Thunder Bay Medical School?

[Guest willbeadoc]

Hi all.

 

I'm just wondering if any of you have heard any information regarding the possibility of Thunder Bay getting a medical school? Any opinions on the idea? Just wondering.

 

Take care - and great forum Ian! So much to read... so little time! (haha)

[Guest rumour mill]

I've heard that Sudbury might get a med school. Isn't it unlikely that both city would get it? Maybe it's one or the other.

[Guest willbeadoc]

I think it is one city or the other.

 

I'm wondering how many med students would have wanted the opportunity to study 'up north' (should they decide on Thunder Bay). I'm not sure if the proposed school would be affiliated with any of the already existing med schools or if it would be independent.

 

Regardless, I (personally) think that having a med school in this area would be of benefit not only to future physicians but also to the people of this area who are severely hurting from current shortages.

[Guest tina]

I am finding it hard to believe that there will be another med school in Ontario! Is it for real...or is this just some rumour?

[Guest northerngal]

The proposal that was put forth was that there was to be a joint medical school, equally shared between Laurentian University and Lakehead University called the Northern Ontario Medical School. However, the announcement from the provincial government stated that the medical school was to be situated at Laurentian University with a satellite campus and 2 year clinical site at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. The hope is that the new provincial government will change the original announcement and once again the medical school will be situated equally between the two schools.

The date that the school might open is tentatively scheduled for 2004, that is, if the school goes ahead, but I don't think it will open until 2005. I think the first year would include about 55 students.

Hope that gives you a bit of an idea!

[Guest bad hombre]

tina,

yes, there will be a new medschool in ontario opening in 2004 (hopefully). here's a news link from a year ago:

 

www.newswire.ca/governmen...c5708.html

 

unfortunately they've decided to have the medschool mainly based in sudbury, which is only about a 4.5 hour from TO. the whole point of having a medschool up there was to have it geographically far from urban centres in order to encourage its graduates to stay in the region. however, by having the main campus so close to TO you're not really helping the shortage of physicians in northern areas. rather, i believe you may even facilitate the exodus of physicians from northern regions.

 

Honestly, how many people here are from up north? i'm pretty sure atleast 90% of the people in this forum are urban/suburbanites and would have no intention of practicing up north even if they went to med school there. for most it'll just be an opportunity to get an MD and then bust it back to TO. yeah. that's what you were all thinking right?

ha

[Guest willbeadoc]

I think Bad Hombre and I share the same thoughts (?) on this issue.

 

As a person who lives here in Thunder Bay - I think one of the main intentions of the proposed med school was to attract new physicians to this particular area of Ontario. We are currently in the process of building a new hospital (slated to open in the fall of 2003 - I think) which would be of benefit to this proposal (I currently work in one of the hospitals here - and believe me - a new facility for the region is definitely needed!). I do wonder however how the government rationalizes opening up another school so close to the others? Even if Thunder Bay (and area) does not itself produce enough interested potential med students - wouldn't people be willing to come here to train? And (just maybe) like the area enough to want to stay here? Although, I do agree, some may just come for their training and then go back down east (or elsewhere). HOWEVER - in the meantime - we're still helping with the shortages by allowing students to practice in our facilities. There are approximately (last count I heard anyway) 30,000 people here without a family doctor. Waiting times to see a specialist are typically between 3-9 months. (ugh! imagine the damage that can be done during that time) Residents are greatly appreciated here - not only by the physicians that they work with but by the patients they see as well.

 

In case you can't tell - I'm very supportive of a Northwestern Ontario medical school. I, too, am hoping that the new government will reconsider this issue to bring forth a viable solution to this situation.

 

You also mentioned that you estimate approximately 90% of the people on this forum are urbanites (suburbanites). I still wonder how many students are from remote areas who would have chosen a closer school. (by the way - it depends on perspective - I do not really consider Thunder Bay remote - it just depends on where you're standing. - haha)

 

Just my two-cents worth... take care!

[Guest Guest]

Well, practicing in Northern Ontario would be like living out the plot of Northern Exposure. I think it would be kind of cool.

[Guest TimmyMax]

Or the plot of Men With Brooms, great piece of Canadiana- and you'll get your name on a curling trophy when it's all said and done! What a country!

 

Timmy

[Guest Dude]

Like Northern Exposure?? Give me a break! That took place in the REAL NORTH! What - do you think Thunder bay is that remote? God, I hate to imagine the views some people here may have about Northern BC, Yukon or Nunavut. Anyways, Medschool in "Northern" Ontario sounds great - gives more people a chance, there's too many in "Southern" Ontario.

[Guest susie999]

So far the University has chosen a Dean but still no word on any other updates!!!

I'm a Sudbury native myself with the hopes of applying when it opens and as far as I can tell Laurentian doesn't have much information on their website.

 

Any new updates? Anyone?

 

Sue

[Guest cradlecrotch]

Check out

www.northernmedicalschool.../index.php

for latest news.

[Guest shanna]

Just wondering (in panic) is there any idea how many people will be applying for the 56 slots (between Tbay and Sbry)?

[Guest aneliz]

Given the usual number of applicants to an Ontario med school, I would imagine somewhere between 1000-3000...Of course this will depend on how stringent their pre-reqs are and if they require the MCAT....if they have few pre-reqs (like Mac) or if they don't require the MCAT, they will have more applicants....if they do have fairly rigid pre-reqs and require the MCAT, the applicant pool will be smaller. Most people in Ontario apply to all of the schools that they are qualified for... (have a vague hope of getting into) and I can't imagine the Northern school being any different....especially if it is an OMSAS school....because there is really not a lot more work involved in applying for 5 schools vs 4 or 3 OMSAS schools...once you have the main body of the application done, you just have to check off the schools, answer their school specific questions and send in an extra $75....I really don't think that it is going to be a case of 200 people competing for 50 spots in Northern Ontario....would be nice but I don't think it gonna happen....you're still going to have all of the Toronto, Ottawa, London, Kingston,Hamilton and everywhere in between, as well as the OOP kids applying for this school too....

[Guest shanna]

/cry

[Guest macdaddyeh]

Hi everyone. I'm cross-posting this under the other banner about the Northern Medical School under "General Pre-med Discussion":

 

Right from the proposed school itself, here is the new website:

 

 

www.normed.ca/en/

 

Good news for anyone wanting to work in Northern Ontario. It appears that the prerequisites / admissions criteria can not be posted at this time, but will likely take on a very "McMaster" oriented appearance as you may judge for yourself. I for one am happy at their proposed curriculum.....