Three Aboriginal medical students accepted into the 2nd class at NOSM
A Northern Ontario School of Medicine press release - for more information visit the NOSM web site at http://normed.ca
Another 56 Medical Students Join NOSM
Tuesday, September 5, 2006 - The second intake of 56 students to Canada's newest medical school begin their first day of classes today, following a week of exposure to the diversity and vitality of Northern Ontario.
During their unique orientation week, the students travelled, participated in working sessions, met physicians and community leaders, and became acquainted with their new life as a medical student. Following introductory sessions at their home campuses at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury, the students gathered at Laurentian, where they embarked on a week-long bus excursion to Thunder Bay.
Stops along the way included Sault Ste. Marie, where the students participated in outdoor activities and experienced a warm welcome from physicians and dignitaries. In Marathon, they enjoyed beach sports and a hearty barbeque organized by Dr. Sarah Newbery and a group of community physicians. The final stop for the group was Thunder Bay, where they attended a dinner hosted by NOSM’s Founding Dean Dr. Roger Strasser and participated in a Hippocratic oath ceremony, before returning to their respective campuses.
NOSM continues to follow its mandate of social accountability in an endeavour to respond to the cultural diversity of Northern Ontario. Demographic profiles of the class of 2006 show that:
- 89% are from Northern Ontario
- 50% are from rural and remote backgrounds
- 5% are Aboriginal
- 21% are Francophone
More than 2,000 applications were received for the 2006-07 academic year, of which 391 were interviewed. NOSM’s Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions, Dr. Tom Szabo, noted that this was an exciting time for NOSM. “Every member of the 2005 charter class moved forward into their second year, and NOSM has now officially welcomed its second group of students, which brings our student complement to 112 aspiring physicians."
Students will now get down to work and immerse themselves in all things NOSM -- state-of-the-art smart classrooms, a progressive distributed learning curriculum, and a community-based learning environment with placements across Northern Ontario. Each of these elements helps to ensure that NOSM graduates physicians with an appreciation for the unique health-care needs of Northern Ontario, as well as the cultural diversity of the people who call it home.
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.
-30-
For more information, please contact: Marlene Moore, Communications Officer (705) 662-7243 or Tracie Smith, Communications Officer (807) 766-7314