Listed in order of submission
Electoral Group : Toronto Surgery |
Positions : 5 |
Currently Running : 6
Dr. Army Alam
PGY-4 | Toronto | Surgery-General-
Bio
Hi everyone, my name is Army, and I am a PGY4 General Surgery resident at UofT and a current PARO General Council representative seeking re-election.
Throughout my training, I have been passionate about learner wellness and advocating for practical, lasting change. During my residency, I have served on the UofT Learner Experience Advisory Committee (LEAC) as well as the General Surgery Residency Program Committee, helping shape policies that foster an inclusive, supportive, safe, and high-quality learning environment. I am also a research lead for UpSurge which is an organization that promotes surgical mentorship. Beyond residency, I sit as a Board Director of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where I help advance national initiatives focused on mental health, stigma reduction, and system improvement. My interests in resident wellness, quality improvement, and health systems innovation have also led me to pursue an MSc in Health Systems Leadership and Innovation at UofT.
As you all know, residency is a mixture of incredible highs and significant lows. Long hours, intense workloads, and emotionally difficult cases can take a significant toll on us. I believe that supporting resident wellness and creating sustainable training environments are not only important for learners—they are fundamental to delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality patient care. My goal is to help identify thoughtful, practical solutions that improve the day-to-day experience of residents while preserving the excellence of our training programs.
As a PARO representative, I strive to be approachable, collaborative, and responsive to the concerns of my colleagues. I believe effective advocacy begins by listening and by ensuring that the diverse perspectives of residents across specialties and institutions are heard. It has been a privilege to serve on General Council, and I would be honoured to continue representing my colleagues with integrity, transparency, and a commitment to thoughtful, evidence-informed advocacy.
Dr. Calandra Li
PGY-4 | Toronto | Surgery-Plastic-
Bio
Hello! My name is Calandra Li, and I’m a PGY4 at UofT Plastics - I love the Raptors & Blue Jays, midnight movie premieres, and sharing my love of Hakka-Chinese food with others.
I have had the privilege of serving as a Surgical Representative on PARO for the last three years and would be honoured to continue in this role. During this time, I have worked alongside dedicated resident leaders and PARO Council members to advocate for trainees and support initiatives that improve the residency experience here in Toronto and across Ontario.
I am passionate about learner advocacy, medical education, and fostering inclusive communities, which has led me to pursue a variety of leadership opportunities throughout medical school and residency. I believe that while residency is inherently challenging, it should never feel isolating. My goal is to help build a resident community that supports one another, amplifies resident voices, and empowers trainees to shape the future of our profession together.
I appreciate your consideration, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue serving as one of your PARO Toronto Surgical Representatives!
Dr. Danielle Arshinoff
PGY-3 | Toronto | Surgery-General-
Bio
Hello everyone,
My name is Danielle Arshinoff, and I am currently in my second year of SSTP after completing PGY3 in General Surgery. Many of you know me from serving as your surgical PARO General Council Representative over the past three years.
During this time, we've seen meaningful progress, including improvements to resident salaries, call stipends, benefits, and work-hour policies. This year is particularly important as PARO enters contract negotiations. Strong surgical representation will be essential as we continue advocating for fair compensation, improved call remuneration, stronger parental leave and family supports and better working conditions.
As your representative, I have worked to ensure that surgical trainees' voices are heard on issues including call scheduling, wellness, and equity. I have helped residents navigate concerns across multiple training sites and successfully secured Resident Enhancement Fund grants to improve several surgical call spaces. These experiences have reinforced what I value most about our residency programs: residents supporting one another.
Surgical residency continues to evolve. Many of our programs are managing increasing patient volumes with relatively small resident teams while adapting to changing post-call expectations and growing service demands. These challenges require strong, practical advocacy to ensure that resident wellness, and patient care remain aligned.
As an SSTP resident, I have greater flexibility to dedicate time and energy to PARO initiatives.
If re-elected, my priorities will be to:
•Continue advocating for improvements to call conditions and the challenges created by increasing workloads and limited staffing.
•Promote resident wellness, equity, parental supports, and access to resources.
•Remain an accessible, responsive representative who listens to concerns and brings them forward effectively.
Residency is demanding, and strong resident representation matters. It has been a privilege to serve as your PARO representative over the past three years, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue advocating for all of you.
Thank you for your support and consideration.
Dr. Sherry Mahmood
PGY-2 | Toronto | Surgery-General-
Bio
Hello everyone!
My name is Sheharzad (Sherry), and I am a General Surgery resident in the Surgeon Scientist Training Program. It would be an honour to represent you on the PARO General Council for a third consecutive year.
As a returning General Council member, I have been committed to creating space for grassroots, resident-driven initiatives focused on wellness, medical education, mentorship, and advocacy. This past year, I served on the Surgery Working Group, where we helped advocate for the successful implementation of the landmark contract changes surrounding call restrictions in Toronto. As surgical residency continues to evolve, I believe PARO has a critical role in ensuring these changes translate into meaningful, sustainable improvements for residents, and I hope to be one of the voices contributing to that work.
Equity has also remained central to my leadership. As the current Chair of UpSurge—the largest surgical mentorship and pipeline initiative for underrepresented trainees in Canada—I have had the privilege of leading initiatives that bring together trainees across institutions while advocating for equitable opportunities in medical education. These experiences have strengthened my ability to represent diverse resident perspectives and contribute effectively to collaborative committees and task forces. In addition, my role on the General Surgery Residency Program Committee has provided valuable insight into resident priorities within surgical programs, and I hope to continue serving as a strong liaison between our residents and PARO General Council.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue serving and advocating for surgical residents across all specialties and programs in Ontario during the 2026–2027 year. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to working alongside the incredible PARO Toronto team for another year, and I always welcome any questions, ideas, or feedback!
Dr. Nadine Almadani
PGY-4 | Toronto | Surgery-General-
Bio
Hello!
My name is Nadine Almadani, and I am a PGY4 General Surgery resident at UofT, running for PARO General Surgery Representative. Outside of work, you’ll find me exploring Toronto’s food scene and playing tennis and pickleball.
I am seeking this role to give back to the residents who have shaped my training and to continue the work of those who have represented us before me. Their efforts on wellness, call conditions, and fair compensation have made a real difference, and I would like to help carry that momentum forward, especially this year as PARO heads into contract negotiations where having residents’ interests clearly represented will matter a great deal. I am also involved with UofT Upsurge, an organization dedicated to surgical mentorship, and this work has reinforced my commitment to bringing forward the diverse voices of our surgical residents.
A priority for me is fostering an environment where residents feel comfortable reaching out to one another and to their representatives, whether to raise a concern or seek support. I aim to be approachable and responsive, listening to colleagues’ concerns and bringing them forward promptly and effectively.
I am grateful for the opportunity to represent you and to continue advocating for a program that supports its residents well.
Thank you for your consideration. See you around!
Dr. Karanbir Brar
PGY-4 | Toronto | Surgery-General-
Bio
My name is Karanbir Brar, and I am a PGY4 General Surgery resident at the University of Toronto. Having also completed my medical degree here at UofT, I have developed deep roots within our local medical community and a profound appreciation for the unique journey we all share as trainees in this system.
Over the past few years, I have been actively involved in shaping our training environment. I served on the UofT General Surgery Residency Program Committee (RPC) for two years, where I had the privilege of advocating directly for resident interests, well-being, and educational improvements. Additionally, I have spent multiple years working with the CaRMS residency match for our program. In this role, I focused on helping to make our resident selection processes more equitable and transparent, ensuring we continue to cultivate a diverse and supportive surgical culture.
I am now seeking the opportunity to serve as a Surgery Representative for the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO). Surgical training is inherently demanding, and I am passionate about ensuring our colleagues feel supported throughout this rigorous process. My primary goal on the committee is to represent our collective interests and work collaboratively with leadership to promote positive, sustainable work conditions. I believe that by fostering a balanced and healthy training environment, we not only improve resident well-being but also enhance the quality of care we provide to our patients.
As your PARO representative, I would bring my experience in resident advocacy and a constructive, team-oriented mindset to the table. I am committed to being an accessible voice for my peers, working to ensure that our residency experience is as enriching, fair, and supportive as possible.