You might recognize this formula: p=mv, or momentum (p) is equal to mass (m) times velocity (v).

So: a moving thing picks up speed (v) when something is added to it (m), and the more that happens, the stronger that thing’s momentum (p).

Our medical school was already moving forward. And then… On March 4, 2022 the province made NOSM University Canada’s first independent medical university, effective April 1, 2022. Then, just eleven days later, we were told that NOSM University will expand to add 30 medical degree seats and 41 residency spots over the next five years. That’s a big jump: NOSM currently enrolls 64 MD students and 60 first-year residents a year. This is a journey that is once-in-a-lifetime.

Talk about momentum: we’re at that thrilling moment on the rollercoaster when we’ve done the initial climb, and we’ve reached that anxious, knowing pause at the top. A look out onto the horizon, and then whoosh! We dive forward into the loops and bends of what’s next.

Thriving in this changing world requires innovative thinking, and new ways to use knowledge and ideas. In this regard, health care and health research and education have never been more important. We are responding to emerging challenges and taking full advantage of new opportunities. That’s especially true given the nature of what we do and where we live and work. We all know how complex and fragile the health-care system is across Northern Ontario. We all know the consequences of chronic health-care gaps for people. We are trying to transform the system for the North so that we can reach into underserved communities like never before.

We will tackle the seemingly impossible: deliver true and sustainable health equity to the 800,000 people who call this region home. At NOSM University we will provide the tools, knowledge, and insights into the human condition required to ensure the well-being of Canadians and of societies around the world.

With these two announcements, NOSM University, now some-20 years in the making, has renewed momentum—and we’re going to use it.

We’re going to define what it means to be an independent medical university in Canada – leading the way in fiscal accountability and transparency.

We’re going to advance the national conversation around effective, affordable rural and Northern health care: what it looks like and how to provide it.
We’re going to strengthen our existing partnerships and grow new ones, and we’re going to reaffirm and deepen our commitment to the North.
We’re going to educate more physicians and other health care providers for the North and help them develop as leaders in their communities. We will expand our education and training programs to meet societal need.
We’re going to keep advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion. And we will keep fighting racism, and seek truth and reconciliation.
We’re going to make scientific discovery a priority and lead collaborative research in the North and look for new partnerships for cutting-edge opportunities in primary care, educational technology and population health.
We’re going to ensure that NOSM University’s next generation of physicians, registered dietitians, physician assistants, medical physicists, and others have access to the finest high quality fully accredited educational programs.
We’re going to raise funds to support our learners to provide financial aid through bursaries and scholarships like the Slaight scholarships for BIPOC women.

As NOSM University, Canada’s first independent medical university, we are going to do all that and more.

We’ve got the momentum—enjoy the journey, get on board, and watch us go.

Miigwetch, thank you, marsi, merci,

Dr. Sarita Verma
President, Vice Chancellor, Dean and CEO
NOSM University

If you have any feedback or comments, please reach out at dean@nosm.ca and follow me on Twitter @ddsv3.

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Homepage News, Media Releases, News

NOSM University. Rooted in the North.

Friday April 1st, 2022 Alexandra Poling

Friday, April 1, 2022, marks history as the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) becomes NOSM University, Canada’s first independent medical university.

NOSM was established in 2002 as a purpose-built solution to tackle the ongoing doctor shortage in Northern Ontario. With more than 780 MD graduates and 692 residents having completed NOSM programs, it is estimated that 300 physicians are still needed in Northern Ontario to meet the immediate demand.

“Health care and health education and research have never been more important,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Vice-Chancellor and Dean of NOSM University. “We all know how complex and fragile the health-care system is across Northern Ontario. NOSM University will transform the system for the North and reach into underserved communities like never before.”

With the Ontario Government’s recent announcement of medical education expansion, NOSM University will increase its medical degree enrolment by 47% and residency positions by 68% over the next five years.

“Becoming an independent medical university and through expansion, we have renewed momentum—and we’re going to use it,” says Dr. Verma, adding that NOSM University will:

define what it means to be an independent medical university in Canada leading the way in fiscal accountability and transparency;

advance the national conversation around effective, affordable rural and Northern health care: what it looks like and how to provide it;
strengthen existing partnerships and grow new ones, while reaffirming and deepening its commitment to the North;
educate more physicians and other health-care providers for the North and help them develop as leaders in their communities while expanding education and training programs to meet societal need;
continue advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion, fighting racism, and seeking truth and reconciliation;
make scientific discovery a priority, lead collaborative research in the North and look for new partnerships for cutting-edge opportunities in primary care, educational technology and population health;
ensure that NOSM University’s next generation of physicians, registered dietitians, physician assistants, medical physicists, and others have access to the finest high-quality fully-accredited educational programs; and,
raise funds to support our learners by providing financial aid through bursaries and scholarships.

“As NOSM University, we are going to do all that and more,” says Dr. Verma.Since its establishment, NOSM has blazed trails in its short history. The unique, distributed, community-engaged learning model has grown into something extraordinary. This model requires strong ties and engagement with remote, rural, Indigenous and Francophone communities. NOSM University has partnerships and collaborations with more than 500 organizations, in 90+ communities, and more than 1,800 faculty dispersed across all of Northern Ontario.

– 30 –

NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. More than just a medical university, it was purpose built to address the health needs of the region. While advocating for equitable access to care, the university contributes to the economic development of Northern Ontario. NOSM University relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. With a focus on diversity, inclusion and advocacy, NOSM University is an award-winning, socially accountable organization renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research.

Facts about NOSM University:

NOSM has produced 780 MDs, 55 of whom self-identify as Indigenous, and 165 of whom self-identify as Francophone. In addition, 692 residents have completed NOSM programs. More than half of these health practitioners have stayed in Northern Ontario.
More than 148 dietetic interns have graduated from the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program (NODIP) and 78 are practising in Northern Ontario.
Through NOSM, more than 850 rehabilitation sciences students have completed occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology and audiology placements in Northern Ontario.
The Physician Assistant (PA) program is a University of Toronto degree delivered in collaboration with NOSM and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. More than 300 PA students have completed rotations in Northern Ontario through NOSM’s partnership in the Consortium of Physician Assistant Education.
Four residents have graduated from NOSM’s Medical Physics Residency Education Program (MPREP) and are now practising as medical physicists.
Now that the legislation is proclaimed in force, NOSM University will form a new Board of Governors and a Senate.
NOSM’s partnerships and collaborations with more than 500 organizations, 90+ communities, and more than 1,800 clinical, human and medical sciences faculty dispersed across all of Northern Ontario will continue.
NOSM University is the first medical university in Canada with a dedicated Centre for Social Accountability.
NOSM is a signatory to the Okanagan Charter, an international charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.
NOSM will remain in both Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and will build on its collaborative relationships with Lakehead University and Laurentian University.
NOSM University will continue to receive 90 per cent of its operating funds directly from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
NOSM University joins some of the world’s highest ranked medical schools that are independent medical universities and all fully accredited.

For further information, please contact: communication@nosm.ca

Addressing the Gaps, Alumni Stories, Community Stories, In the Spotlight

NOSM grad stays North to practise as a clinical medical physicist

Wednesday March 30th, 2022 Alexandra Poling

Dr. Lalageh Mirzakhanian is one of NOSM’s many notable women in science, and she’s making an impact in the field of medical physics. The NOSM alumna and newly-minted medical physicist says she joined NOSM’s Medical Physics Residency Education Program (MPREP) in 2019 to gain clinical experience and to have access to a future clinical medical physicist position. After graduation, Dr. Mirzakhanian quickly secured a position at Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury, where she completed her residency.

“I always wanted to become a scientist,” she says. “I began with an undergraduate degree in physics, followed by a master’s degree in nuclear physics. During my master’s research project, I came across a paper written by a group of researchers in medical physics at McGill University. I became interested in medical physics and decided to pursue the field.”

After completing her masters and later her PhD at McGill, she applied to MPREP at NOSM—a two-year joint program in partnership with HSN and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). The program recently received its second, five-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).

“The strength of this NOSM program is that it offers education in the clinical application of medical physics with a particular focus on radiation oncology. Learners apply physics to the processes of radiation treatment, they help develop individualized patient radiation treatment plans, they contribute to the computation of radiation doses, they verify the accuracy of radiation treatments, as well as participate in quality assurance, radiation safety, equipment operation, and regulatory compliance. They gain a wealth and breadth of applicable skills,” says Dr. Michael Oliver, MPREP Associate Program Director, Medical Physicist at HSN, and Dr. Mirzakhanian’s supervisor during her residency.

Dr. Mirzakhanian says it was a welcoming experience and she was able to continue her research.

“I enjoyed these two years of residency at NOSM,” says Dr. Mirzakhanian. “It is a healthy environment with friendly and knowledgeable faculty. I had multiple clinical rotations and all of my colleagues supported me during the residency. I also had the opportunity to visit another cancer centre in Ontario where I learned about different specialized techniques in radiotherapy and had the flexibility to work on a clinical research project. Meanwhile, I was able to stay connected to the close-knit NOSM group of residents and faculty via teleconference.

During the end of her residency, an opportunity opened up at HSN and Dr. Mirzakhanian landed the role. “As a medical physicist, I am providing clinical expertise, quality assurance, and calibration of equipment. The most interesting part is having more responsibilities and more interactions with the team members including physicists, physics assistants, electronic technicians, oncologists, and radiation therapists.”

Dr. Mirzakhanian says she’s tackling some pressing patient challenges by providing consultations to team members who require time sensitive solutions. “I’m applying my knowledge of physics to immediately impact patient safety and quality treatments. Becoming a medical physicist in Canada is a long journey, it requires many nights of study to complete the undergraduate, masters, PhD, residency, and final certification exam, however it is a rewarding career and worth all the efforts in the end.”

She encourages students with a physics background to explore medical physics, particularly if they’re interested in using and applying their knowledge in health care.

“After graduation, you will have three options for practice: in clinic, industry, or academia. If you choose to work as a clinical medical physicist, the MPREP is a great way to prepare for and gain clinical experience. It’s a smooth transition to becoming a qualified medical physicist.”