Students at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) can now apply to do a two-year family medicine residency in a remote northwestern Ontario First Nation, through a program aimed at training doctors with a strong understanding of life in the far north, and a desire to continue serving those communities.

Eabametoong First Nation will be the first to host residents through the new Remote First Nations Residency Program, a unique partnership between NOSM, Matawa First Nations and the community of Eabametoong.

"The idea is that residents will be trained with much more focus on what's needed in a remote First Nation and ... they will get to know the community that they're going to serve," said Dr. Claudette Chase, the program's site director.

"And we know from rural medical education that people who spend more time in rural communities are more likely to do that kind of work afterwards. And if you get them young enough, they meet people in the communities, they become connected."

Chase said over the two years, residents in the program will be accompanied by an established doctor when they travel to the community. After the training period, the expectation is that they will continue to practice in a Matawa community for four years.

Having those doctors on hand in under-served remote communities could make a big difference for patients, said David Paul Achneepineskum, the CEO of Matawa First Nations.

"So rather than having to call a doctor [from away] or having to send, at times, people away on medevac to get attention ... this doctor would be right at the community and provide the services right there," he said.

"I'm very thankful that we were able to convince the provincial government that it's a very worthy project and it's something that we will hopefully see more of in our northern communities. Not only Matawa but perhaps other Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities as well."

The first resident in the program has already been selected. Once the program is in full swing, the plan is to enrol four residents each year.