About Us
Leadership
Board of Directors
Meet the Resident Doctors of Canada board of directors. Each PHO appoints one director to the board, and members (PHOs) elect three resident directors-at-large and two external directors.
While resident directors bring the perspectives of the PHOs they come from, each represents the interests of all residents from all specialties in all parts of Canada. If you are interested in being a part of RDoC leadership, reach out to your PHO.
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Dr. Dakotah Janes
President, Director-at-LargePGY-5Psychiatry
Dr. Janes passion outside of mental health advocacy is physician health and well-being, which led her to seek involvement in resident advocacy work at the institutional, provincial, and national levels. She has served as the resident wellness representative of her program and the PGME representative on the Faculty of Medicine’s Wellness and Well-being Advisory Committee and is completing research in this area. She previously served two terms at co-president of the Professional Association of Residents of Newfound and Labrador (PARNL)
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Dr. David Lane
Treasurer, Director-at-LargePGY-4Psychiatry
Dr. Lane is a member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association. Outside of medicine, he enjoys gymnastics, exploring new coffee shops, and spending time with his family. He is board of Professional Association of Resident of Newfoundland and Labrador (PARNL). Prior to entering medicine, Dr. Lane completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto, as well as a Master’s in Public Health at Memorial. David is a member of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association.
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Dr. Anthony Wightman
PARIM Appointed DirectorPGY-2Internal Medicine
Dr. Anthony Wightman is the 2025/2026 President of the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Manitoba (PARIM) and a PGY2 resident in Internal Medicine. Anthony’s past governance experience includes chairing his medical school’s student association, and acting as the Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba Board Member Delegate for Rural and Remote Family Medicine, and as the Internal Medicine Delegate.
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Dr. Eva Liu
RDoS Appointed DirectorPGY-4Neurosurgery
Dr. Eva Liu was born in China and completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at McMaster University. As a previously unmatched medical graduate, she is deeply passionate about resident wellness, resilience, and empowerment. She has three years of experience as board member of Resident Doctors of Saskatchewan (RDoS) as treasurer & secretary (2022/2023), vice president (2023/2024), and most recently president (2024/2025). As the resident director of RDoC, Eva hopes to advocate for resident interests at a national level and bring tangible differences to resident lives.
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Dr. Kristin Ko
MarDocs Appointed DirectorPGY-2Anesthesiology
Born and raised in Halifax, Dr. Kristin Ko completed her BSc in Neuroscience, MASc in Biomedical Engineering, and MD all at Dalhousie. She has served as a board member on Maritime Resident Doctors (MarDocs) for the past two years and has been involved in negotiating the new 2024-2027 Maritime Resident Collective Agreement as a committee member and evaluating and updating PGME policies as the resident representative.
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Dr. Michael Gilbert
PARNL Appointed DirectorPGY-4Psychiatry
Dr. Michael Gilbert has a strong interest in medical education, and has completed a Certificate in Medical Education and Teaching. He first became involved with the Professional Association of Residents of Newfound and Labrador (PARNL) in 2023, when his interest in medical education led him to run for the Program Evaluation Subcommittee/Student Assessment Committee Representative. Having thoroughly enjoyed his time on PARNL and helping to create better working environments for his co-residents, he was motivated to represent PARNL on a national level by getting involved with Resident Doctors of Canada.
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Dr. Michael Lickers
D.Soc.Sci.
External Director
Dr. Michael Lickers is a Mohawk educator from the Six Nations of the Grand River, currently residing in Calgary, Alberta. He holds a Doctor of Social Sciences and a Master’s in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Lickers has made significant contributions to leadership, cultural outdoor education, community development, and youth leadership.
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Dr. Adeeb Malas
RDBC Appointed DirectorPGY-4Psychiatry
A committed clinician and leader, Dr. Adeeb Malas brings a diverse background in medical research, health policy, and advocacy. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from UBC’s Southern Medical Program and previously completed an Advanced Diploma in Rural Pre-Medicine with Honours at Selkirk College. Dr. Malas served as president of Resident Doctors of BC (RDBC) for the 2024-2025 term.
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Dr. Stephanie Mercier
PARO Appointed DirectorPGY-4Medical Oncology
Dr. Stephanie Mercier has been a committed member of the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO) Ottawa site team since 2020. In 2021/2022, she held the office of PARO Ottawa site chair and acted as Lead Resident for her internal medicine program site. She was elected to the PARO Board of Directors for the 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 terms, where she has served as provincial General Council Chair, PARO Vice-President, and PARO President for 2025/2026. Dr. Mercier has been engaged as a volunteer Resident Advocate with Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC) since 2022/2023.
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Dr. Tina Nash
PGY-2Family Medicine
Dr. Tina Nash is a member of the Tahltan First Nation, and was born in Whitehorse, Yukon. Prior to changing career paths into medicine, Dr. Nash worked with Alberta Health Services for 22 years. Dr. Nash is the current Resident Director on the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) Board of Directors, and a member of the CaRMS Board of Directors through a mentorship position with IPAC and CaRMS.
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Trevor Cuddy
BA, MEd, DBA(c)
External Director
Trevor Cuddy is in his fourth term as an external director for RDoC, during his time on the board Trevor has also served as a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Trevor is the director of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Portfolio in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. His career has spanned four of Canada’s largest universities: the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Concordia University, and York University.
Provincial Housestaff Organization Member Representatives
RDoC’s members are the Provincial Housestaff Organizations (PHOs) to which every resident in Canada (outside of Quebec) belongs.
PHOs represent their members regionally to optimize their training and work experiences. Collectively, through their membership with RDoC they also advocate for the best possible medical education experience.
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Dr. Anna Thomas
Member Representative for Professional Association of Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador (PARNL)
PGY-2Internal Medicine -
Dr. Kathleen MacMillan
Member Representative for Maritime Resident Doctors (MarDocs)
PGY-3Diagnostic Radiology -
Dr. Elliot Polster
Member Representative for the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO)
PGY-3Family Medicine -
Dr. Matthew Thiessen
Member Representative for Professional Association of Resident and Interns of Manitoba (PARIM)
PGY-5Rheumatology -
Dr. Dammy Bello
Member Representative for Resident Doctors of Saskatchewan (RDoS)
PGY-3Internal Medicine -
Dr. Adeeb Malas
Member Representative for Resident Doctors of BC (RDBC)
PGY-4Psychiatry
Provincial Housestaff Organization CEO/ED Advisory Board
The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and the Executive Directors (EDs) of member provincial housestaff organizations (PHOs) bring valued perspectives and institutional knowledge to issues of national concern to the RDoC board of directors.
They play a vital role in supporting residents’ success and well-being at the local and provincial level.
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Jessica Burleson
Executive DirectorProfessional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba (PARIM)
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Sandi Carew
Chief Executive OfficerMaritime Resident Doctors (MarDocs)
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Lona Cunningham
Executive DirectorResident Doctors of BC (RDBC)
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Kristin Johnson
Chief Executive OfficerResident Doctors of Saskatchewan (RDoS)
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Patricia Penton
Executive DirectorProfessional Association of Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador (PARNL)
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Melisse Willems
Chief Executive OfficerProfessional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO)
RDoC Professional Team
RDoC is supported by a highly qualified professional team that implements the strategic plan. They work in service to resident doctors who provide the resident lived experience which informs all of RDoC’s work.
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Leslie Cuthbertson
BScF, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Leslie has over 35 years of experience in non-profit organizational management and research consulting. She also holds an MBA in community economic development, with a specialty in strategic management. Leslie is a team builder and skilled at motivating staff and volunteers to build and deliver on ambitious strategic plans with measurable outcomes. Leslie is responsible for organizational management and the implementation of RDoC’s strategic plan.
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Jonathan Perron-Clow
BSocSc, MA
Director of Programs – Medical Education
Jonathan brings more than 10 years of project management experience in the non-profit sector. Until recently, he was the Senior Project Lead for the Public Policy Forum Academy and Action Canada Fellowship at the Public Policy Forum after having joined PPF in the communications team. Jonathan leads the implementation of all programs and initiatives related to medical education.
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Victoria Clarke
BA, MPA
Director of Resident Health and Strategic Communications
Victoria has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University in Public Administration, specialization in Health Policy and Healthcare Administration and brings over 15 years of experience to RDoC, the last ten of which have been in senior management and director roles.Victoria brings a wide breadth of expertise and experience to RDoC including policy writing, health policy, government relations, NGO advocacy, strategic communications and marketing. Victoria leads the development and implementation of RDoC’s strategic communications as well as all physician health and well-being strategy, research, programming and advocacy efforts on behalf of RDoC.
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Beth Sneyd
MA, CAE
Director of Operations, Finance and Administration
Beth comes from a long line of servant leaders. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for close to 17 years, 15 of which have been with Resident Doctors of Canada. She holds her Certified Association Executive designation from the Canadian Society of Association Executives, an organization that promotes best management and governance practices within the field. Beth supports RDoC’s financial and administrative work.
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Kaitlynn Carroll
BA Comm, PG Dip PR
Director, Resident Engagement
Kaitlynn (Katie) Carroll holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Brock University and a Public Relations Graduate Certificate from Niagara College. Her career spans over 14 years, having worked with organizations such as Actua, the Buffalo Sabres, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and the United Nations in Canada’s Toronto branch. Katie leads RDoC’s work in supporting resident volunteers in their critical roles.
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Samantha Lovegrove
BA
Manager of Program Support
Samantha holds a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg. Her passion for healthcare began when working in medical research at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)’s Blood Disease Center. Samantha’s work with The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) later transitioned to supporting the implementation of the TOH’s ConnectingOntario ClinicalViewer. Samantha provides support to all of RDoC’s programs and initiatives.