Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Type	School or university

Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a medical school with campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

In Anishinabek News

• September 2013: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine hosted its annual Summer Health Sciences Camp from July 8-12, 2013. The school provides hands-on healthcare experience to high school students from rural, remote, Aboriginal, and Francophone backgrounds. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine operates a campus at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.
• June 2015: As of June 2015, Christopher Mushquash is a faculty member in the Division of Human Sciences at this school.
• August 2017: The school organized a health sciences camp for youth at Mt. McKay in August 2017. The institution hosted a tour for camp participants at its building located on the Lakehead University campus. The school aims to inspire students to pursue health careers by balancing cultural and academic education.
• February 2018: The school is partnering with Matawa First Nations Management on a new residency program for family medicine. The program aims to train up to four doctors each year to serve in remote communities.
• April 2018: The school was identified as one of two institutions in Thunder Bay founded with a mandate to incorporate First Nations beliefs.
• May 2018: Representatives from the school met with the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth on April 19, 2018, at Lakehead University. The institution aims to create a First Nation and Métis Centre of Excellence based on the Centre of American Indian and Minority Health model. The school is working to fulfill its mandate of providing culturally safe care and education through cross-border knowledge exchanges.
• January 2019: The school is one of the faculties hosted by Lakehead University.
• September 2019: Christopher Mushquash is an associate professor at the school. The school's director of Indigenous Affairs, Joe LeBlanc, is a principal knowledge holder for a project on Indigenous food sovereignty.
• March 2020: The school was identified as a local institution that the Anishinabek Nation could work with regarding medical education. It is one of the medical schools in the region that could be consulted regarding the implementation of Indigenous health competencies.
• May 2020: The school partnered with CIBC in May 2020 to launch an initiative promoting Indigenous learner leadership and mentorship. It is the first medical school in Canada established with a specific social accountability mandate to address health needs in Northern Ontario. The institution manages the Indigenous Learner Leadership and Mentorship Award and related professional development networks.
• June 2020: The school partnered with Associated Medical Services to appoint a research chair focused on Indigenous health history in June 2020. The institution expressed a commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action by addressing the history of healing and medicines. The school aims to be a leader in distributed, learning-centered, community-engaged education and research.
• October 2020: The school appointed a new Director of Indigenous Affairs on October 5, 2020. It is implementing improvements based on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As of 2020, the institution has established a position against racism and introduced cultural sensitivity training for all learners.
• March 2021: The school introduced an advocacy-focused curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the creation of the Naloxone North application. Faculty members at the institution are collaborating with First Nations to study opioid recovery and the effectiveness of digital health tools in Northern Ontario. The institution focuses on training health-care professionals to serve Indigenous, Francophone, and rural communities throughout Northern Ontario.
• March 2021: The school employs Darrel Manitowabi as the Hannah Chair in Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine.
• May 2021: The school features a curriculum focused on Indigenous health and the specific inequities faced by rural and northern populations. First-year students at the institution are required to complete a four-week placement within an Indigenous community. The school operates the CampMed summer program and a Summer Studentship Program for health sciences students.
• July 2021: The school is one of the ten faculties maintained by Lakehead University.
• August 2021: The school transitioned to virtual Indigenous community placements for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. First-year students from the school participated in in-person cultural mindfulness training at Nipissing First Nation in August 2021. The training aimed to prepare future doctors to improve the medical system and incorporate the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
• November 2021: The school signed a collaboration agreement with Science North on April 20, 2021, to deliver health and life sciences programming to Indigenous youth. Indigenous students represent 17 per cent of the incoming medical class in 2021, which is the highest percentage among medical schools in Canada. The institution aims to engage youth at a younger age to discuss pathways to medical school and increase Indigenous applications.
• January 2022: Researchers from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine are leading a two-year study to understand vaccine confidence among Indigenous youth. The school focuses on educating health-care professionals for Indigenous, Francophone, and rural communities in Northern Ontario. The institution received the Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award for its educational model.
• January 2022: Christopher Mushquash is a professor in the Division of Human Sciences at this school.
• January 2023: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine partnered with Sault College to support a new interprofessional learning experience for healthcare workers.
• September 2026: Dot Beaucage-Kennedy served as a Knowledge Keeper for the institution for 10 years.