Remote First Nations Northern Ontario - Family Medicine
NOSM UniversityRemote First Nations Northern Ontario, OntarioCMG RoS stream
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 2
- Length
- 2
- Applications per year
- 51–200
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%
CMG RoS stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Thu 7 Jan 2027,7:00 pm EST
Interviews
Not stated on CaRMS page
Remote First Nations Northern Ontario, 8 teaching sites · 16 rural weeks
What stands out about this program
Additional 6 months of skills training after the 2-year program, paid at PGY3 salary level.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Protected bi-weekly Elder Teaching Program sessions on cultural teachings and traditional healing.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Interview panel includes Matawa Health Co-operative members and an Elder observer.
From “Interviews” on the CaRMS page
- This NOSM University Family Medicine stream is home-based in Thunder Bay, with core rotations in Sioux Lookout and other Northwestern Ontario communities such as Kenora.
- Training lasts two years plus 6 months of additional skills training focused on remote First Nations practice.
- Graduates complete a two-year return of service with the Matawa Health Co-operative.
Based on what the program says about itself.
- You’re open to training at sites across a region, not at one hospital.
Show the quote
What training looks like
- Setting
- Regional community
- Rural / remote
- Rural exposure
- Required rural rotation (16 weeks)
- Focus areas
- Indigenous health
- Rural / remote
- Northern
- Research
- Offered · research or quality-improvement project
- Getting around
- A car is recommended
- Housing away from the home site is provided or paid for
- Travel is reimbursed
By year
- PGY-1
- Family Medicine in Thunder Bay12 weeks
- Family Medicine Rural8 weeks
- Addiction Medicine/Pain Management4 weeks
- Emergency Medicine4 weeks
- Hospitalist4 weeks
- Internal Medicine4 weeks
- Psychiatry/ Mental Health4 weeks
- Obstetrics/Women's Health4 weeks
- Pediatrics4 weeks
- Electives4 weeks
- PGY-2
- Family Medicine in Thunder Bay8 weeks
- Family Medicine Rural8 weeks
- Internal Medicine8 weeks
- Electives8 weeks
- Addiction Medicine/Pain Management4 weeks
- Emergency Medicine4 weeks
- Psychiatry/ Mental Health4 weeks
- Obstetrics/Women's Health4 weeks
- Pediatrics4 weeks
- PGY-3
- Selectives16 weeks
- Electives6 weeks
- Palliative Care2 weeks
Where you train
Remote First Nations Northern Ontario, Ontario: 8 teaching sites; 16 rural weeks. A car is recommended.
Also trains in: Sioux Lookout, Kenora
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) (Thunder Bay)
- St. Joseph’s Care Group (Thunder Bay)
- Norwest CHC (Thunder Bay)
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit (Thunder Bay)
- Eabametoong First Nation (Eabametoong First Nation · rural or distributed site)
- Sioux Lookout (Sioux Lookout · rural or distributed site)
- Kenora (Kenora · rural or distributed site)
- Matawa First Nations communities (rural or distributed site)
Distributed across a region
Record systems at the listed sites: MEDITECH at 4 of 8; no published record for 4.
Moving to a new system: Sioux Lookout; Kenora.
Hospital facts
What official sources say for hospitals named above, each with its source and the date we read it. They describe the hospital, not the program. We match names to the sources by name, so check each source before you rely on it.
- Clinical record
- MEDITECH Expanse, system named (how far it goes is not stated)
- Clinical record
- MEDITECH Expanse, moving to a new system
ONE HITS runs MEDITECH Expanse for northeastern Ontario hospitals in two waves: the three founding hospitals went live in October 2019; the 20 hospitals of Wave 2 (including Health Sciences North) are moving over, with no date on the page.
Hospital size and activity: Ontario doesn't publish this as open data.
How they choose
- Application file components
- CV
- Electives
- Examinations
- Extra-curricular
- Leadership skills
- MSPRs
- Personal letters
- Reference documents
- Research/Publications
- Transcripts
- Other file component(s)
- Return of service
- Required · this stream · 2 years
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Format
- Virtual
- Traditional (one on one/two on one)
Info sessions
Thu 7 Jan 2027
7:00 pm EST
Social · Virtual
Mon 25 Jan 2027
7:00 pm EST
Info session · Virtual
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $73,367 / year |
| PGY-2 | $79,670 / year |
Call
- Call (provincial max)
- 7 nights in 28 in-house
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- No new patient responsibilities after 24 hours in-hospital, except what clinical handover needs
- Max continuous duty (provincial)
- 24 hours in-hospital, then relieved after handover (up to 2 hours)
After residency
Family doctors in Ontario can join a model that pays for enrolled patients, hours worked and visits: the Family Health Organization (FHO), FHO+ since 1 April 2026. A new graduate is a physician who joins a patient enrolment model within three years of completing a family medicine residency; the status runs for 12 months from joining. Entry is capped: 40 physicians a month for FHO, 60 a month for FHO+ in the first year of the 2024-2028 agreement; later years to be determined. Compare provinces
Past matches
Open after round 1 in 8 of 8 years (2019–2026); still open after round 2 in 4 of 9 years.
Show the table, with round 2Hide the table
What this means
- A position can go unfilled because of where the site is, because it is open to IMGs only or to another restricted stream, or because the quota changed late.
- It says nothing about the quality of the training or how heavy the workload is.
- A site’s numbers are shown when it had positions open after round 1 in at least 2 of 8 years or at least 3 in one year.
Year by year
2027 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMG RoS stream | 2 | 2 years |
|
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG RoS stream | 2 | 2 years | 1 date, 8 Feb 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG RoS stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- NOSM University's Remote First Nations Family Medicine stream offers a unique two-year training program designed to prepare physicians for comprehensive medical practice in remote Indigenous communities of Northern Ontario.
- Residents will receive specialized training that emphasizes cultural competency, Indigenous health, and comprehensive rural medical skills, with an additional six months of enhanced skills training.
- Research
- Residents are supported in scholarly activities, including research and quality improvement projects, with dedicated time and mentorship from tutors.
- Training setting
- Training occurs across multiple Northern Ontario communities including Eabametoong First Nation, Sioux Lookout, and Thunder Bay, with residents home-based in Thunder Bay but required to travel extensively.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-based medical education using the Triple C curriculum, CanMEDS-FM competencies, and CFPC Priority Topics, with a strong emphasis on community-based learning and reflective practice.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices) situational judgement test
- Medical Student Performance Record (MSPR)
- Personal letter
- Reference letters
- Community reference letter
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Jason Sutherland
CaRMS lists no email for the director.
- Program office
Program Coordinator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing. Site staff and other contacts are listed there too.
Family Medicine elsewhere
Nearest to Remote First Nations Northern Ontario
- Regional
- Rural
- Rural
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