Med school needs to expand to train more doctors for the north, says NOSM head

The president and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine said she wants provincial support to expand the school.

Dr. Sarita Verma said the school has to expand to train enough doctors to fill the need in communities across the region.

Verma has estimated 300 doctors are needed across the north, but the school currently can only train 64 at a time.

Verma has been touring the north since September to garner feedback on a stand-alone medical university. She's had the chance to attend 64 meetings and 11 town halls.

"What I've heard is every community is in crisis," she said. 

"Every community has been suffering from a major health human resource challenge, particularly physician shortages and even more critically, nursing shortages."

She said people are telling her the doctor shortage is still critical.

She is asking the province to support expanding the number of candidates. The province is planning to proclaim the medical school as a stand-alone university in January.

"The Premier when he was in Sudbury not too long ago I had a chance to have a chat with him and he's definitely interested in where NOSM university will be going so I think they will be going to--I hope--planning to increase that number because it is their decision," said Verma.   

She said they'd like to expand slowly but steadily.

"From 64 we'd aspire to add at least another 10 every year over the course of a couple of years trying to reach the height of 100 entries in undergrad and then matching numbers in post-grad in residency."   

Verma said the province has been supportive and is hoping for an announcement to expand before the election next year.

The school has graduated 800 doctors in 14 years.