Sault could play role in upgrading foreign-trained physicians

Sault Ste. Marie city council tonight set aside $75,000 to help develop a business case for a Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM-U) campus here.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker applauded the decision, pointing out that the Sault could become a training centre for foreign-educated doctors who are new to Canada.

"By developing this learning campus in our community, we will significantly improve the availability of healthcare practitioners in our community," the mayor said.

"It will also improve or has the potential to improve the training of international medical graduates," he added.

"There was a lot of enthusiasm in our conversation with NOSM-U, the potential for this site to really bring together some very innovative ways to train not just physicians, but healthcare practitioners that will hopefully reside in the community in the future," said Tom Vair, the city's chief administrative officer.

The city will now retain a consultant and talk to stakeholders before doing a feasibility study for a Sault campus.

"We need to be and we ought to be the next growth phase for NOSM-U," Mayor Shoemaker said.

NOSM-U has agreed to collaborate in developing a business case for a training campus here.

It will be easier to persuade medical doctors to practise in Sault Ste. Marie if they have trained here and are familiar with the community, Shoemaker told tonight's city council meeting.