Some potential future doctors for northern Ontario begin their journey

Meagan Noble will be starting her first year of medical studies at NOSM University'sThunder Bay campus with a little more experience in health care than the average student.

Noble, 34, studied kinesiology at London's Western University and then completed a compressed nursing program at the University of Toronto.

She worked as an emergency room nurse for five years at several hospitals in Ontario and Nova Scotia before returning to school once again.

"I wanted to have more autonomy for my patients," Noble said.

"So I went back to do my nurse practitioner at the University of Toronto and graduated in 2021."

As a nurse practitioner, she worked for Indigenous Services Canada in Pikangikum First Nationin northwestern Ontario.

"I've gained a lot of experience, a deeper understanding of the complexities of the north and the social determinants of health up there," she said. "And I just wanted to continue."

The self-described "professional student" said she decided to go to medical school to expand her scope of practice in more rural and remote communities.

"I figured that being a physician, I do have a bit of a stronger voice when it comes to change and in the political arena," she added.

Noble noted that Ontario's health-care system "is in crisis" but as a physician, she would be able to be part of positive change to improve that system, especially in the north.

"I don't want people that haven't had my type of experience to be making decisions for the north," she said.

mlie Ct, a first-year student at NOSMin Sudbury, saysshe knew she wanted to work in medicine even before she was in high school.

As a Franco-Ontarian, Ct saidNOSM was the best choice for her to eventually practise medicine in northern Ontario, in her own language.

"It's located where I want to practice and it's really focused on northern and rural health," she said.

Ct saidshe's interested in family medicine, but is also open-minded and will let her experience at medical school inform what she wants to do next.

11:05Checking in with northern Ontario's newest med students

School is back in session, and on Up North, we're meeting first-year students every day this week. Today, we'll meet two future doctors starting at NOSM University in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.