For Sean Thomas, the past 10 years have been a test of patience.
Thomas, 27, is set to graduate on May 29 from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. His family — his parents, he and his brother — immigrated to Canada 10 years ago from India. Now, he's about to become one of Northern Ontario's newest family physicians. All he has left to do is make it through two years of residency at Timmins and District Hospital, and then it's clear sailing.
Thomas said he couldn't have made it this far without the support he's received every step of the way.
“My teachers in high school (he graduated from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School) were great, they were very supportive,” he said. “They helped me get into a good program at Laurentian University. From there, there were a lot of people who helped. I'm quite grateful to this city for getting me here.”
Medicine was something Thomas had thought about most of his life. He was inspired to pursue it by his uncle, a physician in India.
“I wanted the opportunity to help people in a greater capacity,” he said. “I had considered teaching and nursing, both of which are great professions, but it was medicine that really called to me.”
His uncle set up his own practice in a rural area of India, and was addressing the needs of people who could not afford to go to the city for health care, he said.
“I see my role here in Northern Ontario as a similar situation. We are an underserviced population, and it is difficult to access health care in many communities, especially the further north you go.”
It's been a long road to get to this point, Thomas said. He started in biochemistry at Laurentian University, then took an elective course in psychology in his first year. He did two consecutive bachelor's degrees in those disciplines.
The start of the fourth year is when students get the opportunity to apply for medical school, he said. He applied to NOSM and to a school in Ottawa, but didn't get any interviews that year. He figured the next best step was to pursue his master's degree, which helps provide research experience and boost GPAs, which helps in the success of applications to medical school, he said.
“I started master's degrees in psychology and biology at the same time, because I couldn't decide between the two,” he said.
During that process, he applied for medical school again, and was able to get an interview, but did not get into the program at NOSM.
The third time was the charm, though, and in 2014, he started medical school at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, while graduating from his master of arts degree in psychology. During medical school, he also finished his master's degree in biology in 2016.
“It was busy,” he said. “I did find the experience very humbling, because people are so supportive in this community. I understand that in smaller communities, there's going to be a lot of support already, but I don't think I expected the level of support I got.
“They talk about us being a family at NOSM, that everyone is there to help each other out, and that's very much the case.”
He's excited about what lies ahead.
“Now I get to put everything I've learned and put it into practice, and take on more responsibility,” he said. “Yes, (medical school is) tough, and it takes a long time, but it's very rewarding.
Thomas will join 64 of his fellow classmates on graduation day. The majority of his fellow graduates will be staying in Northern Ontario for their residencies, he said.
