truly become inclusive.

As part of this work, the Black Medical Students’ Association of Canada (BMSAC) and the Black Physicians of Canada are organizations that NOSM University supports and endorses to address racial discrimination and underrepresentation in health-care education. Our advocacy takes an intersectional approach to developing a diverse health-care community in which Black medical students, physicians and health-care providers can thrive and feel safe. NOSM University has scholarships such as the Slaight Family Foundation’s entrance scholarship for BIPOC women—including transgender and non-binary people; financial support for learners to attend annual general meetings; and representation at events. We are proud that Brieanne Olibris will be the first NOSM University medical student to serve on the BMSAC Executive Council as Director of Student Affairs.

In the Spotlight, Spotlight on Research

New Book Calls for Socially Accountable Approaches to Violence 

A new book by Dr. Maxwell Kennel, a Senior Research Associate at the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity, seeks to reframe how we think about violence.  

Ontologies of Violence: Deconstruction, Pacifism, and Displacement, published by Brill in July 2023, explores how violence is a term for something more than physical force or visible expressions of power. The research examines texts by philosophers and calls for taking approaches to defining and resisting violence that are socially accountable to the people most affected. 

Plans for a book launch and online symposium are underway, and the book is available for order from the publisher. An interview about the book has recently been posted by the New Books Network. 

NOSM University