Housings near NOSM University-(all campuses) Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)

Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM University)

Canada's First Independent Medical University | Serving Communities Across Northern Ontario

Founded in 2002 and achieving full independence in 2022, NOSM University (formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine) is Canada's first standalone medical university. It was born out of a grassroots movement to improve health care access in rural, remote, Indigenous, and Francophone communities across Northern Ontario.

A Northern Model for Medical Education

NOSM University is internationally recognized for its Distributed Community-Engaged Learning (DCEL) model—an innovative approach to medical education that places students directly in over 90 communities across 800,000 km². Rather than being centralized in one building, NOSM's “walls” are the vast expanse of Northern Ontario, supported by two main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and over 1,800 faculty and preceptors.

Social Accountability in Action

NOSM University is deeply committed to social accountability—training future physicians in environments that reflect the region's diverse health needs. Students are immersed in community life, learning about the local culture, economy, and health disparities, particularly those affecting Indigenous and Francophone populations.

This immersive approach is working: the majority of NOSM graduates remain in Northern Ontario to practise medicine, addressing critical shortages in family medicine, emergency care, mental health, and other key areas.

NOSM Community Teaching Sites

NOSM University's wider campus includes nearly 100 community-based clinical sites such as:

Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins
Remote locations like Moose Factory, Pickle Lake, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, and WAHA
Island and rural hubs including Manitoulin Island, Gore Bay, and Little Current

? Explore NOSM Community Profiles

Academic and Healthcare Partnerships

NOSM University collaborates with over 500 healthcare and academic partners, including:

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Health Sciences North (Sudbury)
North Bay Regional Health Centre
Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre
Dryden Regional Health Centre
Lake of the Woods District Hospital (Kenora)
St. Joseph's Care Group
Public Health Ontario

It also maintains formal partnerships with Indigenous communities and First Nations Health Authorities, ensuring culturally safe, community-driven education and care.