Consider a role on General Council and be part of an inclusive, future focused, problem-solving, highly productive team.
A PARO General Council position is a meaningful way to contribute to Resident life. By sharing ideas that represent the life experiences and perspectives of all members you can improve the Resident experience. PARO benefits when GC is representative and reflects the diversity of our membership and our patients.
At PARO, you are part of a legacy that lived before you and will live beyond you – your work will impact residents today and tomorrow and help set up future residents for success. All of PARO’s work is focused on the three pillars of our Strategic Plan: Optimal Training, Optimal Working Conditions and Optimal Transitions – into, through and out of residency.
PARO has a long and proud history of making positive meaningful change in the daily lives of our members. We recognise that one of our biggest risks is the transient nature of residency, and so:
We build on past success and continuously improve.
While many of our initiatives have long time frames
we are driven to make progress every year.
We believe that we are stronger and smarter together so we
develop and strengthen our teams by involving and leveraging the
skills of all team members (Staff, Board, GC, teams, partnerships).
We co-create ideas with a solutions oriented mindset and a
deep sense of accountability to represent all residents.
We model the leadership of owning our team commitments,
keeping our word, and putting PARO goals before our own.
We celebrate achievements, big and small, that propel us forward.
Nomination Dates
Nominations for the 2024/2025 General Council are open from Monday, July 8, 2024 at 1100 hrs until they close on Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 1100 hrs. Elections will follow, starting Monday, July 22nd, 2024.
To be eligible to run for General Council, you must be training in Ontario for the duration of your elected term (August 2024 – June 2025) and not be away from your home University Site for more than 3 months total (unless your program requires you to do so at another Ontario University as part of your training). If you are on maternity or parental leave and are still registered with your University, then you are eligible to run.
If you are registered as a resident in our database and are eligible to run, a personalized nomination link will be sent to you from paro@paroteam.ca on Monday July 8th. If you do not receive your link and think you should have, please email elections@paroteam.ca and provide your name, CPSO number, Program, University and PGY level.
If you are elected to the PARO General Council, you become a steward of the PARO brand. PARO is a forward-thinking, solution-oriented organization inspired by a love of medicine and creating an equitable medical culture.
Represent Local Residents
As a PARO General Council Representative, you are an Ambassador of PARO and commit to being visible and approachable at your site. Your primary responsibility is to represent all of your fellow members. This means bringing their views and concerns to the General Council and the Board. You do this at GC meetings as well as through other means of communication between meetings.
General Council Meeting Contributions
This is a participatory role. GC Reps must make every effort to attend and participate at all General Council meetings – both at the local site level and at the full meetings in Toronto. The first General Council meeting will take place on Thursday, September 12th in Toronto. You need to plan ahead. Don’t forget to book time off from your rotation if you are elected and put all dates in your calendar. The General Council meeting schedule for 2024-25 can be found below.
Attending meetings is one role but you may also take on work that needs to be done between meetings. Your local team will be depending on you to deliver the priorities for the year with the guidance of the local Site Chair.
Please note: PARO’s policy is to ensure that no Representative incurs a financial burden as a result of serving as a General Council member. Therefore, you’ll be reimbursed for expenses related to PARO business such as travel and accommodations.
As outlined in the PARO-OTH Collective Agreement, time used for PARO business is protected and programs are required to allow residents to attend meetings as long as patient care is not compromised.
Participate on PARO Strategy Implementation Teams
PARO operates in a team-based structure. As a General Council Representative, you’re expected to participate on one or more teams in service of PARO’s strategic plan. Teams may include members of the Board as well as other General Council Representatives. All PARO teams include one of our experienced professional staff who provide consultation and support.
Know the Contract
You will need a thorough understanding of the PARO-OTH Collective Agreement to effectively contribute and support fellow members. To prepare you for this duty you will have an orientation session, as well as ongoing staff support.
Be a Resource to Members
As a General Council Representative, you will act as a liaison between PARO and the membership at your site. You are expected to disseminate important information discussed at General Council meetings to local members. This may take the form of sending emails, holding local meetings, posting on bulletin boards, and other methods as required.
Organize and Attend Local Events
Being visible means participating. That will mean organizing and attending local PARO events and activities, or other events determined locally by the GC and Board.
Be a PARO Representative on Liaison Committee Meetings
Many committees and groups require resident representation, and your Site Chair may call on you to attend one or more meetings at your site. Some examples include committees dealing with residency education issues or local hospital issues. You should check with the PARO office in advance of a meeting to ensure that you have all the materials and information that you need. After a meeting, you’re expected to provide the Site Chair a short written report on any relevant resident issues discussed.
2024/25 General Council Meeting Dates
Thursday, September 12th, 2024 @ 1pm
Friday, November 1st, 2024 @ 1pm
Friday, March 7th, 2025 @ 1pm
Friday, June 6th, 2025 @ 1pm
Local GC Site Meetings
McMaster
Thursday, August 29th, 2024 @ 5pm
Thursday, October 17th, 2024 @ 3pm
Thursday, November 28th, 2024 @ 6pm
Thursday, January 16th, 2025 @ 3pm
Thursday, February 20th, 2025 @ 6pm
Monday, April 28th, 2025 @ 1pm – With the PARO Board
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 @ 5pm
NOSMU
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 @ 5pm
Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 @ 3pm
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 @ 6pm
Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 @ 3pm
Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 @ 6pm
Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 @ 3pm
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025 @ 5pm
Ottawa
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 @ 5pm
Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 @ 3pm
Tuesday, November 26th, 2024 @ 6pm
Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 @ 3pm
Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 @ 6pm
Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 @ 3pm
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025 @ 5pm
Queen’s
Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 @ 5pm
Wednesday, October 9th, 2024 @ 3pm
Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 @ 6pm
Monday, January 20th, 2025 @ 1pm – With the PARO Board
Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 @ 6pm
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025 @ 3pm
Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 @ 5pm
Toronto
Monday, August 26th, 2024 @ 5pm
Monday, October 7th, 2024 @ 3pm
Monday, November 25th, 2024 @ 6pm
Monday, January 13th, 2025 @ 3pm
Monday, February 10th, 2025 @ 6pm
Monday, April 14th, 2025 @ 3pm
Monday, May 12th, 2025 @ 5pm
Western
Thursday, August 29th, 2024 @ 5pm
Monday, October 21st, 2024 @ 1pm – With the PARO Board
Thursday, November 28th, 2024 @ 6pm
Thursday, January 16th, 2025 @ 3pm
Thursday, February 13th, 2025 @ 6pm
Thursday, April 24th, 2025 @ 3pm
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 @ 5pm