UPDATE: Medical school students will be trained at Sault Area Hospital

The FedNor investment will help NOSMU train twice as many new doctors in the north

Today, the Government of Canada announced an investment of nearly $2 million to allow the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University to establish and expand training facilities in communities across Northern Ontario, including Sault Ste. Marie.

The $1,968,386 FedNor investment will help NOSMU to train twice as many new doctors in the north in 87 additional communities. 

This is in addition to the $8 million in funding announced in January.

MP Terry Sheehan said he’s pleased the government is making this investment. He confirmed this evening that training will happen at Sault Area Hospital.

“By creating these training opportunities, we are helping ensure more physicians will study, build their lives, and remain in Northern Ontario,” Sheehan said in a news release.

“This will contribute to more resilient local economies and better access to health care for people and families throughout the region.”

Responding via email, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the expansion into the Sault is “a welcome development that city council has been pushing for since the start of this term.

“The data shows that medical students who train in a northern community are much more likely to build their careers there, and this investment strengthens that pipeline in a meaningful way,” Shoemaker said.

“By creating more opportunities for hands-on training in our community, we are taking a practical step toward improving long-term access to care while supporting the growth and resilience of our local health system.”

Shoemaker said it’s still unclear where NOSMU students will study in the Sault.

In addition to Algoma Public Health, Group Health Centre and Sault Area Hospital, there was a fourth location where Northern Ontario School of Medicine University could go when it opens here in September 2027.

NOSMU’s president, Dr. Michael Green, said the university is grateful to the government for the funding.

“By training more doctors in the north, we are strengthening regional economies and helping communities thrive through improved access to care,” Green said in the release.

Provided through Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP), this investment will allow NOSM University teaching sites, across the north, to retrofit learner spaces and purchase specialized equipment to support in-community training.

This includes modernizing the facilities with enhancements such as video conferencing and information and communications technology capabilities, the release said. 

Once fully established, the new training space will be well equipped to deliver the highest standard of education expected from modern medical schools.

As a result of this expansion, NOSM University’s Doctor of Medicine program is expected to increase from 425 to 852 learners within the next four years.

Of the 87 training facilities, five will be located at larger hospitals in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, and Timmins.