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Federal funding expands northern Ontario medical training

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NOSM University is getting a federal investment to establish and grow training facilities.

87 medical centers in municipalities and Indigenous communities across Northern Ontario will receive a piece of the $1,968,386 grant. With this funding, NOSM’s Doctor of Medicine program expects to double its enrollment from 425 to 852 students within the next four years.

“This is to support the hospitals,” said NOSM President Mike Green. “They’re taking in a lot more medical students as a result of this expansion, and they need things to support having our learners on-site that wouldn’t be in their normal budget.”

The grant comes from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor)’s Northern Ontario Development Program. The initiative invests in projects led by municipalities and First Nations that support economic development, job creation and self-reliant communities in the region.

“This will create healthcare jobs, obviously, but it will also make sure we have a region that people don’t just come to work, but to stay,” said FedNor minister and Thunder Bay MP Patty Hadju. “Healthcare is a critical ingredient to growing the north strong and so this is a great fit for FedNor.”

FedNor minister and Thunder Bay MP Patty Hadju speaks at Wednesday’s announcement (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 1 2026)

People living with chronic disease in remote northern communities often have to fly in to see a practitioner who might not speak the same language. Hadju says she hopes this grant will attract more medical students from these communities to account for these shortfalls.

“Across Canada, when people have access to education [in their community] and then become doctors, they will choose to practice closer to home,” Hadju said. “That provides better access to care throughout our region.”

An additional 13 medical centers will be classified as Comprehensive Community Clerkship sites, where students will travel to a smaller community and practice family medicine for up to 8 months.

“It’s the longest experience like that in Canada, and those communities will get support through this announcement,” Mike Green said.

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Northwestern teens interested in health care invited to CampMed

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Applications for NOSM University’s 20th annual CampMed are now open for high school students interested in pursuing careers in health care.

The five-day summer program provides teens from northwestern Ontario and remote Indigenous communities an opportunity to explore health sciences through hands-on learning and mentorship.

CampMed is led by volunteer post-secondary students, graduates, medical students, and health professionals. Applications for both campers and volunteers close March 9.

The program takes place in Sudbury from July 6-10, and in Thunder Bay from July 13-17.

For more information, visit nosm.ca/CampMed.

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Applications open for NOSM Summer Studentship Program

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Health care students planning a career in northern Ontario are now invited to apply for the NOSM University Summer Studentship Program.

The paid summer experience lets students work in Northern rural communities to explore professional interests and build connections.

Learners in a variety of regulated health professions are eligible, according to the NOSM University website:

• Audiology
• Dietetics
• Kinesiology
• Medicine (MD)
• Medical Laboratory Technology
• Medical Radiation Therapy
• Midwifery		• Occupational Therapy
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Registered Nursing (RN, RPN, PN)
• Respiratory Therapy
• Speech Language Pathology 
• Technology

Applications close February 15. A resume and a Letter of Good Standing are required. Click here to apply if interested.

Funded by the Ministry of Health, the program has a track record of successfully recruiting professionals to the Northern Ontario health-care workforce.

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NOSM University receiving $250,000 from RBC Foundation to support physician training

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The RBC Foundation is supporting the future of healthcare in the region by donating some money to NOSM University.

The university is receiving a total of $250,000.

Over the next three years, the donation will support a NOSM program designed to train and retain physicians in rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities.

This includes initiatives led by Associate Dean of Physician Workforce Strategy, Dr. Sarah Newbery, whose work targets the region’s ongoing physician shortages through focused recruitment, hands-on community-based training, and strategic retention programs.

“This generous donation from RBC Foundation allows us to further develop the Rural Generalist Pathway,” says Dr. Newbery.

“It directly supports resident trainees in northern Ontario’s rural communities as they acquire the skills needed to become part of a sustainable and thriving physician workforce. We know that community-engaged education is key to retaining physicians where they are most needed, and this funding brings that vision closer to reality.”

NOSM University students train in more than 90 communities, including rural, Indigenous and Francophone communities throughout the region.

According to the university, almost 90 per cent of learners who complete both their MD and residency training at NOSM University stay to practise in northern Ontario.

“Communities across Canada continue to face challenges in health care, including staff shortages and limited access to physicians,” said the Vice-President of RBC Commercial Financial Services, Matt Simeoni.

“NOSM University is helping address these challenges here in northern Ontario, and this donation will support their important work to train and retain doctors across the region.”

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NOSM University leader wins national award

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A director from NOSM University has won a prestigious award for her contributions to the health of the Francophone community.

Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue has been director of the Office of Francophone Affairs at NOSM since 2005, where she has helped shape Francophone health education in Northern Ontario for two decades.

At the annual general meeting of the Société Santé en français on Oct. 2, Barbeau-Rodrigue was awarded the national Une étoile montante award from the Société Santé en français, which is given to an individual whose actions “demonstrate promising leadership in his or her field as well as an exceptional commitment to the development of the health of Francophones.”

According to a release from NOSM University, Barbeau-Rodrigue has had a direct impact on the school’s success, helping train more than 200 Francophone physicians and ensuring that French-language health services are available across the region. She is also a tireless and energetic advocate for access to quality medical education in French.

“In the vast and often isolated region of Northern Ontario, Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue’s name is inseparable from health training for Francophones, from Kenora to Hearst and all the way to Midland,” said Laïla Faivre, Manager of Equity and Inclusion at NOSM University in a statement.

“She has made a rare, authentic and profoundly transformative contribution to health care in Northern Ontario.”

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NOSM University announces new residency programs

NOSM University has announced four new residency programs as the institution celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The new residency programs are:

  • Medical Oncology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine Enhanced Skills in Palliative Care
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

“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,” explained the Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education, Dr. Rob Anderson.

“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.”

The new programs are aimed at addressing a physician shortage in the region.

Students enrolling in the program will contribute to the university’s growth targets to increase the number of medical students from 64 to 108 by 2028, and incoming residents from 60 to 123 by the same year.

More information about the programs can be found by clicking here.