THUNDER BAY — The Northern Ontario School of Medicine becomes a standalone university on the first of April.
NOSM has operated under the umbrella of Lakehead University and Laurentian University since its inception in 2002.
After Laurentian declared insolvency, the Ontario government decided last year to transform it into the country's first independent medical university.
Vice Chancellor and Dean Dr. Sarita Verma calls independence "a profound and historic moment for the NOSM community," adding that its impact will be felt across Northern Ontario and beyond.
"We know that our cost-effective, innovative, community-based learning model, our trusted partnerships, and our purpose-built mission to bring health equity to Northern Ontario is working," Verma said. "We will advance the national conversation about what health justice in the rural and remote North really looks like – and who can deliver it."
NOSM has produced 780 MDs to date, 55 of whom self-identify as Indigenous. Another 692 residents have completed NOSM programs.
The school says more than half these health practitioners have stayed in Northern Ontario.
NOSM University will form a new Board of Governors and Senate.
It plans to retain campuses in both Thunder Bay and Sudbury, where it says it will build on its collaborative relationships with Lakehead and Laurentian.
Lakehead University officials objected last year to the move to make NOSM independent, citing an alleged lack of consultation with stakeholders and suggesting it would result in significant cost increases and duplication of services.
