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Program Overview & Highlights

Program Overview

Length of training: five (5) years

The NOSM General Surgery program includes core rotations and subspecialty rotations selected to incorporate a diversity of experience and proficiency in subspecialty areas integral to a future practice as a General Surgeon.

Residents spend the majority of their first year in either Sudbury or Thunder Bay, providing them with an opportunity to become acquainted with colleagues and to gain a foundation of skills before traveling outside of this home-base. After this, there are multiple options available for ongoing training for a variety of rotations in the following communities: Thunder Bay, Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Huntsville and Ottawa. The majority of training will be completed in northern Ontario.

Based on the resident’s personal learning plan, the content, sequence of training and schedule of movement between teaching sites may vary. Years one and two comprise the core program (Surgical Foundations). In the fall of their PGY2, residents will be eligible to take the Surgical Foundations Examination, which must be successfully completed prior to the licensing exams.


Program Highlights

The following represent the highlights of our program:

  • Early surgical skill training
  • A unique and challenging hands-on learning experience
  • Unparalleled preceptor support from physicians committed to practicing in Northern Ontario
  • Early integration as a key member of a health care team dedicated to professionalism, high quality patient care and excellent medical education
  • Subspecialty general surgical experiences available at NOSM surgical training sites includes colorectal, endocrine, trauma and hepatobiliary.
  • Commitment to resident learning
  • Self-directed, learner centered training to meet your career goals
  • Exposure to the culture and social fabric of Northern Ontario
  • Financial assistance for resident travel to and from core clinical placements away from the home base and all mandatory educational activities at non home base locations
  • Housing support for core rotations away from primary residence
  • Opportunity to participate in research under expert guidance
  • Funding available for research, professional development and conferences
  • Access to advanced technology and informatics in residency training
  • 24/7 access to electronic search engines, electronic indexes as well as an extensive collection of electronic medical/health journals and textbooks