More med students to be trained at NOSM by 2028

NOSM University, which has a campus in Greater Sudbury, has announced an increase in residency programs for the class that will graduate in 2028.

NOSM University Medical School has announced an increase in residency programs, meaning more physicians will be enrolled in some key specialties by 2028.

NOSM said they are increasing student intake from 64 to 108 and incoming residents from 60 to 123 within three years.

“People may or may not know, but the province really directs how many people we admit to the medical school every year,” NOSM CEO Dr. Michael Green said in a news release.

“It’s not up to us.”

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas said the province is aware there is a physician shortage.

“We know that some really important specialties are not available in the north,” Gélinas said.

In total, northern Ontario is short 350 doctors, according to the Ontario Medical Association.

Gélinas said that she is happy the provincial government is adding additional seats in NOSM, but criticizes the three-year waiting period before it is implemented, with many people in Northern Ontario feeling the burden of the shortage.

“We have a university who’s willing and able to take on more students,” she said.

“We have students who want this position. We have patients who need those physicians to look after them. And we have a government who says, well, you’ll have to wait for another three years before we will give you money to be able to take on more students.”

Green said the increase in student admissions will help fill the gap in health care in northern Ontario, as many students who graduate from the program and residency stay in the north.

“Over 90 per cent of our applicants are from northern Ontario,” he said.

“We have a lot of francophone and Indigenous students who are studying with us and over half of our students who come into our undergrad program … ended up working long term in northern Ontario.”

“If they do this in northern Ontario, the chances that they stay in northern Ontario goes up exponentially,” Gélinas added.

“So this is a win-win for us. Northern Ontario School of Medicine has shown us that if you train them here, if you offer residency here, they stay here and they provide good care. What are we waiting for?”