New specialist residencies will benefit all of northern Ontario, NOSM says

THUNDER BAY — The medical school that serves northern Ontario says the addition of four new residencies will improve access to health care across the region.

NOSM University has added post-graduate specializations in medical oncology, a new emergency medicine program, palliative care, and obstetrics and gynecology. In a media release, the medical school said the expanded programming is to improve access to health care throughout the north.

“This is a vital step toward improving access to care in northern Ontario by training more physicians where they are needed most,” Michael Green, NOSM University’s president, vice-chancellor, dean and CEO was quoted as saying in the university’s release.

Green’s quote also said the new programs were “enabled” by the province expanding medical education placements.

A spokesperson for NOSM told Newswatch in an email that the medical school’s residencies “are designed to serve the whole of northern Ontario.” They will be centred in various locations, however, with the emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynecology programs primarily based in and focused on Thunder Bay.

The palliative care program’s focus is spread right across the north, the university said, while the medical oncology program is primarily based in Sudbury.

“Even if a program is primarily based in one city, residents benefit from the knowledge and support of physicians working in that specialty right across the north,” the university said in its email to Newswatch.

The residencies will help address the “urgent” physician shortage across northern Ontario, the school’s media release said, adding that they will help increase the number of medical students from 64 to 108 and incoming residents from 60 to 123 by 2028.

“These new residency programs represent a major step forward in NOSM University’s expansion plan and in transforming access to health care in northern Ontario,” Rob Anderson, the school’s associate dean of postgraduate medical education was quoted as saying in the university’s release.

“We are grateful to the hospitals, clinics, health-care professionals and community partners across northern Ontario whose support ensures residents receive exceptional training while helping to build a stronger local health system.”