NORSTAR: Faculty-Resident Dyads

Medical residents and fellows from Canadian medical schools are reimbursed for travel and accommodation expenses when accompanying faculty physicians from their home institution on locums or other work assignments in the North East and North West Ontario Health Regions.

Locum physicians must have a faculty appointment with the medical resident’s home institution.

Steps for Residents and Faculty Physicians:

• Work together to identify and confirm a locum or other work assignment
  • Faculty physicians may choose to secure locum assignments through one of Ontario Health’s Rural and Northern Locum Programs
  • Residents and faculty physicians must confirm the community’s ability to and interest in hosting a Faculty-Resident Dyad
     
• Confirm that the community has submitted a completed NORSTAR Faculty-Resident Dyad Request Form and obtained approval from the NORSTAR team
• Purchase travel and accommodations for the assignment, keeping relevant receipts
  • Refer to the NORSTAR Faculty-Resident Dyad Expense Claim Form for expense reimbursement eligibility and receipt requirements
  • Faculty physicians may receive expense reimbursement through NORSTAR or through another means, such as one of Ontario Health’s Rural and Northern Locum Programs
     
• Complete the assignment
• Submit a completed NORSTAR Faculty-Resident Dyad Expense Claim Form with all supporting documentation to NORSTAR for expense reimbursement

Steps for Communities: 

• Communicate locum assignment opportunities widely (e.g., HFOJobs postings)
• Work with residents and faculty physicians to confirm locum or other work assignments
• Submit a NORSTAR Faculty-Resident Dyad Community Request Form to the NORSTAR team for approval in advance of all assignments
• Host the Faculty-Resident Dyad for the locum or other work assignment

Eligible Northern Ontario Communities:

• Only communities in Ontario Health’s North West and North East Regions are eligible for NORSTAR:
  • The North West includes communities from Manitouwadge in the east, to Kenora and the Manitoba border in the west, and the Hudson Bay Coast to the north.
  • The North East includes communities from Wawa in the west, Parry Sound to the south, Mattawa to the east, and the James Bay Coast to the north.
     
• Note: Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst are not eligible for NORSTAR. 

Unsure? Check out this map or contact the NORSTAR team.

For More Information:

Review the NORSTAR FAQs

Review the RNLP Eligible Fare Classes

Contact the NORSTAR team at norstar@ontariohealth.ca