Thunder Bay – The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) has received full accreditation of its educational program leading to the MD degree. The review, originally scheduled as an in-person on-site visit, became the first in Canada to undergo a two-step virtual visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I congratulate NOSM faculty, staff and students who worked hard to maintain full accreditation of the MD program,” says Dr. Lee Toner, NOSM Interim Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education. “Events from this past year have really been challenging for our medical school. I’m proud of our commitment to continuous quality improvement and the dedication to finding solutions, particularly when obstacles are outside of our control.”
Accreditation is a process by which institutions and programs voluntarily undergo an extensive peer evaluation of their compliance with accepted standards for educational quality. Through accreditation, the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) provides assurance to medical students, graduates, the medical profession, health-care institutions, health authorities, regulatory authorities and the public, that educational programs culminating in the award of the MD degree meet reasonable, generally-accepted, and appropriate national standards for educational quality.
In addition to the challenges of operating a medical school during a pandemic, Laurentian University, affiliated with NOSM for degree granting purposes, became insolvent and commenced protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) on February 1, 2021. The CCAA proceeding has implications on some standards of accreditation that will require monitoring.
Dr. Sarita Verma, NOSM Dean, President and CEO says, “With legislation passed on June 3, 2021 to make NOSM a stand-alone university, we continue our commitment to the strategic priority of maintaining the highest standards of accreditation across all our programs.”
“The School will continue its mission to improve the health of Northern Ontarians by being socially accountable in its education and research programs and advocating for health equity,” says Dr. Verma. “NOSM will lead in health and wellness for our employees and learners and become a global example of social accountability in action.”
More information about the MD accreditation can be found on NOSM’s website.
