These 2 medical students say they want to serve their communities in northern Ontario

Ever since his career day in Grade 10 Nicholas Lambert has known he wanted to become a doctor.

Now, the 22-year-old who grew up in Elliot Lake, Ont., has started his first year at NOSM University.

"I think NOSM University is the best school to provide me with the opportunity to learn in northern Ontario, stay close to home and learn how to best practice in northern Ontario, which is my goal," Lambert said.

He is one of 79 students who are starting their medical studies at the school this year, which has campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

Before applying to the northern Ontario medical school, Lambert studied nursing at Laurentian University.

That experience gave him practical experience working with patients at Sudbury's Health Sciences North hospital, where he did a 360-hour preceptorship.

Lambert said he plans to start his first year of medical school with an open mind, but is leaning toward becoming a rural generalist, so he can help patients in smaller communities.

"I really like living in small towns and I think that being a rural generalist, I can really have a broad impact on many different people and give access to health care or to a physician to different populations in need," he said.

Madyson Campbell, who is from Thunder Bay, also starts at NOSM this year.

Campbell earned her bachelor of science degree from the University of British Columbia, and said she wanted to return home for medical school.

She is Métis and said she has seen firsthand how some people have struggled to access the medical services they need.

"I really wanted to come home and study medicine so that I could really be a person within our health-care system, especially in the north, who could hopefully improve those experiences and health outcomes for people," Campbell said.

Both Lambert and Campbell said challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed for the health-care system have only made them more determined to become doctors and work in northern Ontario.

As of June 2023, NOSM has graduated 902 doctors. More than half of them have stayed in northern Ontario, according to the school.