Legacy
President’s Report (July 1, 2019 — May 15, 2024)
Few worthwhile journeys in life unfold with the predictability of a well-worn map. For me, the past five years at NOSM University have been a testament to this. When I first put my finger on the map of Northern Ontario in July 2019, I had no idea what it would unlock: a whirlwind adventure marked by unexpected turns, unforeseen challenges, and moments of exhilarating triumph from which a remarkable pattern would emerge. Much like the unique whorls and ridges that form a fingerprint, everyone on this journey has left an indelible mark on NOSM University—and on me.
This special report—as much a photo essay as anything else—is the last from Dr. Sarita Verma as NOSM University President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean, and CEO.
Read the President’s Engagement Report
Community
The Okanagan Charter
The Okanagan Charter Prioritizing health and wellbeing is a leading priorityNOSM University’s focus on wellbeing is guided by the Okanagan Charter, which calls upon the post-secondary sector to “transform the health and sustainability of our current and future...
NOSM University aligns education programs with societal and community needs
NOSM University aligns education programs with societal and community needs French language health services are a critical component of health equity in Northern Ontario. Since its inception, NOSM University has identified Francophones as a key population, and a group...
Temerty Foundation makes amazing investment in health equity
Temerty Foundation makes amazing investment in health equity The Temerty Foundation, established by James and Louise Temerty, has made a $10 million gift to support NOSM University medical students and to advance and grow social accountability and health equity...
Education
MD program receives full eight-year accreditation
MD program receives full eight-year accreditationThis spring, NOSM University’s flagship Medical Doctorate (MD) Degree Program received great news from the Committee on Accreditation for Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). “On the eve of our first convocation as a fully...
Physiotherapist Brock Chisholm honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Physiotherapist Brock Chisholm honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award If you are a rehabilitation professional in Northern Ontario, chances are good that Brock Chisholm was among the first people to give you a warm welcome to the region. A new award—the Health...
NOSM University Undergoes Historic Expansion
NOSM University Undergoes Historic ExpansionThis last year has carried NOSM University through an incredible season of change. On April 1, 2022, we were proclaimed Canada’s only independent medical university. But that wasn’t all. With the winds of Queen’s Park...
Planning
Two Northern Ontario communities share successes with recruitment
Two Northern Ontario communities share successes with recruitment Sault Ste. Marie and Sioux Lookout are great places to work—and the word is getting out Dr. Mara Boyle didn’t originally think that her career would lead her to family medicine—or to Sioux Lookout....
Transform Health Human Resources Planning
Transform Health Human Resources PlanningOne of NOSM University’s primary efforts to address the health inequities in Northern Ontario is our transformative approach to the planning and delivery of workforce supply to reduce the gaps in Northern Ontario Health human...
Forging Community
Forging Community There are so many reasons to live and work in Northern Ontario. For physicians across the region, collegial atmospheres and close-knit communities help doctors feel appreciated and supported. Five Northern Ontario docs discuss the support from...
Research
Empowering Northern Ontario communities through research
Empowering Northern Ontario communities through research Social accountability leads to locally-driven solutions Social accountability defines NOSM University. NOSM University researchers work to support the goals of communities and partners so that local priority...
Research May 2023
ResearchIn NOSM’s first year as a university, we are proud of the collaboration across disciplines that fostered partnerships across Northern Ontario, nationally, and internationally. Notably, we celebrated the launch of the Centre for Social Accountability—a truly...
Strengthen Research Capacity in Northern Ontario
NOSM University is the connective tissue between
research entities, Northern Ontario Health Teams
(OHTs), research institutes and hospitals.
University
Financial Sustainability
Who are we?The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was established in 2002 as a key government strategy to reverse the chronic physician shortage in Northern Ontario. Twenty years later, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University Act was proclaimed into...
Working with the Dream Team
Working with the Dream Team Valuing our People The work at NOSM University would be nowhere without the people—its lifeblood. Here is our latest senior recruit and her role.NOSM University’s Provost and Vice President Academic It’s been a busy first six months for Dr....
Meet “Nsidwaamjigan,”ceremonial object created to open NOSM University convocations
Meet “Nsidwaamjigan,”ceremonial object created to open NOSM University convocationsOn May 26, 2023, hundreds of people stood respectfully in silence, listening to the powerful sounds of Indigenous singing and drumming, waiting for the graduates to appear. Then, as the...
Enablers
Awards and Recognition
There are many outstanding faculty, learners and staff at NOSM University who make a difference in their community. Miigwetch, merci and thank you for your ongoing work and commitment.
Awards and Recognition
Awards and Recognition (April 25 – September 15, 2023)There are many outstanding faculty, learners, and staff at NOSM University who make a difference in their community. Miigwetch, merci, and thank you for your ongoing work and commitment. Chelsie Baizana, medical...
‘From my heart’
‘From my heart’ Meet Chantae Robinson, medical student and champion of Black-owned businesses in the North Chantae Robinson has one word for you: “love.” “Everything that I do is an expression of love for others,” says Chantae, before heading back into the...
2023 Research Annual Report
IMPRESSIONS
The 2023 Research Annual Report delves into research at NOSM University. Through an exploration of a wide array of research activities, we highlight the existing and developing collaborations between our clinical and non-clinical faculty, and between our faculty and those at other educational institutions in Northern Ontario, nationally and internationally.
Researchers and physicians engaging in research are leaving impressions across the region. They are seeing firsthand the profound impact their work can have on both individual patients and the broader community.
Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity
ANNUAL REPORT
It’s been two years since the Centre for Social Accountability was established at NOSM University. It was born of the principle that everyone—regardless of circumstance or geography—has a right to access health-care practitioners who are culturally competent, understand the realities of living in the rural and remote North, and lead with compassion and integrity.
The Temerty Foundation, established by James and Louise Temerty, made a $10 million gift in September 2023 to support NOSM University medical students and to advance and grow social accountability and health equity initiatives. In recognition of this transformational gift, NOSM University’s Centre for Social Accountability was renamed the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity. This report details the achievement of the Centre’s research activities completed in the past year, impacts across the four pillars, challenges and lessons learned, and future directions.
From Informative to Transformative
THE NOSM UNIVERSITY OF TOMORROW
As we look forward with hope to the post-pandemic era, NOSM University has a window of extraordinary opportunity in which to fundamentally and strategically transform itself to meet the health research, education and health care demands of tomorrow. The turbulence caused by the global COVID-19 crisis touched—and forever changed— every element of work in which we were engaged during this historic time. The crisis revealed that the prevailing medical education paradigm, a legacy of past centuries, is outmoded, and too brittle to bend and adapt to the realities of the day. It also demonstrated the need for research and scientific discovery to respond quickly to the issues of the day, and for evidence-based clinical practice to inform public policy.
Download past issues of the President’s Report.
Download past issues of the NOSM University Research Annual Report.
