Medical school students from the Sault have been taking part in a summer program aimed at placing them in real-life medical situations \n<\/p>\n
It\u2019s well known that Sault Ste. Marie remains in dire need of doctors.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s also good to know that Sault natives, like Emily Soares and Cassandra Breckenridge, are attending NOSM University in Sudbury with the intention of practising medicine in their hometown.<\/p>\n
The second-year students are currently taking part in the Summer Studentship Program in the Sault, which allows first and second-year medical school students to observe real-life medical situations in several areas, including cardiology, pediatrics and oncology.<\/p>\n
Despite extensive prior health care experience as a registered nurse, Soares said she was pleasantly surprised when she was accepted by NOSM University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had been wait-listed by NOSM for two years. Then in May 2024 I learned I got in, and I was ecstatic,\u201d Soares told SooToday.<\/p>\n
Breckenridge \u2014 who is also an experienced registered nurse wait-listed by NOSM University \u2014 was happy when she learned she was accepted by the medical school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so excited. I’m really enjoying it at NOSM. The courses are in-depth and what we\u2019re learning about anatomy is really interesting to me,\u201d Breckenridge said.<\/p>\n
Soares earned her undergraduate and master\u2019s degrees in nursing from the University of Western Ontario. She worked for six years as a registered nurse at Algoma Public Health and in emergency departments across both northern Ontario and Saskatchewan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to have a larger role in patient care,\u201d Soares said when asked why she decided to go to medical school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really enjoy the hands-on aspect of nursing but I wanted to know the reasons behind what brought patients into the hospital, and I found that curiosity is what led me to pursue further education and become a doctor.<\/p>\n
“I want to understand why someone is ill and how I can best support them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Breckenridge, meanwhile, became a registered nurse through studies at Sault College and Laurentian University before working at Sault Area Hospital.<\/p>\n
She credits her parents, in part, for inspiring her to attend medical school.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom was the first aid person at school, and my dad worked in emergency services at Algoma Steel,” Breckenridge said.\u00a0\u201cThe nursing field also had me thinking \u2018I want to do more.\u2019 I wanted to spend extra time with patients.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students who are taking part in the Summer Studentship Program have been gaining\u00a0clinical experience at Sault Area Hospital, Group Health Centre and the Superior Family Health Team as part of the month-long program offered by the\u00a0Sault Ste. Marie Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first day at the hospital was in the ICU. It was awesome,\u201d Soares said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI shadowed in a lot of departments. I had a day with respiratory therapists at the hospital and they were fantastic about really getting into the details of respiratory airways.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Summer Studentship Program hosted seven first-year medical school students and three second-year students\u00a0\u2014 eight of which are from the Sault.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both Soares and Breckenridge emphasized they\u2019re interested in returning to work as doctors in their hometown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely want to practice in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Soares. “I like critical care, so my interests currently are internal medicine, the emergency department and ICU.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both Soares and Breckenridge were among a group of nine female medical students in the Summer Studentship Program who\u00a0shared their experiences at a Medical School Information Night held earlier this week at SAH.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hosted by the Sault Ste. Marie Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, the information session was attended by approximately 50 high school students, university students and parents.<\/p>\n
Soares and Breckenridge agreed that it\u2019s been an honour to participate in the Summer Studentship Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hospital staff and the physicians have been very welcoming,” said Breckenridge. “It’s really neat to see patients get excited when they\u2019re told by a doctor \u2018I have a medical school student with me\u2019 because we need physicians here.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The jobs are there for medical school graduates who want to practise in the Sault, according to Tasha Varpio, who is the manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Varpio says the highest-priority recruitment areas currently include primary care, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, plastic surgery, pathology and psychiatry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral areas continue to experience significant recruitment pressure,\u201d Varpio told SooToday.<\/p>\n
The number of seats for new students at NOSM has been increased in response to this pressure, with preference given to applicants from northern Ontario.<\/p>\n
There are also incentives for those wanting to go to medical school, including Ontario government\u2019s Learn and Stay Grant, where eligible medical students can receive full tuition if they commit to working in underserved communities like the Sault.<\/p>\n
Both Soares and Breckenridge recommend medical school as a pathway into the health care sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would absolutely recommend it to anybody who has a passion for it,” Breckenridge said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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