Donate Now!

Onboarding for New Residents

Dr. Rob Anderson
Dr. Rob Anderson

Welcome to residency!

Residency is an adventure, and you are fortunate to be embarking on this new phase of your life in beautiful Northern Ontario. If you are not from here, we trust you will feel at home quickly as people across the North will welcome and appreciate you.

We are looking forward to meeting you and are delighted that you have chosen Northern Ontario for this crucial stage of your education. We are here to help you achieve your goals during your residency.

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 purposely built to address the health needs of the region. You are part of this groundbreaking history by being a part of this NOSM University residency class.

As you begin your residency, which will offer unique and diverse learning experiences across the North, I encourage you to be ambitious and self-directed so you can make the most of every clinical encounter and conversation with your preceptors to hone your clinical skills and knowledge.

This page will provide you with links to the critical information you’ll want to reference during your start of residency here at NOSM University. If you have any questions during your residency and can’t find the answer here, we’d love to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to reach out to postgrad@nosm.ca for support.

Dr. Rob Anderson

Associate Dean
Postgraduate Medical Education

Welcoming Resident Doctors to NOSM University- Dr. Sarita Verma

Resident Wellness & NOSM U Learner Support Services

NOSM University’s Learner Support Services Office operates in consultation with the academic program but is a confidential service for individual learners, at arm’s length from academics. Learner Support Services offers services and support which assist learners academically, personally, and financially. It also has a primary role in career development, learner wellness, and support for learner initiatives.

In support of learner wellness, the Virtual Health and Wellness Hub is a resource hub that caters to enhancing the physical, social, financial, and academic well-being of NOSM U learners. The Hub can be accessed remotely and has a wealth of resources, including virtual and physical aid.

Our Team:

Dr. Sean Sullivan is the Assistant Dean, Resident Affairs (ADRA) residentwellness@nosm.ca. He is available to you for confidential advice, for coaching and can help support your wellness issues. He can arrange a referral to a clinical psychologist and suggest other wellness resources as needed. The ADRA provides direct support to our residents, represents the wellness interests of all residents and NOSM U residency programs which includes providing education, consultation and support to faculty and administrators.

Expense Reimbursement Submission

The NOSM University Finance unit (Accounts Payable) is responsible for reimbursing expenses incurred by Residents throughout the course of their academic year. These expenses can include such things as travel, professional development expenses or other expenses deemed eligible by the program. Items related to employment (wages, benefits, etc.) are handled through the NOSM University Payroll unit and not through the NOSM Finance/Accounts Payable unit.

Eligible expenses must be submitted electronically using NOSM’s electronic expense reimbursement platform. This is accessed via MyNOSM and using your assigned NOSM login credentials.

A reimbursement requirements tips guide has been created to further assist residents in navigating expense reimbursement.

Submissions for expenses must be in accordance with NOSM University policies and program specific guidelines.

**NOTE: As this is an electronic process, you are responsible to maintain your original receipts for a
period of 24 months from submission. Please ensure you keep these documents safely stored in the
event they are required for audit purposes.**

Submissions should be done in a timely fashion, and payment can be expected within approximately
10 business days from receipt in Finance.

Please provide electronic banking information to Finance to receive direct deposit of your reimbursements.

Another helpful resource has been developed by resident representatives on the NOSM U PGME Budget Subcommittee which provides an overview of all available funding and the ways in which to access it:

Resident Reimbursement Funding at NOSM U: An Overview

Scheduling Rotations, Electives, Leaves & Housing: The PaNDa Platform

PGME Scheduling Tips: Using the PaNDA scheduling system 

This guide features information and tips on how to access and use PaNDa, NOSM’s all-in-one platform for scheduling rotations, electives, leaves of absence and housing. Included in this tips sheet is the process of changing scheduled rotations.

Download the PaNDA Scheduling tip sheet

Before Your First Day 

When residents are performing a rotation in a new community, they should be in contact with the site, hospital, or Community Coordinator in that area, in advance of their rotation. They need to gather information regarding hospital orientation, parking cards, photocopying, access codes, library hours and access, and computer provision, etc. It is also important that before the start of a rotation residents contact their preceptor to introduce him or herself, and discuss the expectations, goals, and objectives for the rotation. Contact information can be found in PaNDA, or in the rotation reminder notifications. 

Rotation Information and Reminder Notifications 

Resident rotation and housing information can be found on the Pan Northern Database (PaNDa) website. In PaNDa, you will find any confirmed, pending changes or requested rotations, community and site-specific information, preceptor information and assignments. Rotation Goals and Objectives are all available online. Please note that you will receive rotation reminder e-mails 4 weeks before the start of each rotation. This e-mail will include the rotation type, dates, location, and preceptor contact information for your next rotation. Please review these e-mails and notify your program coordinator as soon as possible regarding any errors. 

Scheduling and Rotation Changes 

The clinical rotation schedules have been constructed based on feedback from resident planning surveys, program direction, and preceptor availability across all programs. Residents must submit a Learner Change Request Form for any rotation change. Prior to the completion of the form, residents must be released from the approved preceptor. The completed form must be submitted to your program coordinator a minimum of 12 weeks prior to the start of the scheduled rotations. If the requested rotation is not secured within 8 weeks of the rotation, the original rotation will stand.

Scheduling of Electives 

In choosing an elective within NOSM University’s geographical region, funding for mileage, preceptor stipend and housing will be covered by the Northern Electives’ Program. Please note that funding for travel and accommodations is only available for electives of four weeks or greater (these may be subdivided as two and two weeks, but must total a minimum of four weeks within the same community, in order to access this funding). A complete Elective Application must be submitted through the online application process found on PaNDa no less than eight weeks prior to the anticipated elective start date. Residents will need to login to PaNDa to access the elective application forms (Please refer to the PaNDa: Learner Electives Application Handbook). 

The NOSM University Clinical Elective Catalogue can help when searching for a new
elective opportunity. NOSM University’s Clinical Electives Catalogue is a fully interactive map
that displays community profile information and general descriptions of all the elective
opportunities through Northern Ontario.

If residents choose to do an elective outside of NOSM University’s geographical catchment area, an External Elective Request Form outlining the proposed elective should be submitted to their program coordinator at least eight weeks prior to the start of electives. This form must include a description of the proposed learning objectives for the elective with specific reference to how the elective will meet the resident’s own learning needs. No funding is available for mileage, preceptor stipend, or accommodations for electives outside of NOSM University’s geographical catchment area. 

NOSM University Housing

Housing is provided to residents for all CORE rotations outside of their home base and for elective rotations in Northern Ontario up to a maximum of six blocks per academic year. Housing may be provided for elective rotations in the communities of Ottawa if NOSM University housing is available. Availability can only be confirmed 60 days prior to the start of the rotation. Residents are asked to contact Housing at 60 days prior to the start of their rotation to see if NOSM University housing is available. More information on housing can be found on the NOSM University Housing Website.

NOSM University Payroll Quick Facts

Pay Information

  • Payroll is issued by direct deposit. 
  • Semi-monthly Pay (1st-15th of the month deposited on the 15th, and 16th to the last day of month deposited on the last day of each month). 
  • If payday falls on a holiday or weekend, pay is deposited on the business day before. 
  • Deadlines for on call forms, changes or submissions is 10 working days prior to the pay date. 
  • Send inquiries or changes to Payroll by fax (705-671-3880) or email. 

Pay Advices & T4 Slips (how to view online) 

  • Your pay advice (pay stub) is available online to view, save, or print. 
  • Instruction on how to view pay advices were emailed to you with your payroll documents and are available on MyNOSM with the following link:  How to View your Pay Advice .
  • Your T4 Slip will be available electronically by the end of February each year. You can access your T4 through the Self-Service (WebAdvisor) on MyNOSM.  Notice is also sent in The Script when they are ready.    

Resident On Call Claims – Electronic Submission 

  • Link located on the NOSM University Website under MyNOSM, Learners. Resident On Call Claims
  • Payment of on calls stipends are processed usually in the pay period following receipt. 
  • Don’t Miss the Deadline!  As per the PARO/CAHO Collective Agreement, Call stipend claims must be submitted within 30 days following the end of the month in which the call was worked.  Untimely call stipends will not be paid.  Please note deadlines follow the calendar, and do not follow the block dates. 

Workplace Incidents

Group Benefits (Mandatory Enrollment)

  • Health and dental benefits through Manulife.
  • Life insurance benefit through Sun Life Financial.
  • Benefit details are available at www.myparo.ca  
  • Benefit booklet available on the NOSM University Website with the following link: Manulife Benefit Information 
  • Contact Number for Manulife 1-800-268-6195 (Plan number 86936 & Division 006). 

Payroll Contact Information: 

Email: payroll@nosm.ca | Fax: 705-671-3880 

PGME Policies

To view PGME Policies and Guidelines, please visit our policies section.

Registration

If you have questions about the PGME registration process, please continue to work with pgregistration@nosm.ca. Your continued attention to submission deadlines of documents and fees etc. helps us to help you.

For more information, please visit the PGME Registration Basics website.

PGME Assessment, Evaluation and Elentra Training Resources

NOSM University Elentra is a web-based platform accessible to residents and preceptors for the submission of clinical rotation evaluation and assessment forms.  You will log into Elentra using your NOSM credentials (username/password).   

TRAINING MODULES 

Before attempting to navigate Elentra, we recommend that you start with our comprehensive training module.  It is comprised of sets of instructions accompanied by short videos.

ROYAL COLLEGE TRAINING MODULES

FAMILY MEDICINE TRAINING MODULES

Elentra COMMUNITY page

This space will be your ultimate guide for all things NOSM University Elentra. Here you will find links to our Elentra training modules, top Elentra FAQs, and tools to assist residents in meeting all of their program-specific assessment and evaluation requirements.  This page is accessible once you have logged into your Elentra account. 

Visit our NOSM University website for additional Elentra resources 

Evaluation and Assessment | NOSM 

NOSM Elentra FAQs | NOSM 

Your PGME Assessment and Evaluation coordinators can be contacted at: PGE.EvalandAssess@nosm.ca   

Amanda Murray: Anesthesia; Internal Medicine; Psychiatry; PHPM; FPA 

Julie Rendell: Surgical programs; Pediatrics; Family Medicine; EM; COE; Self-Directed

Health Sciences Library and Resources

Welcome to NOSM University’s Health Sciences Library! As a NOSM U Resident you have access to the library’s: 

Online, you can reach us at askthelibrary@nosm.ca and our AskUs! chat service on our website.   

See below for additional quick links from the library to get you started.  

Quicks Links: 

How to access resources off-campus 

Library hours 

Location and staff information 

Library registration and borrowing 

Book a librarian  

Research and Graduate Studies

Welcome to Residency at NOSM University.

We at the Research and Graduate Studies Office are thrilled you chose NOSM U and are excited to work with you on any research projects you embark upon in the coming years. We know that residency can be a stressful and very busy time, and we want to let you know that our priority is to work with you, answer any questions and direct you to the right resources. To that end, The Research Office has created a webpage specifically for residents which has some useful documents and resources for you.

We also highly recommend subscribing to our biweekly research newsletter, Research Matters. If you have any questions, our email is research@nosm.ca. Depending on the type of research you choose to do, we can help you with applications for grants, Research Ethics Board applications, reporting, and manuscript preparation. Additionally, NOSM University has opportunities for you to share your research findings.

In addition to Resident Research Days, each year NOSM U holds the Northern Health Research Conference (NHRC). We encourage all residents to send in abstracts, and NOSM U is committed to promoting resident research wherever we can. Undertaking research can be a daunting and sometimes intimidating enterprise, especially if you don’t have a lot of prior experience. Our team is committed to helping you each step of the way and wants you to know you aren’t alone. 

Please feel free to reach out to us. Best of luck with your residency!  

The Research and Graduate Studies Office Team 

Email: research@nosm.ca  

Office of Indigenous Affairs

Welcome to NOSM University, we look forward to meeting you!  

Indigenous Affairs provides support to NOSM University learners, residents, staff, faculty, and community.  The team provides a variety of unique services through facilitation of culturally relevant supports.  The team works in partnership with communities and organizations across Northern Ontario to support learners, residents, staff, faculty and the greater NOSM University community to provide a positive, relevant, respectful, reciprocal, and responsible learning environment. which incorporates an Indigenous worldview.

Contact Us

Indigenous Affairs
955 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1
1-705-662-7251Indigenous@nosm.ca
Director
IA.Director@nosm.ca
1-807-766-7506
Administrative Assistant 
Admin.IA@nosm.ca 1- 807-766-7512
Unit Coordinator 
IA.Unit@nosm.ca 
Cultural Coordinator 
Culture.IA@nosm.ca 
1-705-662-7113 
Community Coordinator 
Community.IA@nosm.ca 
1-705-662-7217
1-705-662-7251

Additional resources can be found at Indigenous Medical Education 

Office of Francophone Affairs

Our Unit – to discover our Unit, our mission and our team

Francophone Health section – to better understand the reality of Francophone minorities in the North in the field of health

Resources – relevant resources and tools to help you in your studies and your journey as a French-speaking health professional

Francophone Organizations – non-exhaustive list of organizations that contribute to the promotion of the Francophonie in various fields

Living in French in the North – a few ways to practice your French

IMG Support and Resources

NOSM University has developed several resources to help IMG residents during their first weeks of residency.

PARO Helpful Links

The PARO-OTH Collective Agreement:

https://myparo.ca/your-contract/

During Residency

https://myparo.ca/during-residency/

PARO Helpline

https://myparo.ca/helpline/

General Council: NOSM

https://myparo.ca/general-council/NOSM/

The Canadian Medical Association

The Canadian Medical Association unites medical students, residents and physicians who believe in a
better future of health. Together, we’re working to create a more sustainable, accessible health system
and a new culture of medicine that champions equity, diversity and inclusion. Watch our orientation
video or visit cma.ca to learn how you can get involved. For any questions, please contact
memberservicecentre@cma.ca.

MD Financial

MD Financial Management Overview

MD Financial Management (MD) is the only national financial services firm dedicated exclusively to the financial well-being of Canada’s medical students, residents, physicians, and their families. Our Early Career Advisors and Specialists can help educate you on various topics related to personal and professional finance, as well as provide personalized support and advice. Our Early Career Education Specialist team is happy to offer you webinars, events, and additional resources to help you succeed along your financial journey.

Resident Resources

Congratulations on beginning residency! With this exciting transition, you may notice a shift in your financial situation. Our website has a dedicated page for residents with articles, blogs, videos and podcasts that are packed with tips and information. Below are a few direct links to articles:

 Additional resources:

Contact Us

If you have any questions, our Early Career Education Specialist team can be contacted at: ECS@md.ca

Additional Resources for New Residents