President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean & CEO
NOSM University

On June 3, 2021, the Government of Ontario passed legislation to make the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) a university. With this status, NOSM becomes the first stand-alone medical university in Canada.

NOSM was established as a government strategy to address the health needs of the region, improve access to quality care, and contribute to the economic development of Northern Ontario. It was born of a grassroots movement, from communities across Northern Ontario advocating for a solution to regional health inequalities. Becoming a university translates that vision into a reality in the future.

Read the announcement: NOSM to Become First Stand-alone Medical University in Canada.

VISION

Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North.
 

MISSION

To improve the health of Northern Ontarians by being socially accountable in their education and research programs and advocating for health equity.

They will realize this by:

• Embedding social accountability as a core value in graduates. NOSM University will be a recognized leader in rural and Northern health knowledge and will influence and advocate for policy advances in health at all levels of government.

• Increasing research capacity and expertise in population-based health to improve advocacy and evidence-based policy in Northern Ontario. NOSM University will have a positive research impact on Northern health, be known as the leader in Northern health research and increase grant and other research funding.

• Incorporating advanced technology into curriculum and day-to-day activities of the school. NOSM University will be a leader in educational excellence through its curriculum renewal, competency-based training, adaptive technology, and will meet or exceed all accreditation standards.

• Being a strong active partner with communities in need to create a flourishing health workforce to serve the North.

• Securing sustainable financial and human resources to deliver on their vision of innovative education and research. They will be financially sustainable by ensuring access to resources and infrastructure to sustain and grow NOSM University through efficiencies and a culture of advancement.

• Creating a sustainable working and learning environment. NOSM University will commit to diversity, wellness and respect for faculty, staff and learners.

NOSM’s VALUES

Innovation

NOSM University encourages ingenuity, creativity, a culture of inquiry and discovery, and the importance of learning from others in every aspect of the School’s education, research, social accountability, and corporate mandates. NOSM University uses innovative approaches to ensure continuous improvement of their distributed model of education and research.

Social Accountability

NOSM University adheres to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of the Social Accountability of Medical Schools as “the obligation to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region and the nation that they have a mandate to serve. The priority health concerns are to be identified jointly by governments, health care organizations, health professionals and the public.” As part of its social accountability mandate, NOSM University has the responsibility to engage stakeholders at all levels of its broad community.

Collaboration

NOSM University pursues education and research goals in close partnership with its host universities. Collaboration and partnership is also important to NOSM University with its teaching hospitals, community physicians, health professional clinical teachers, health system stakeholders, and communities it serves. NOSM values the insights, contributions, and support of its many partners that work to improve the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario. NOSM University recognizes that collaboration is both a process and outcome that engages different perspectives to better understand complex problems, and leads to the development of integrative solutions that could not be accomplished by any single person or organization.

Inclusiveness

NOSM University fosters inclusiveness by supporting an environment which embraces differences in staff, faculty and learners and respectfully creates value from the differences of all members of the NOSM University community, in order to leverage talent and foster both individual and organizational excellence.

Respect

NOSM University's faculty, staff, and learners will learn and listen to one another respectfully and communicate openly. NOSM University's staff, faculty, and learners treat others and their ideas in a manner that conveys respect as differences are discussed, fosters an open academic debate, and which respects academic freedom.