News from the Northern Track

The rural rotation in Northern Communities, known as the Northern Track, celebrated 15 years of official existence last year. Before its formal recognition, McGill psychiatry residents had requested opportunities to gain experience working with Indigenous communities, helping pave the way for the establishment of the rotation. This rotation is quite unique in Canada and has attracted residents to apply to McGill residency program. Dr. Lucie Nadeau has been developing and directing the rotation since its inception, in collaboration with the residency program directors.

Over the past year, Dr. Catherine Ouellet joined to share the coordination of the Northern Track. In addition to visits to Indigenous communities and telehealth work with these communities, the rotation includes a one-month placement in Abitibi. Dr. Sara Cohen-Fournier, a former Northern Track resident who now works in Abitibi, recently took over Dr. Christian Dubé, to coordinate this portion of the rotation. This has provided an opportunity to review and diversify this placement’s content, and to expand work with Indigenous peoples. The Northern Track also includes dedicated half-days during which residents and supervisors gather together to reflect on and learn about mental health issues affecting Indigenous peoples. A diversity of topics and teaching approaches is used to explore Indigenous peoples’ realities and experiences, access to care, clinician positionality, cultural safety, and to share experiences of providing mental health care in these contexts.

Whenever possible, Indigenous colleagues, experts, and patient partners are invited to contribute to these sessions and share their knowledges and experiences. This learning activity is now also partially open to all residents in McGill’s psychiatry program, extending its reach beyond those formally enrolled in the Northern Track. These educational activities respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action aimed at transforming university programs through greater attention to Indigenous health and adopting teaching approaches that seek to be decolonizing, transformative, and participatory.

A Northern Track sub-committee has also been recently formed to overview this rotation’s activities and report to RPC. The Northern Track coordination team also benefits from administrative support at the residency program in the person of Yeana Chowdhury.

Lucie Nadeau, MD, MSc, FRCP(C)
Professeure agrégée / Associate Professor
Divisions de psychiatrie sociale et culturelle et de pédopsychiatrie / Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry and of Child Psychiatry, Université McGill University
Centre de recherche SHERPA
Pédopsychiatre, CUSM (HME), CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l'île-de-Montréal, Centre de santé Inuulitsivik
Coordonnatrice Stage en milieu rural autochtone (résidents en psychiatrie McGill)