Land acknowledgement
NOSM University respectfully acknowledges that our pan-Northern campus is on the homelands of First Nations and Métis Peoples. The university buildings we occupy in Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay are located on the territory of the Anishinabek Nation, specifically Atikameksheng and Wahnapitae First Nations and Fort William First Nation.
Virtual Information Sessions
Please join us on October 4, 2023 @ 6:30 PM Eastern Time for a virtual information session. Program leadership, faculty, and residents will provide an overview of the NOSM U PHPM program. The session will conclude with a residents-only Q&A session.
Register using the link below to receive the connection details:
https://nosm.webex.com/weblink/register/r02ab8750d44ecd727df96bcf4492a870
Candidates also considering applying to the Sudbury PHPM-FM training stream may be interested in attending the NOSM U Family Medicine information session. More details are available here: https://www.nosm.ca/familymedicine/prospectiveresidents/program-information-sessions/
Training streams
NOSM U PHPM offers training through two separate streams, PHPM-FM in Sudbury and PHPM in Sault Ste. Marie.
Relocation and travel
Social accountability is one of NOSM University’s core values and the geographical area we serve is vast. In order to best prepare our residents to practice in a variety of contexts, and particularly northern, rural, and remote settings, relocation and travel are required during training. Residents receive financial support for travel to and from mandatory educational activities outside their home bases, and housing support for core rotations away from their primary residence.
Vaccination Policy
Some NOSM U training sites require proof of COVID-19 and other vaccinations. You will be required to provide documentation of vaccination to the appropriate institution if matched. Failure to provide appropriate documentation may result in the termination of the contract.
International Medical Graduates (IMGs)
IMGs must be graduates of a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools list.
All IMGs who match to a residency training position in Ontario are required to complete the Pre-Residency Program through Touchstone Institute prior to the start of their residency training. To find out more about the Pre-Residency Program, please visit: https://touchstoneinstitute.ca/learning/. IMGs are also required to complete an Assessment Verification Period at the start of residency, typically 12 weeks in length.
IMGs are required to sign a return of service contract. More information is available through the Ministry of Health: https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/hhrsd/physicians/ros.aspx.
Thanks for considering our program!
The Ministry requests all ROS agreements before June 1 of the year they were matched. All agreements should be returned to the Ministry prior to the start of residency training. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm eligibility with respect to THE ROS requirements of other provinces.
Information about the Ministry’s ROS programs is available at the Return of Service Program
A letter of release from existing return of service agreements must be submitted as part of the application.
Program application language: English
Applications will only be received and reviewed in English.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: As per the Ontario Provincial Eligibility Criteria, if you are submitting a Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth, or Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada document, you MUST submit a government issued photo I.D. to accompany your citizenship documentation.
Applicants must be able to communicate in the language of instruction and patient care of the matching school.
Language Requirements
Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2024
Minimum score: 7 in each component
Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2024
Minimum score: 93 with a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section
Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2024
Minimum score: Minimum grade of B in each component
Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2024
Minimum score: Minimum score of 9 in each component
a)Primary and Secondary Education: Mailed directly from the Senior Academic Administrators of both schools to the program confirming that all of the candidate’s primary and secondary education was conducted completely in English or French.
b) Medical School: Mailed directly from the Dean of the candidate’s medical school confirming that the language of instruction and patient care was conducted completely in English or French
c) World Directory of Medical Schools Language Option - If the instruction and the language of patient care at the undergraduate medical school was conducted completely in English or French, then a candidate can submit to the Program a copy or printout of the World Directory of Medical Schools website listing the medical school which clearly states that the language of instruction is English or French.
A passing score of NAC is required to apply. MCCQE part II passing score can be used to apply instead of the NAC passing score.
(for those whose latest attempt at the NAC was prior to September 2020 or in 2021)
A passing score of MCCQE1 is required to apply.
Reference letters must be written by preceptors, supervisors, or advisors who have worked with you. References should provide an assessment of your population health, public health, and medical knowledge; interpersonal skills; ability to communicate effectively; attitude toward learning; and your abilities to complete training in PHPM.
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
For International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates, you can submit your MSPR through either of the methods below:
The personal letter (maximum 1000 words) should focus on the following:
If your transcript/CV indicates academic difficulty, failure(s), repeat of a year or any gaps in your education or work history please attach a supplementary statement to the END of your Personal Letter entitled "Transcript/CV Addendum" explaining the above.
Custom Résumé / CV PhotoPlease complete the mandatory Personal Reflections Survey using the link below:
(no upload required, only your response via the survey link)
https://nosm.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Fq3Wir7xywaGKW
Candidates who have completed prior graduate training are encouraged to submit their transcripts. Order from the relevant Registrar.
Applications submitted after file review has opened on December 2, 2023
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on December 2, 2023
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on December 2, 2023
Dates:
Applicants will be selected for an interview based on a file review that considers their:
Final ranking of candidates is based on the combined file review score (60%) and interview score (40%). Interviewees may not all be ranked.
Passionate about health equity? Plan to work in lower-resource or northern, rural, or remote public health contexts? Train at the first medical university in Canada, established with an explicit social accountability mandate.
The NOSM University PHPM program prepares physicians to practice full-scope PHPM in northern, rural, remote, and global contexts. Our residents train at sites across Northern Ontario, as well as sites outside Northern Ontario that offer experiences relevant to NOSM U’s social accountability mandate. Our program offers residents a supportive environment to create sustainable improvements in health outcomes.
Our selection process seeks to identify diverse candidates with a wide variety of lived experiences committed to excellence in the practice of PHPM in northern, rural, remote, and global contexts, who have demonstrated:
Social accountability informs not only our curriculum, but also our selection process. We are committed to ethical, equitable, and transparent recruitment and selection, and look forward to meeting the real you. This includes a commitment to supporting and retaining IMGs in PHPM training and practice.
As a medical university with a social accountability mandate to meet the needs and the diversity of the populations of Northern Ontario, candidates best suited to the NOSM U PHPM are those who can adapt and thrive in a hands-on, distributed residency program that requires flexibility and regular travel away from their primary location of residence. Residents will be required to relocate one or more times during their training.
Review team composition : The file review team is comprised of program faculty, other PHPM specialists, and residents, and may include family medicine faculty.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
File component | Criteria |
---|---|
CV | Interest in PHPM, scholarly activity, and professional accomplishments |
Electives | PHPM elective(s) and a diverse range of non-PHPM electives relevant PHPM; electives in northern, rural, or remote contexts are a strong asset. |
Examinations | Candidates who have written the NAC and MCCQE1 are required to submit their scores, and these scores will be considered as part of the file review process. IELTS scores will also be considered as part of the file review process if submitted by a candidate. The NOSM U PHPM Program does not use specific exam score cut-offs, but candidates applying to the PHPM-FM stream are required to meet all FM examination requirements. |
Extra-curricular | Experiences relevant to PHPM or northern, rural, and remote health are considered an asset. The NOSM U PHPM program acknowledges and takes into consideration that extra-curricular activities may not be accessible to students with other commitments outside school (e.g., caregiving). |
Leadership skills | Evidence of one or more leadership roles is considered an asset |
MSPRs | Evidence of professional behaviour is required. Evidence of academic excellence and strong interpersonal skills are considered assets. Any academic, personal, or professionalism concerns noted in the MSPR must be addressed by the candidate in their personal letter. |
Personal letters | Ability to succinctly and coherently address the items listed under “Personal Letter” above |
Reference documents | Positive assessment of your population health, public health, and medical knowledge; interpersonal skills; ability to communicate effectively; attitude toward learning; and your abilities to complete training in PHPM. |
Research/Publications | Scholarly activity relevant to PHPM, interest in participating in future scholarly activity. |
Transcripts | Strength of academic record |
Other file component(s) |
Transcript/CV Addendum: If any part of your application indicates academic difficulty, failure(s), repeat of a year or any gaps in your education or work history, a supplementary statement at the END of your Personal Letter is required. Please entitle your statement as “Transcript/CV Addendum”, explaining the above. |
Interview format :
We may accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants due to weather, technology failure, or unforeseen circumstances.
Interview components | Criteria |
---|---|
Collaboration skills | Clearly describes actions and behaviours indicative of mature and effective collaboration. |
Collegiality | All interactions with the program demonstrate collegiality. Clearly describes cooperative actions and behaviours with colleagues from one or more professions. |
Communication skills | Delivers clear, succinct responses that directly address interview questions. Provides examples of applying communication skills to resolve conflict. |
Health advocacy | Demonstrates commitment to social accountability and health equity. |
Interest in the discipline | Articulates population health strategies, and differentiates a population health approach from an individual patient care approach. Articulates how clinical training will support their future public health practice. |
Interest in the program | Demonstrates interest in northern, rural, or remote settings. Candidate’s career goals align with those of the NOSM U PHPM training program. |
Leadership skills | Demonstrates self-reflective leadership, meaningfully reflecting on personal leadership style. |
Professionalism | Demonstrates compassion, insight, honesty, and respect for diversity during all interactions with the program. Meaningfully reflects on ability to manage conflict. |
Scholarly activities | We do not formally evaluate this component during the interview. |
Health equity and social accountability are foundational to the NOSM U PHPM program. Our program offers a comprehensive curriculum that integrates all the CanMEDS roles, while focusing on the knowledge and skills required to practice in northern, rural, and remote contexts, in Canada and around the world. Program highlights include:
Key components of the five-year NOSM U PHPM residency program include:
During their training, NOSM U PHPM residents have the opportunity to complete graduate training and certification with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Residents are well-supported throughout their training, with financial support for travel to and from mandatory educational activities outside their home bases, housing support for core rotations away from primary residence, and funding for research, professional development, and conferences.
Please visit our website for more information: https://www.nosm.ca/phpm/.
This residency program is for 5 years.
Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.
The five-year NOSM U PHPM residency training program follows the Royal College Specialty Training Requirements, and ensures residents meet the Royal College Objectives of Training. Key components of the NOSM U PHPM curriculum—clinical training, academic training, and PHPM training—are summarized below.
Residents in the PHPM stream complete at least 12 months of clinical training. In consultation with the program director, residents may choose to complete up to an additional 12 months of clinical electives relevant to public health. Residents in this training stream are introduced to PHPM practice early, spending a first-year core rotation at a local public health agency in Northern Ontario. Clinical rotations are tailored to meet public health practice needs, including core rotations in infectious disease and microbiology. Residents will also solidify their clinical skills during core rotations in emergency medicine, family medicine, and internal medicine. Unique to the NOSM U PHPM program, residents complete a core rotation in clinical public, providing clinical case and contact management to patients with or exposed to communicable disease. Residents complete most clinical rotations in Sault Ste. Marie, and some rotations in other parts of Ontario.
NOSM U PHPM residents participate in weekly academic half-days (AHDs), regular academic full-days, and biannual in-person learning events. Regular academic activities include Discussion of the Week (DOW) and Knowledge & Skills sessions, journal clubs, joint academic rounds with other PHPM residency programs, practice OSCEs, and practice written examinations. Residents completing clinical rotations are expected to participate in the DOW (but can attend more of the AHD if other duties allow); senior residents attend the whole AHD.
NOSM U PHPM residents must complete a minimum of two semesters of graduate training. Most residents choose to complete a Master of Public Health during their training. Residents who are not completing certification in family medicine may spend up to two years in graduate training. Residents work closely with the program director to select a Canadian or international university program that meets their interests and the Royal College requirements. Residents with previous graduate training may be credited, resulting in additional elective time or a reduction in training time.
NOSM U PHPM residents complete 6 core PHPM field rotations:
NOSM U PHPM residents complete the majority of core rotations within NOSM U’s geographical service area in Northern Ontario, and complete all their core rotations at sites with training experiences relevant to NOSM U’s social accountability mandate. Residents are required to live and work in multiple communities.
NOSM U PHPM residents pursue a wide variety of PHPM electives at the local, provincial, national, and international level. Residents who are not completing certification in family medicine may spend up to one year completing public health electives, in addition to the elective time available to all PHPM residents. Some examples of elective sites include:
Our residents train at sites across Northern Ontario—for example, in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, or Richard’s Landing—as well as sites outside Northern Ontario that offer experiences relevant to NOSM U’s social accountability mandate, including provincial and federal agencies.
NOSM U PHPM-FM residents are based in Sudbury, on the territory of Atikameksheng and Wahnapitae First Nations, with occasional travel and relocation required across Ontario. Sudbury is a city of almost 170,000 people, best known for mining, beautiful lakes, and blueberries. Sudbury offers excellent restaurants, hiking trails, and French language opportunities. Residents complete the majority of their clinical training at Health Sciences North and Sudbury-based clinics, and many of their public health field placements at Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
NOSM U PHPM residents are based in Sault Ste. Marie, on the territory of Garden River and Batchewana First Nations, with occasional travel and relocation required across Ontario. Sault Ste. Marie is a city of just over 70,000 located on the St. Mary’s River, directly across the international border from Michigan. Sault Ste. Marie offers easy access to both Lake Superior and Lake Huron, and what locals believe to be the best pizza in the world. Residents complete the majority of their clinical training at Sault Area Hospital and Sault-based clinics, and many of their public health field placements at Algoma Public Health
NOSM U PHPM residents typically select the location of their core field placements, but the residency program reserves the right to determine a resident’s training sites.
Public transportation options are limited in parts of Northern Ontario. NOSM U PHPM residents are strongly encouraged to have a valid Ontario driver’s license and access to a vehicle.
To learn more about Northern Ontario, please visit the Wider Campus of NOSM University webpage.
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