Northern Ontario School of Medicine brings in Australian doctor to look at rural medicine

An Australian researcher says there are astonishing similarities between health care in northern Ontario and rural Queensland, Australia.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine has brought in Dr. Denis Lennox to share his research on transforming rural medicine. He's been touring northern Ontario for two weeks.

Lennox says he thinks some strategies used in Queensland to train more general practitioners could work here.

"That is, to highlight a particular discipline of practice which high school students, young medical students could aspire to," he said.

"The second was to value the practice of that discipline in rural and remote context to the province."

Lennox will write a report on how his research could apply in northern Ontario and share it with NOSM..

But, he warns changing the medical establishment is a huge challenge.

"It's extremely complex," he explained.

"There are multiple stakeholders. It is the equivalent of turning around a passenger liner like the Queen Mary."

Lennox says the transformation of health care in rural Queensland started in 2005 and continues to evolve.