Join Tbaytel in Supporting a Flourishing Health Workforce in Northern Ontario

Meet Dr Kayla Berst

Thunder Bay is home for me,” says Dr Kayla Berst. “Once I decided I wanted to practice medicine, I knew how great NOSM was and devoted myself to becoming as strong a candidate as possible so I could train and stay in Northern Ontario.” Even though NOSM has an extremely competitive admission process, her hard work paid off and Dr Berst was accepted right after university, joining a class of learners – many from Northern Ontario – who wanted to study and practice here. Now, Dr Berst is a family doctor with the Superior Family Health Team and she loves it – her teammates, her patients, everything. She credits her exceptional experiences at NOSM for her readiness to practice. “Learning was fantastic,” Dr Berst says, “particularly the third year Comprehensive Community Clerkship (CCC) which I did in Sioux Lookout – a concentrated 8 months where I learned what it’s really like to be a rural physician.” As a part-time teacher at NOSM, Dr Berst loves seeing her second-year students return in fourth year after a huge learning curve to gain invaluable clinical knowledge and skills. In a historically underserved region, NOSM creates physicians for the north by capitalizing on physician’s increased likelihood to practice in their hometowns or where they completed their medical training. Dr Berst sees this in action. “Now, many of my classmates have finished their 5-year specialty programs and fellowships and they’re coming back to town,” she explains. “It’s great to refer to my colleagues – I know them, I can text or chat with them about a shared patient.” These connected NOSM graduates are becoming the new medical community in Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario – the perfect conditions for better interaction among physicians and specialists, and better outcomes for patients. None of this comes easy. Medical school is expensive – most students end up with a debt load of $200-250,000. Recognizing the importance of investing in people and initiatives that build strong, healthy communities in Northern Ontario, Tbaytel has formed a partnership with NOSM that begins with the creation of a Tbaytel Entrance Award to be awarded annually to three students for $10,000 each. Focused on diversity and merit, the award will help NOSM meet its goals of recruiting and supporting individuals to practice in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote, and underserved communities. For Dr Berst, Tbaytel’s new award is a natural fit. “I really see Tbaytel,” she says. “When new local infrastructures are created or events being

“I really see Tbaytel... They take care of our neighbourhood above and beyond their telecommunications role.”

staged, I see the Tbaytel logo and their presence there in different facets of our community – sports and recreation, education, medical learning, volunteerism – you name it. They take care of our neighbourhood above and beyond their telecommunications role. It sets them apart from other providers.” When asked if staying Northern Ontario diminished her opportunities in any way, Dr Berst responds with an emphatic, “Heck no. We live in such a beautiful landscape and it’s wonderful here. I’m not a big city person and this is where I want to be,” she says. “I can raise my family in a dream home surrounded by trees, have dogs, go hiking, hang with friends, be active outdoors in every season, celebrate diverse cultures, be a doctor during the week, be a big part of the medical school – and being here makes it all possible.”