12 medical students welcomed to NBGH

The North Bay General Hospital welcomed 12 medical students from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine today. It is the first time North Bay and Sturgeon Falls will have students for the full eight month orientation and placement.

NBGH President and CEO Mark Hurst, Dr. Joel Carter, Physician Coordinator, and North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli each took time to thank the students for taking advantage of a first class opportunity.

“I am very pleased with the commitments made here in the city. We have 31 physicians, general practitioners, who will be involved in the teaching process and a good hand full of them are new, so we appreciate the tremendous amount of support,” Dr. Carter said.

All 12 students unanimously agree that North Bay was number one to them in both work and play.

“There is definitely opportunity here for success, but I like the residency because I know people who travel here and live here and they have always said great things,” Chris Bennett, NOSM charter class student said.

Bennett is originally from Hamilton, yet he said he is drawn towards the needs of health and medicine in the north and would even enjoy the chance to work in remote locations of northern Ontario.

Omodele “Mody” Ayeni, from Kirkland Lake, enjoys the familiarity that North Bay provides.

“The space and atmosphere here is pretty relaxing. North Bay is a great place to enjoy yourself… since I’m from Kirkland I have visited North Bay often enough to establish a level of comfort… It is also very exciting to see all the development that is taking place with the new hospital,” Mody said.

Hurst said he is proud to be a part of a true community-based medical school.

“Integrating students in communities such as North Bay is key to development of physicians who understand and appreciate medical practice in Northern communities,” Hurst said.

Mayor Fedeli and his wife Patty will be taking each student out for dinner and site seeing around North Bay to discuss the success of medical practice in North Bay.

“Our recruitment has been highly successful. Many North Bay natives return to the city to practice medicine after university. I am sure all of you (the 12 students) will find there is no better place to live, practice or raise a family,” Fedeli said.

An affiliation agreement between NOSM and the NBGH was signed in March 2006, solidifying a partnership between the two institutions and allowing NOSM students to gain valuable hands-on practical experience in the community.