2021 Royal College Council Elections
Elections to the Council of the Royal College will be taking place at the Annual Meeting of the Members (AMM).
- Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021
- Time: 4:00 –5:30 p.m. (EST)
- Location: Virtual event
How to register for the Annual Meeting of the Members
Please use your Royal College single sign-on credentials to register.
How candidates are selected
The Royal College’s Nominating Committee (NC) met on October 19, 2020 and considered all candidates who applied through the open Council recruitment process from September 1-30, 2020. The committee made its selections based on the advertised recruitment criteria and the diversity needs of Council.
For new terms beginning on February 25, 2021, the NC nominated 11 Fellows to fill region- and division specific positions for election by the members. The NC also identified five public members, two Fellows-at-large and one resident member who were nominated by Council for election by the members.
Region- and division-specific Council members
Royal College members were encouraged to review the nominees selected by the NC for the region- and division-specific positions, and add to the NC’s slate of nominations by self-nominating between December 4, 2020, and January 14, 2021.
An additional nomination was received to fill the Region 1, Division of Surgery position on Council. All Fellows, irrespective of division and region, may vote to elect the Fellow who will fill this position.
Fellows may vote in advance, starting now and until February 24 or they may vote at the AMM on February 25. To vote in advance, Fellows need to click on the link provided in their AMM registration email to access the online voting platform. The nominee who receives the greatest number of votes will be elected.
Review the nominees for Region 1, Division of Surgery
All other region- and division specific nominees, who are the single nominee for a position, will be elected by acclamation at the AMM, upon confirmation by our public accountant.
Division of Medicine
Division of Surgery
Public members, Fellows-at-large and resident member
Eight individuals have also been nominated to fill five public member, two Fellows-at-large and one resident member position on Council for the 2021-2023 term. These nominees were identified by the NC and supported by Council.
Please note: Members need to attend the AMM on February 25 to vote to elect the Council members in this group. Nominees who receive majority support of the members in attendance at the AMM will be elected, upon confirmation of the voting results by our public accountant. Advanced voting is not available for this group of Council members.
Public Members
Fellows-at-Large
Resident Member
Additional information
- Names of current Royal College Council members
- Council member qualifications (PDF)
- Summary of Council nomination and election regulations (PDF)
- Virtual meeting and voting instruction guide (PDF)
If you have any questions, please contact nominations@royalcollege.ca.
Henry Annan, MD
NEW
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Dr. Henry Annan is a third-year Pediatrics resident at the Dalhousie Medical School. He is currently completing a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.
Dr. Annan brings a breadth of experience in Canadian medical education leadership. From 2017-18, he represented medical students nationally as the president of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS). During his tenure as president, he collaborated with provincial governments and national medical organizations, including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, to develop strategies to address the mismatch between graduating Canadian medical students and available residency positions.
Furthermore, he worked to increase collaboration between the Royal College and Canadian medical students, including organizing a joint symposium on Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) for medical students and formalizing medical student representation on the Royal College’s Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) and Fellowship Affairs Committee (FAC).
He served as a member for a term of two years on the AFMC Resident Matching Committee (ARMC) established by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), as well as the Physician Resources Planning Advisory Committee (PRPAC) and the Canadian Medical Forum (CMF).
Dr. Annan also brings experience in governance, having served on the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Board of Directors (2017-2019) and as the chair of the CFMS Board of Directors (2018-19). At the local level, he has served on the boards of the Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC) and currently on Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse.
Dr. Annan’s interests include medical education and physician leadership as well as global health, health equity and how medical training can be used as a vehicle to advance these topics. As a member of Council, he hopes to offer a strong medical learner perspective to Council’s discussions and deliberations, while helping shape the Royal College’s long-term strategy.
Brian Cummings, CPA, CA, MD, FRCPC, FCAP, FASCP
INCUMBENT
Kitchener, Ontario
Dr. Brian Cummings is both an anatomical pathologist and a chartered accountant. He has a full-time practice at Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario. While completing all prerequisites for admission to medical school, he attained his chartered accountant designation in 1986 and taught taxation as well as managerial accounting at the University of Prince Edward Island from 1989 to 1991. Dr. Cummings graduated from medical school in 1995 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2002.
Since starting medical school in 1991, Dr. Cummings has been intimately involved in advocating for accounting, tax and the financial well-being of medical students, residents and practising physicians in Canada. In 2002, he joined Practice Solutions (subsequently Joule) as a physician consultant responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of practice management curriculum to specialty residents across Canada.
In addition, he has been a frequent guest speaker for many specialty societies on various facets of management of a physician’s practice, including financial and insurance planning topics. Dr. Cummings has developed a number of tools, including the guide “Tax Tips for Physicians and Physicians in Training,” which is available on the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) website. In 2015, he became a co-presenter for the course “Dollars and sense” for the Physician Leadership Institute.
Dr. Cummings’ volunteer activities include serving as a council member of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) Section on Laboratory Medicine, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Association of Pathologists, and as a board member of the Ontario Association of Pathologists. He is currently a member of the Royal College’s Financial Reporting and Risk Oversight Committee (FRROC) and served on the Investment Oversight Committee. In August 2019, he joined the CMA Audit and Finance Committee and subsequently chaired the CMA Pension Plan Sub-Committee.
Dr. Cummings hopes to use his varied background and skills to provide insight to Council, particularly with regard to financial issues.
Alika Lafontaine, MD, FRCPC
INCUMBENT
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, speaker and alignment consultant. He is the first Indigenous physician to be listed as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors by the Medical Post. He is a recognized expert on Indigenous health systems and health policy, institutional bias, racism and reflective practice. For three years, he led the Indigenous Health Alliance project whose mission was to establish health transformation within Indigenous health systems. This group was politically led by Indigenous leadership representing more than 150 First Nations across three provinces. In 2018, 68 million dollars of federal funding was committed towards health transformation within these Indigenous territorial regions.
Dr. Lafontaine has been a northern representative to the Alberta Medical Association since 2011. He has held various leadership positions within the Alberta Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association. He currently chairs the Governance Committee of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and is a board member of HealthCareCAN. He was president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada from 2015-2016.
Dr. Lafontaine has served as a Fellow-at-large on the Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada since 2016 and was a member of its Strategic Planning Working Group from 2017-2018. He also served as chair of Regional Advisory Committee 1, and as a member of the Fellowship Affairs Committee and the Indigenous Health Advisory Committee.
Dr. Lafontaine holds operational roles with Alberta Health Services and is medical director for the Indigenous Health Program in AHS North Zone, as well as a past interim head of Anesthesia.
He lives in Grande Prairie, Alta., with his family and continues to practise full time as an anesthesiologist.
Shafique Shamji, P. Eng., CPHIMS
NEW
Ottawa, Ontario
Mr. Shafique Shamji is the executive vice-president and chief information officer at The Ottawa Hospital.
Mr. Shamji is responsible for Information Technology and Services within The Ottawa Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals in Canada. He will also lead the way in technology for its new Civic campus.
With over 25 years of experience in technology, business, health care, software development, telecommunications, and information services, Mr. Shamji has held executive roles with Macadamian (chief operating officer), Privasoft (president), TimeiCR (president), TeleHub Network Services in Chicago (chief operating officer), LD Exchange in California (president), and Fidelity in California (vice president, Network & IT Services).
In 2019, Mr. Shamji lead his team at The Ottawa Hospital to the successful implementation of Epic’s health information system. Historically, it was the largest project the hospital had ever undertaken and involved a total of six organizations and over 20,000 users across a 400km region in the greater Ottawa Area.
Mr. Shamji serves on several provincial committees including Cancer Care Ontario’s Electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (eCTAS) Committee, the Ministry of Health’s Hospital Information System (HIS) Advisory Board, and the Academic Health Council of Chief Information Officers. He also chairs the Atlas Alliance Steering Committee which governs the use of a shared system across Ontario’s Eastern Health region.
Mr. Shamji is an associate professor at the Telfer School of Management, and he has served on many Boards including Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) Canada, The Ottawa Hospital, Time iCR, and TeleHub Network Services (Chicago).
Mr. Shamji brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at both board and executive management levels, including academia. Through a lens of good governance, operational excellence, and technical acumen, he will contribute his deep understanding of how technology can transform organizations and the intersection of public and private organizations.
Mr. Shamji has a computer engineering degree from McMaster University and received his professional engineer designation in 1991. Mr. Shamji lives in Ottawa with his wife, Dr. Salima Shamji and two children (all are active members of the Aga Khan Volunteer Corps).
Susan Harley, MBA
NEW
Rothesay, New Brunswick
Ms. Susan Harley is from Saint John, New Brunswick, and she comes to the Royal College with over 35 years of senior leadership/executive experience with three of the largest companies in Canada. She brings experience in marketing, finance, operations, labour relations/contract negotiations, corporate governance and business development. She has led teams both in Atlantic Canada and nationally, providing marketing and business development leadership. She currently provides these services, as well as business strategy to companies in Atlantic Canada as the owner/principal of her own consulting company.
Ms. Harley holds both a bachelor and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of New Brunswick. She has been a lifelong volunteer in both her local community and in Atlantic Canada.
Ms. Harley currently sits on the Saint John Airport’s Board of Directors as vice chair, as well as serving on its finance and human resources committees. She is a member of the New Brunswick Health Council and also chairs its governance committee and is a member of its inform/communications committee.
At the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists, she serves as a public member of its council, chairs its membership development committee and also sits on its registration and complaints committees. She is a member of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation Board, as well as its finance committee. Ms. Harley also served as a public member for a term of three years on the Council of the Law Society of New Brunswick. She recently served on the Board of Economic Development Greater Saint John, and is a past Board chair of Uptown Saint John.
Ms. Harley will bring to the Royal College her business and board experience along with her high energy level and commitment.
Rose M. Carter, QC
INCUMBENT
Edmonton, Alberta
Ms. Rose Carter has 30 years of extensive experience in the field of health law. She is an authority on pressing issues for members of the medical community including, but not limited to, initiatives such as Non-Hospital Surgical Facilities (NHSFs), long-term care facilities and entering medical practice from foreign jurisdictions. She also has expertise on regulatory matters and governance issues facing medical professionals.
Ms. Carter has represented clients at all levels of court in Alberta, as well as served on tribunals, various administrative panels and professional regulatory bodies.
To complement her practice, Ms. Carter is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. She has received wide recognition as a frequent lecturer to health care providers on topics such as physician regulation, administrative law, navigating the requirements of medical assistance in dying, the establishment of NHSFs, privacy concerns, dealings with provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities, various aspects of health policy, licensing and bioethical issues, and medical negligence.
Ms. Carter has been recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for over a decade and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada 10 times as one of Canada’s leading personal injury litigation lawyers. During her six-year term as a ”Bencher” of the Law Society of Alberta, she was very involved in administrative law, discipline proceedings and general administration and governance matters.
Ms. Carter is a member at large for the Medical Council of Canada where she serves on its executive board. She also chairs its appeals committee and is vice chair of its finance committee. In addition, she is a member of the Stem Cell Research Committee for the Aga Khan Foundation. Ms. Carter has also been a reviewer for the peer-reviewed McGill Journal of Law and Health.
Major General J. Jean-Robert S. Bernier (retd), OMM, CD, QHP, MD, MPH, DEH, RMC, KM, DSc (Hon), FRCPSC (Hon)
INCUMBENT
Manotick, Ontario
Major General (retd) Jean-Robert Bernier served Canada for over 40 years in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian and US defence intelligence, and the Royal Canadian Medical Service. Among other appointments, he has commanded a military hospital, led the military public health agency, chaired several international medical security bodies including NATO's Health, Medicine, and Protection research committee, and was responsible for the health services supporting Canada's military and humanitarian operations. This included the hospital in Kandahar for which Canada received NATO's highest medical honour, the graduate medical education and allied health professional Training Mission in Afghanistan (with the support of the Royal College), and the Ebola treatment mission in Sierra Leone.
In 2012, he was appointed as the 38th Canadian surgeon general, honorary physician to Her Majesty the Queen, head of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, and commander of the fully integrated Military Health System. In 2015, the Surgeons General of NATO nations unanimously elected him chair of the committee of Chiefs of Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) and chief medical adviser to the North Atlantic Alliance.
Major General Bernier has also served on the NATO Science and Technology Board, the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and its executive committee, the Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the board of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research.
A recipient of many Canadian, US and international academic, health professional, and military honours, Major General Bernier is currently a director on the Board of Ontario Health and an adjunct professor of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).
Meena Ballantyne
NEW
Renfrew, Ontario
Ms. Meena Ballantyne has over 30 years of experience contributing to Canada’s public service. She was a senior executive for many years during which she managed challenges in large and complex organizations, predominantly at Health Canada, the Privy Council Office (PCO) and Canadian Heritage. In 2017, she retired from the position of deputy minister for Status of Women Canada. Prior to that, she was the assistant secretary, social development policy at the PCO where she advised the prime minister and the clerk of the Privy Council on a range of social policy issues, including health care.
Ms. Ballantyne was also assistant deputy minister of Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch, which regulates prescription medicines, medical devices, biologics and natural health products. It was in this position that she managed issues such as the approval of the H1N1 vaccine and the federal government’s response to the medical isotope shortage and the listeriosis outbreak. Previous to that, as director general of the Health Care Policy Directorate at Health Canada, she was involved in a number of federal/provincial/territorial health accords and worked with a variety of health professionals to establish key national health care organizations such as the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI).
Ms. Ballantyne holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Health Administration from the University of Ottawa, as well as the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. In her government capacity, she served on the boards of Canada Health Infoway and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). She currently serves on the boards of the Renfrew Victoria Hospital and the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada).
Ms. Ballantyne’s deep knowledge of the machinery of the federal government, her experience in organizational leadership and her policy/governance skills will bring a unique perspective to advance the work of the Royal College Council in the coming years.
Kristin DeGirolamo, MSc, MD, FRCSC
NEW
Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Kristin DeGirolamo is a general surgeon in British Columbia. She recently graduated from the University of British Columbia’s General Surgery program and is currently pursuing a fellowship in Acute Care Emergency Surgery and Breast Surgical Oncology at the University of Alberta. Her academic interests are models of care, patient- reported outcomes, and gender bias in medicine. Outside of her fellowship, Dr. DeGirolamo also practises General Surgery at community hospitals in British Columbia.
While working towards her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at UBC, Dr. DeGirolamo served as the student representative on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) for two years. During her term, she implemented nationwide programs at universities to encourage student engagement with the board, improved student attendance at national meetings and promoted the benefits of continuing membership into pharmacy practice.
Most recently, Dr. DeGirolamo represented UBC on the Royal College’s 2020 Spring Exam Candidate Roundtable that met biweekly following the postponement of the Spring 2020 exams due to COVID-19. During this difficult time, she advocated for residents experiencing exam anxiety by ensuring that questions or concerns were answered promptly and that pregnancy-related accommodations were supported. Dr. DeGirolamo provided a very clear line of communication between her peers and the Royal College exam committee.
Dr. DeGirolamo prides herself on thinking critically and embracing change. As a systems thinker, she is aware of the large-scale impact of Council decisions affecting the Royal College, physicians and the broader health care system. As a new Fellow of the Royal College, she would bring a fresh perspective on the challenges new graduates face during transition to practice, the impact of COVID-19 on trainees and the future success of Royal College exams.
Outside of surgery, Dr. DeGirolamo enjoys spending time with her family in Vancouver, being outdoors and (hopefully soon) travelling.
L. Trevor Young, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAHS
INCUMBENT
Toronto, Ontario
Dr. L. Trevor Young is dean of the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and vice-provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions. He graduated from the University of Manitoba’s School of Medicine in 1983. He then completed his Postgraduate training in Psychiatry at McGill University and the University of Toronto in 1987, where he also completed his PhD in Medical Sciences in 1995 and was a research fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland (1988-1989). Dr. Young has held the position of professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University; professor and head, Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia; and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He was also physician-in-chief, executive vice president, Clinical Programs at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.
Dr. Young is a clinician-scientist who studies the molecular basis of bipolar disorder and its treatment. His awards include the 2015 Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders Research from the Brain & Behaviour Research Foundation, the 2003 Douglas Utting Award for outstanding contributions in the field of mood disorders, and the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) 2006 Heinz Lehmann Award. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (DFAPA) and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Sinai Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Trillium Health Partners as well as the University Health Network’s Board of Trustees. As a member of Royal College Council, Dr. Young intends to share his insights on medical education gained through his leadership and governance experience. In addition, he plans to help advance the Royal College’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Anurag Saxena, MD, M.Ed., MBA, FRCPC, FCAP, CHE, CCPE
NEW
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Dr. Anurag Saxena is a professor of Pathology as well as associate dean, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), at the University of Saskatchewan. He is engaged in clinical service, administration, teaching and research. He holds qualifications in Anatomic Pathology (Canada and USA) and Hematopathology (USA), Education (M.Ed.), Business Administration (MBA) – both degrees with leadership theses, Health Care Administration (Certified Health Executive by the Canadian College of Health Leaders and Canadian Certified Physician Executive by the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders) in addition to coaching in leadership and emotional intelligence. He has been practising medicine for the last 23 years.
Dr. Saxena has experience on governing, executive and advisory boards in medical education including the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) and Altus Assessments and within the general community (Saskatoon Open Door Society and India-Canada Cultural Association, Saskatoon). His governance experience also includes service on the College of Medicine executive committees at the University of Saskatchewan, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s Future of Medical Education in Canada Postgraduate (FMEC PG) Project Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Health in Saskatchewan’s Physician Forecasting Steering Committee. Through these opportunities he has utilized his abilities to positively impact effective governance (strategy, compliance, ethics and culture).
Dr. Saxena has practised evidence-based administration and leadership, effectively managed operations and human resources, enhanced career engagement opportunities, including the implementation of succession planning, and forged collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries. His firm financial knowledge coupled with past experiences as treasurer for CaRMS and CAME has allowed him to achieve balanced budgets and increased Return on Investment (ROI). He has combined data-driven decision-making with human factors for Business process re-engineering (e.g. applying Lean management to Education) and timely achievement of organizational objectives. His success is reflected in affecting policy, developing and implementing strategy and leading change in accreditation, the FMEC PG Project, Competency-based medical education (CBME), PGME expansion, and current initiatives on transformative learning and social responsiveness.
Dr. Saxena is passionate about leadership and systems and pursues these through continuous learning and research. He has delivered an array of leadership workshops locally, nationally and internationally. With a dialectic worldview integrating philosophy with pragmatism, Dr. Saxena is committed to promoting healthy, balanced societies and personal well-being.
Samuel Ogunbiyi, MBBS, MD (Research), FRCS(Edin), FRCSC
NEW
Innisfil, Ontario
Dr. Samuel Ogunbiyi is a staff surgeon at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Alliston, Ontario with 20 years of experience as a clinician, researcher and medical innovator.
Receiving his medical degree in 1998 from the University of Ilorin in Nigeria, he initially worked as a doctor in Nigeria, before re-locating to the U.K. and working in South Wales as a medical officer in a community hospital. This birthed his love for General Surgery and medical innovation.
He then proceeded to work as a research scientist in the surgery department of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, producing numerous publications in Scientific Journals. Dr. Ogunbiyi completed his general surgical residency program at the University of Nottingham in 2015, with full certification in general surgery in the U.K.
After re-locating to Canada in 2016, he completed a one-year Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Toronto whilst completing the Royal College exams and secured a staff surgeon position at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Alliston, Ontario.
Dr. Ogunbiyi’s experience in leadership and Innovation includes serving as the resident representative for three years on the University of Nottingham’s General Surgical Training Committee, which implemented competency-based learning into the residency program. He is also a community leader and member of the Board of Directors for Innisfil Community Church. He is company founder and CEO of JESH Health, an online startup company with an iOS app that shares surgical, procedure-specific patient information leaflets used in the hospital and virtual care models. Dr. Ogunbiyi is on the clinical advisory group, Ontario e-services program, overseeing strategies to optimize clinician adoption of e-services.
His goal is to contribute to Royal College Council by adding to its diversity, and attending to issues arising in the rapidly changing landscape of medicine. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that to continue to lead, physicians must be able to respond and adapt quickly, embracing new strategies and innovation, whilst holding onto relevant old principles.
Terry Colbourne, MSc, MD, FRCPC
NEW
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Dr. Terry Colbourne completed his undergraduate and postgraduate training at the University of Manitoba. He remains in Winnipeg working as a respirologist at the Health Sciences Centre with a practice that includes inpatient respiratory and internal medicine at all three tertiary sites. He is presently splitting his time in Ontario while pursuing further training as a clinical fellow in the Interstitial Lung Disease program at the University of Toronto, acquiring experience to further serve his patients in Manitoba.
Dr. Colbourne has a long history of engaging in leadership activities in the realm of medical education governance and policy development. Nationally, his roles have included Governance Committee chair and Board director with the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), vice president and Training Committee chair of Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC), and Executive Board member of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS). With RDoC, he was deeply engaged in the development of national principles regarding resident data collection, accreditation and Competency-based medical education (CBME). He has balanced these national roles with local leadership including serving as president of the Manitoba Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) and chief resident of both his residency training programs. He has also worked with the Royal College as a member of the Accreditation Committee, the Committee on Specialty Education, the Task Force on Resident Input into Accreditation Process, and as a surveyor on multiple accreditation visits.
Dr. Colbourne has explored several avenues to continue his pursuits as a leader for positive change early in his career. Inspired by our system’s commitment toward continuous quality improvement led by the Royal College with the launch of the new accreditation system and CBME, he is completing a Master of Science in Healthcare Quality (MScHQ) degree at Queen’s University. He continues research initiatives aimed at understanding the resident experience with the implementation of CBME. With extensive experience in the governance of our complicated education system and advanced training in health systems and quality improvement, Dr. Colbourne hopes to serve as an asset to Royal College Council and its committees and would be a strong representative for Region 2.
Kaif Pardhan, MD, FRCPC, MMEd
INCUMBENT
Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Kaif Pardhan studied Medicine at the University of Manitoba and completed Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is currently a staff emergency physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. Additionally, he is currently the assistant program director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program at the University of Toronto and the deputy chief of the Department of Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Pardhan has a strong and enduring interest in medical education, fatigue risk management and medical leadership. His research is focused on: improving the number of assessments received by clinical teachers, supervision and assessment of senior trainees by physicians new to practice, how the style of assessment and feedback impacts trainee learning, and the perceived health impacts on trainees during the year of their certification examination.
Dr. Pardhan’s current and previous leadership roles have provided him with experience in organizational governance, strategic planning and change management. He has 14 years of experience on boards of directors and executive boards including provincial and national medical organizations. During this time, he has participated in the development and roll out of strategic plans at the Royal College, Resident Doctors of Canada and the Canadian Medical Association. He also has experience with search and selection processes for executives as well as consulting firms and legal counsel.
Finally, as a new in-practice physician, Dr. Pardhan will draw upon a strong history of representing his colleagues to the Royal College. This perspective will bring value as we seek to engage with new Fellows and continue to build on our success as an organization.
Sarkis Meterissian, MDCM, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
INCUMBENT
Montréal, Québec
A graduate of McGill’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Sarkis Meterissian completed his residency in General Surgery at McGill. He then completed successive two-year Fellowships in Surgical Oncology Research in Boston and in Clinical Surgical Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He joined McGill in 1994 and is a tenured professor of Surgery and Oncology. Dr. Meterissian was program director of General Surgical Oncology and then General Surgery for a total of 12 years. He completed two terms as associate dean of Postgraduate Medical Education. Dr. Meterissian has been director of the Breast Clinic of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) since 2006 and has been co-director of the Breast Health Advisory Board of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation since 2012. A member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors since 2018, he serves on the ACS Committee on Medical Student Education and previously served on the Residency Education Committee for six years. He is also an associate member of the prestigious ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.
Dr. Meterissian has extensive experience with the Royal College as an examiner, program director and postgraduate dean. He was a member of the Accreditation Committee for six years and chaired a number of Royal College visits across the country. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Collège des médecins du Québec for seven years and has chaired the Standing Committee of Postgrad Deans of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). As an active surgeon and physician from Québec, Dr. Meterissian has always brought the reality of practising in Québec to Council and has worked hard to ensure that important issues are addressed in a timely and comprehensive fashion. His experience in medical education and his leadership positions have allowed him to be a productive Council member in his first term.
J. Mark Walton, MD, FRCSC
INCUMBENT
Hamilton, Ontario
Dr. Mark Walton is a pediatric surgeon at McMaster Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatric surgery at the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. In July 2017, he took on the inaugural role of vice-dean of Faculty Affairs within the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Faculty Affairs Portfolio includes professionalism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), leadership development, mentorship and wellness. He currently sits on the Faculty’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (EDIAC) which serves to advise and recommend initiatives to advance inclusive excellence within the Faculty in alignment with strategic partners as well as the central university Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Steering Committee and Indigenous Advisory Committee. He has a special interest in postgraduate medical education and competency-based medical education (CBME). Dr. Walton was program director for the General Surgery Residency Training Program at McMaster University from 1999 to 2004 as well as postgraduate dean from 2004 to 2016. As postgraduate dean, he led a large expansion of residency programs as well as the development of postgraduate medical training on two regional campuses (Niagara and Waterloo Region). He presently chairs the Royal College’s Committee on Specialty Education and sits on the Executive Committee of Council.
Dr. Walton’s professional interests include mentoring medical educators and residents, EDI, Indigenous health, and allyship. He has chaired numerous committees related to health human resources planning such as the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) and the Ontario Physician Human Resources Data Centre (OPHRDC). In addition, he has an active clinical practice in Pediatric Surgery and is involved in the training of medical and Physician Assistant (PA) students as well as residents and fellows.
In his spare time, Dr. Walton enjoys travelling with his family and participating in a number of sports including triathlons, marathons, and hockey.
Eleanor Elstein, MD, CSPQ, FRCPC
INCUMBENT
Montreal,Québec
Dr. Eleanor Elstein received her medical degree from the Université de Montréal and trained in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at McGill University. She then completed a research fellowship in Molecular Cardiology at the University of Toronto, Centre for Cardiovascular Research. While in Toronto, she also completed clinical fellowships in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and in Echocardiography. Dr. Elstein is an associate professor of Medicine at McGill University and an associate physician at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). She is director of the Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic for Inherited Cardiomyopathies and director of the cardiology consultation service at the MUHC. Her research is primarily in the area of familial cardiomyopathies.
Dr. Elstein is very involved in medical education at all levels from undergraduate medical students to postdoctoral fellows and practising physicians. She has held an Osler Fellowship granted by the McGill University Physicianship program. She is a member of the McGill Cardiology Residency Training Program Committee and the Cardiology Resident Competence Committee. Dr. Elstein is also a member of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Evaluation Committee of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University.She is also the Undergraduate Medical Education lead and member of the Executive of the McGill Office of Interprofessional Education. Dr. Elstein serves as a member of the McGill University Senate and the Senate Nominating Committee.
Dr. Elstein has been a member of the Royal College’s Regional Advisory Committee 4 (RAC 4) since 2013 and serves as its chair since 2019. She has also been a member of the Fellowship Affairs Committee (FAC) since 2019 and has served on Council since 2017. Dr. Elstein is very interested in strengthening the roles of the Royal College in providing specialty medical education and lifelong learning and in representing medical specialists in Québec and Canada.
Marcia Clark, MD, MSc, Dip. Sport Med., FRCSC
INCUMBENT
Calgary, Alberta
Dr. Marcia Clark is an orthopedic surgeon and clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary and site lead for surgery at the South Health Campus hospital. Her academic interests are in Simulation Based Medical Education, medical education and the intersection of health and technology. Dr. Clark has a deep understanding of training and education assessment tools and evaluating outcomes. Her strengths in medical education include curriculum design and program evaluation. She has worked extensively to develop national and international standards for surgical education.
Dr. Clark is a collaborative leader who brings a curious mind and insightful questions. She is conscious of non-conformity in groupthink when it comes to big committee decisions. Dr. Clark is a member of Royal College Council and its Executive Committee, Regional Advisory Committee 1 (chair), the Committee on Specialties, and the Simulation Accreditation Committee. She is also past vice-chair of the Surgical Foundations Advisory Committee, and has helped develop and teach the Simulation Educator Training course. Dr. Clark also represents the Royal College internationally and has delivered medical education presentations in China, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. She has contributed to the planning of the Simulation Summit (co-chair), the International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE) and ICRE-China.
At the University/Health Systems-Level, Dr. Clark is lead of surgery for an urban hospital and has responsibility for surgical planning and teams, including COVID19 crisis communications, risk management, policy adaptation, safety planning and monitoring. This role has helped her to understand health policy, systems and administrative decision making.
Dr. Clark is also a scientist with the CDL (Creative Destruction Lab)-Rockies and Vancouver. She mentors founders of health tech startups on the clinical and acute application of technology increasing the probability of success.
Clinically, Dr. Clark’s practice focuses on surgical arthritis care and sport medicine.
Geneviève Milot, MD, FRCSC
NEW
Québec, Québec
Dr. Geneviève Milot is a dedicated vascular neurosurgeon in active practice and clinical professor at Université Laval’s Department of Surgery in Québec City. Throughout more than 20 years of practising medicine, she has been regularly involved with the Royal College, serving on different Examination Boards and the Specialty Committee in Neurosurgery. She has found that this involvement has added amazing dimension to many aspects of her career growth and leadership development. Dr. Milot is prepared to meet the challenges that come with being a Council member, as supported by Dr. Louis Lacombe, FRCSC, director of the Department of Surgery at Université Laval who recommended that she apply. She will devote her attention to the skills and responsibilities required to be an effective contributor.
Dr. Milot became a Neurosurgery examiner for the Royal College in 2001 and has been active on the Neurosurgery Examination Board as a member, vice-chair and chair. She reached the end of her mandate with the 2020 examinations, retiring with great pride. She has served as a member of the Specialty Committee in Neurosurgery and was closely involved with the transition to Competence by Design (CBD). Dr. Milot was also the program director for the Neurosurgery Program at Université Laval for nine years and is now chair of the Competence Committee for Surgical Foundations. Her leadership positions and interest in the development of higher medical education make her well-suited to serve as a Councillor representing the vision of the Royal College.
Pierre LeBlanc, MD, CSPQ, FRCPC
INCUMBENT
Québec, Québec
Dr. Pierre LeBlanc received his medical degree in 1978 from Université Laval in Québec and subsequently completed his postgraduate training in Respirology in 1983, at which time he received his certification in Respirology from the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) and the Royal College. From 1983 to 1985, he completed a fellowship in Exercise Physiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Since 1985, Dr. LeBlanc has been practising Respirology at the University Institute of Cardiology and Respirology of Québec (Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), formerly known as Hôpital Laval). At IUCPQ, he was president of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists (Conseils de médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens (CMDP)) and was director of University Education. Dr. LeBlanc is a Full professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine and delivered the undergraduate course in Respirology from 2000 to 2002. Dr. LeBlanc has been a member of the Undergraduate Program Committee and was also program director of Respirology. He was postgraduate dean from 2002 to 2010, and the director of the Department of Medicine from 2011 to 2017. Since 2018, he has held the position of director of Education and University Affairs at the IUCPQ.
Dr. LeBlanc was a member of the CMQ’s Board of Directors from 2002 to 2010. He has also worked with the Royal College as a member of the Residency Accreditation Committee and the Committee on Specialty Education, and has participated in several accreditation surveys. He has served on Council since 2017.
Dr. LeBlanc has contributed to 70 scientific articles, 110 abstracts for scientific presentations and 12 chapters in multi-authored publications.