2012 CARO Election for the Position of Secretary-Treasurer

I did my medical school in India and Radiation Oncology training in U.K. I re-located to Edmonton and completed two more years of residency in Radiation Oncology at the Cross Cancer Institute. I won the best resident research award at the annual meeting in Halifax in 1986.

I went on to accept a faculty position as Assistant Professor at the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre/ McMaster University in 1987. I was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1994. I served as the Program Director of Radiation Oncology at McMaster University between 1992 -1996, during which almost 20 residents graduated from our program. Most of these residents contribute significantly to our specialty at provincial, national and international levels. My research paper on role of Iridium Implant in Prostate cancer was awarded the best research paper in 2005 by CARO. I re-located to Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, in 2005. In March 2010, I moved to Memorial University, St. John’s, NL.

I have always been an active member of CARO, and have reviewed abstracts and chaired several scientific sessions. I have witnessed the growth of CARO from a small to a sizable organization today, and know this organization has set very high standards for our specialty.

My vision for CARO is to ensure that the tremendous efforts that have gone into this organization so far continues to stay alive, so we can bring the best of radiation oncology going forward to the members at large. I would like to enhance awareness of our specialty at the medical school level, so that we can attract the very best candidates to residency programs across the country. As a committee member, I will work with the group to come up with appropriate strategies to solve the human resources issue so that we are not dealing with oversupply or under supply of residents. We should continue to secure industry sponsored funding for fellowships which will certainly enhance the academic profile of our group at national as well as international stage. If given the opportunity, I will put in my best efforts to work as team member and strive to achieve the goals set out by CARO.

It would be a pleasure to offer my time and services to support CARO and my Radiation Oncology Colleagues in Canada. I am a Radiation Oncologist at the Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto where I have been on staff since 2005. I have arrived here by a circuitous route, having initially completed training as a scientist (BSc Honours in Pharmacology from London University, UK, followed by a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK) and then worked in industry for 10 years as an investment executive and then in operational and financial management, in both the UK and Canada.

After moving to Canada with my Canadian husband I had the privilege of completing medical training at the University of Toronto. I stayed in Toronto to do a residency in radiation oncology before joining the Odette Cancer Centre. My clinical practice focuses on breast and lung cancer and I have a particular interest in radiation as part of multi-modality therapy for locally advanced breast cancer. Although I am based at a large academic hospital, I have also been very involved in patient care at a peripheral community cancer centre, providing an insight into different patient care environments. In addition to my clinical practice and academic interests, I have undertaken a number of administrative roles. For example, I have been involved in assisting with planning for changes in clinical care roles between different professional groups; I have also performed the roles of treasurer and financial manager for our 29-member partnership for a period of 6 years, ensuring transparency, accuracy and realistic goals for the group.

Outside of work I have a wonderful family; my husband and two teenage children. I delight in skiing (inelegantly), playing tennis (inexpertly), watching movies with my family and sharing a laugh with them.

I feel privileged to be part of the radiation oncology community in Canada, a profession which encompasses a wide and rewarding scope of practice opportunities, including clinical care, academic research, rapid technological development and teaching. We are very fortunate to work in a collegial community and yet we must recognize there are significant challenges to face in the current economic climate. I hope that my financial management experience can be of use to my colleagues and my profession in the role of Secretary/Treasurer of CARO and that my participation on the CARO Board of Directors may contribute to the role of Radiation Therapy in Canada and to the well being of our patients and our community. It will be important to present a clear case for continued investment in radiation as a key treatment modality for cancer patients as health care resources become more constrained. We will need to ensure the wise use of resources (both financial and human), whilst addressing continued disparities in access amongst Canadian communities. CARO will undoubtedly play a key role in these as well as other areas, led by its Board of Directors.