Registration Basics

The PGME Office, upon recommendation of the Program Director, makes appointments (at the beginning of your residency) and reappointments (you must re-register every year of your residency) to training programs. The office is responsible for the registration of all postgraduate trainees, as outlined in the Letter of Appointment with the following:

• Affiliated Hospitals in Northern Ontario
• The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario for licensure
• Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) (verification of CMPA on behalf of the teaching hospitals)
• Verification of appointment, PGY level, change of status to payroll
• Verification of immunization for affiliated teaching hospitals
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada/the College of Family Physicians for verification of training and completion of the FITER.
• The Medical Council of Canada – Verification of postgraduate registration in order to access examinations.

*Please note, it is extremely important to return your signed Letters of Appointment to the PGME Office by the specified deadline each year. You will not be able to start rotations or see patients without a license.

Registration fee for 2020-21 is $805.00 and is due by June 30, 2020. This fee is subject to change in future academic years.

Residents cannot commence training if they have not paid their registration fee in full.

Residents who complete training off-cycle are eligible to receive a pro-rated refund of their registration fee. Requests for a refund must be submitted to the PGME Office (via residentrequests@nosm.ca) on the Request for Registration Fee Refund Form and forms must be received no more than 30 days after training ends. Forms received after this time-frame can not be processed.

The PGME office will provide written verification of registration required for banks and lending agencies (Confirmation of Training Letters) upon request. Please send your request to postgrad@nosm.ca asking for a Confirmation of Training Letter to be sent to you. The letter will be sent to you directly in five business days.

During the yearly registration process, residents must submit a completed NOSM Immunization Form to the PGME office. Forms to be completed will be sent to you directly.

The PGME office sends verification of immunization status to all Northern Ontario hospitals during the credentialing process.

N-95 Mask fit testing will be completed during your first hospital orientation, after which it will be required every two years.

Note: If you do not submit proof of immunity by completing the appropriate form by the deadlines, you will not be able to start training or see patients.

All residents are provided with a NOSM email address for official correspondence related to your NOSM residency. We encourage you to check your NOSM email daily.

The program and PGME Office will only communicate to residents using NOSM emails. This is to ensure consistent records and receipt of all messages.

You can keep your NOSM email for life, which we encourage as this also ensures ongoing receipt of continuing medical education opportunities after completion of training from NOSM.

PaNDA is a computer system that has been developed for NOSM to consolidate and streamline the processes and information involved with Clinical Rotations, Online Applications to the Northern Ontario Electives Program, Clinical Facilitator Availability, Learner Leave Requests and Housing. Using your NOSM credentials, you will be able to log into PaNDA in order to access your schedule, leave requests and housing information. The PaNDA How to Guide can be found online under Postgrad Publications and Resources. If
you have any difficulties, questions or concerns email nosmpanda@nosm.ca for assistance.

The PaNDa How to Guide is linked here for your reference.

Elentra is a web-based system used for the assessment of residents and preceptors and will contain all NOSM clinical rotation evaluation forms in an easily accessible format. Both residents and preceptors will submit assessments/evaluations through NOSM Elentra.

Please note that you should still refer to PaNDA as the primary source for information on your schedules and for accommodations.

Elentra Support
If you have questions about NOSM Elentra, or are experiencing technical difficulty, please contact pge.evalandassess@nosm.ca

Please refer to the Evaluation and Assessment section for more information.

All forms that residents are required to complete can be found online under Policies, Procedures and Forms. This is your ‘go-to’ site for forms related to leaves, rotation changes, travel expenses, appeals etc. This section of the NOSM website also contains policy information referred to throughout this handbook.

East Residents
All correspondence will be electronic via your NOSM email account, however, at times you may receive hard-copy mail via your NOSM mailbox which is located on the second floor of the medical school in Room 244. Hard-copy mail may come from research bodies or the CPSO so it is important that you check your mailbox regularly when on campus. MSE Room 244 also contains a few laptops for resident use. You will be required to enter code 523 in order to gain access to this room.

West Residents
All correspondence will be electronic via your NOSM email account, however, at times you may receive hard-copy mail via your NOSM mailbox which is located on the sixth floor of the ATAC building in Room 6035. Hard-copy mail may come from research bodies or the CPSO so it is important that you check your mailbox regularly when on campus. A few computers for residents to use are located in ATAC 6030. Proximity cards will be required to gain access to this room.

Proximity Cards
If you need to access campus facilities after business hours, you may do so by arranging for a proximity (access) card. Access will be allowable until 11:00 p.m., and on weekends if required. To obtain a proximity card, complete a Facilities Access Form. You may digitally access the Facilities Access Request Form or request a copy by sending an email to residentrequests@nosm.ca

Up-to-date contact information ensures that important communication reaches you in a timely manner.

If you need to update your personal information, please forward a Name and Address Change Form (HR Form 08.001) to residentrequests@nosm.ca. You are also responsible to provide the PGME Office with an Emergency Contact during registration and ensure this contact information is up to date.

It is your personal responsibility to ensure that your current contact information is registered with:

• Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)
• College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
• It is also your responsibility to ensure that the PGME Office has up to date Emergency Contact information on file.

The NOSM payroll department provides new residents with payroll and bank direct deposit forms. Completed forms must be submitted prior to the start of training, otherwise payment will not be processed on time.

In order to access your benefit information, you will need your Plan Contract Number that is sent to you by the payroll department. Benefit information can be found online by visiting the Manulife Group Benefits webpage.

Health Sciences North
Although Influenza immunization is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended.

Those choosing not to be immunized MUST wear a mask during the entire flu season (October-April), except when at Tim Horton’s, or in the cafeteria.

Residents are responsible for informing HSN’s Occupational Health and Safety Department of the status of their flu shot, as they maintain the hospital’s database.

Should a resident acquire Influenza A, they can return to work once they are 24 hours symptom free.

If there’s an outbreak in the hospital, measures include:

• If immunized, residents will be offered Tamiflu as an additional precaution, but they are not required to take it. There would be no restrictions on working on the unit where the outbreak has occurred.
•  If a resident has not been immunized, or has been immunized for less than two weeks prior to the outbreak, residents are given Tamiflu (through the Pharmacy Department) and must wear a mask to work on the unit/area where the outbreak has occurred. Residents can only be assigned to the unit where the outbreak has occurred if they have been immunized more than two weeks prior, or have started to take Tamiflu immediately after the outbreak has been declared.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Although Influenza immunization is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended.

Should a resident acquire Influenza A, they can return to work once they are 24 hours symptom free.

If there’s an outbreak in the hospital, measures include:

• Non-immunized residents would not be permitted to work on the unit where the outbreak has occurred
• The resident can choose to get immunized.
• The resident can take Tamiflu, which can be acquired in the TBRHSC Occupational Health and Safety Department.

Community Sites
Residents are required to check-in with the Occupational Health and Safety Departments at all other community sites to inquire about their immunization requirements.