THUNDER BAY — Dr. Sarita Verma, the Dean and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, calls it "groundbreaking."
The Slaight Family Foundation is donating $1 million to support 40 Black, Indigenous and People of Colour women medical students living in Northern Ontario who attend NOSM.
Verma said "Every marginalized woman in Northern Ontario who dreams of becoming a doctor should feel inspired to apply to NOSM, knowing there is financial support available."
The donation will be used to establish a first-of-its kind entrance scholarship to increase the number of BIPOC women doctors – including transgender and non-binary people – in the North while also contributing to the overall number of physicians in the region.
The scholarships will provide $25,000 each to 10 women entering NOSM's MD program each year for four years.
"This will have an immediate impact on future doctors in Northern Ontario," Verma said.
She said it comes at a critical time, as there's currently a shortage of 300 doctors in the North, compounded by impending retirements, increasingly complex patients and entire communities with no access to a family doctor.
NOSM was the first medical school in Canada developed with an explicit social accountability mandate.
In announcing the donation, the school said that by removing systemic barriers and providing financial support, more BIPOC women will take their vital place in medicine.
With 40 new BIPOC women physicians educated at NOSM, the number of self-identified BIPOC alumnae will double.
Dr. Verma said the donation will also foster a new culture of mentorship, encouragement and equity in Northern Ontario.
"None of us can change the systemic barriers faced by BIPOC girls and women alone. This gift demonstrates the desire of the Slaight Family Foundation to be a part of NOSM's mission," she said.
The foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight, a Canadian broadcasting pioneer and prominent philanthropist.
President and CEO Gary Slaight said the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the existing challenges faced by women and girls across Canada.
"This initiative is about helping women overcome barriers and gain more equitable access to higher education and opportunities," he said.
