Council & Committees
The Council is the governing board of the College. Its authority is provided for in the Nova Scotia Medical Act. It is responsible for setting strategic direction, developing policies, and providing oversight of the College’s performance.
The Council includes physician members elected by physicians and public members appointed by the College through a nominations process. Nova Scotia’s medical school holds a Council seat, and medical learners are represented as observers. Council meets four times per year. Under the legislation, the College has committees made up of Council members, medical professionals, and public representatives who provide oversight and guidance on relevant issues. The College’s Council and committees aim to provide a well-balanced and equitable approach to the regulation of medicine.
Members of Council 2025-2026
Physician Members
Dr. Mary-Lynn Watson – President
Dr. Mary-Lynn Watson is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University. She is originally from New Brunswick but came to Dalhousie to do her undergraduate degree, went on to graduate from Dalhousie Medical School and decided to make Halifax her home.
She started practicing Emergency Medicine at the old Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General Hospitals and now practices at the Emergency Department of the QEII Health Sciences Centre (QEIIHSC), Halifax Infirmary site. At that time, she also had a family practice but left to focus her career on emergency medicine.
Dr. Watson is presently the Medical Director for Quality and Safety at the QEIIHSC Emergency Department. She is active on many committees in the Department, as well as at Nova Scotia Health, the Medical School, and nationally. She serves on the Progress and Promotion Committee at the Medical School as well as committees at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia. She is a former President of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. She is also a former Program Director for the Certification in the College of Family Physicians Emergency Medicine (CCFP-EM) program at Dalhousie University. She has a special interest in evaluation and remediation as well as quality initiatives. She currently is a member of the Executive, Professional Standards, Nominating, Registration Policy, Registrar Review and Finance Committees with the College.
Dr. Melissa Broaders
Dr. Melissa Broaders is a Hospitalist at Valley Regional Hospital. Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, she completed a Bachelor of Nursing from Memorial University in 2005 and went on to complete her MD from the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine (now called the American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine) in 2014. She completed the Dalhousie University Family Medicine Residency Program in 2016 and since that time has worked in a variety of areas including Rural Family Medicine, Emergency, Operating Room Assist and has been a practicing Hospitalist since September of 2018.
Dr. Broaders is the current Head of the Department of Hospitalists at Valley Regional Hospital. She is involved with the promotion of equity, diversity and inclusivity at her site, as well as being involved with the Complex Case Committee. She has a strong commitment to holistic care of patients and patient advocacy. As a former international medical graduate, she has a particular interest in supporting other international medical graduates while ensuring competency in the CanMEDS roles of physicians.
Dr. Broaders is an assistant professor with Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine and enjoys teaching family medicine residents in the Annapolis Valley Program Site.
Dr. Broaders has one son who is a heavy equipment mechanic and is eagerly anticipating the arrival of her first grandchild. She thoroughly enjoys travel, cooking, trying new cuisine, and time with family.
Dr. Broaders is a member of the Registration Policy Committee.
Dr. Michael Clory
Dr. Michael Clory is an emergency medicine physician at the Cobequid Community Health Centre and Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Emergency Departments. His areas of interest are medical education for medical trainees, continuing professional development for physicians, quality assurance within the healthcare system, and system improvement within our healthcare facilities.
Dr. Clory completed medical school at McGill University in 1991 and his residency in family medicine at McGill University from 1991-1993. He then went on to receive his CCFP Emergency Medicine Certification in 1997, became a Fellow College Family Physician in 2014, and received his Added Competence in Family Medicine-Emergency Medicine Certificate in 2015.
Dr. Clory has been Chief of medical staff and emergency department at Cobequid Community Health Centre since 2005. During this time, he has been a member of the Zone Medical Advisory Committee. He was the chair of Doctors Nova Scotia’s section of emergency medicine from 2009-2020. He is the medical director and cofounder of Therounds; an exclusive physician online professional network and medical director of Scotiamed Medical Clinic. Dr. Clory is also an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Dalhousie University and has been an examiner with the Canadian College of Family Physicians for Special Competence Emergency Medicine since 2005.
Dr. Clory has been married for over 30 years and has one son and two daughters. He has been a volunteer youth coach in basketball and flag football for many years. In his free time, Dr. Clory enjoys tennis, swimming and spending time with his family at their cottage in PEI.
Dr. Clory became a council member on May 29, 2020. Dr. Clory is a member of the Nominating, Registration and Investigation Committees.
Dr. Nicholas Dubé
Dr. Nicholas Dubé is a family physician in Yarmouth. Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, he came to the Maritimes to pursue liberal arts at Mount Allison University. From there he went on to complete his MD at the University of Ottawa before returning to the Maritimes for his residency with Dalhousie University in Moncton.
His current practice focuses on emergency medicine, primary care and surgical assisting. He is an Assistant Professor with Dalhousie and a member of the Faculty of Medicine’s General Admissions Committee. In the community, he’s a member of the Meadowfields School Advisory Committee and volunteer soccer coach.
Dr. Dubé’s regulatory interests include medical systems innovation, challenging patient encounters, medical fitness to drive, and medical contraindications to work. He hopes to draw on the collective wisdom of the profession to continually advance the College’s vision of protecting the public while supporting the medical profession.
Dr. Margaret Fraser
Margaret Fraser is a family physician practicing in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
She completed a BA at Mount Allison University and then worked for a period before returning to university. She graduated from University College Cork, in Ireland, in 2008, and then completed family medicine residency through the Dalhousie Family Medicine site in Sydney, where she grew up.
As an associate professor at Dalhousie University, she is involved in medical education, working with both residents and medical students. In addition to running a comprehensive family practice, she also works half-time in the emergency department, does OR assists and cares for a local nursing home.
Dr. Fraser has a strong interest in First Nation’s health, and in the integration of international medical graduates into our provincial physician work-force. She advocated strongly for better access to health care for everyone, and for improvements to medical care on Cape Breton Island
Dr. Fraser served as the President of the Medical Staff Association in Cape Breton, and on the Medical Affairs Committee. She is a strong advocate for local medical education.
Dr. Alyson Holland
Dr. Alyson Holland is a Pediatrician, practicing since 2017. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Dalhousie University in 2006, and a Masters in International Relations at the University of Cambridge in 2007. She obtained her MD from Dalhousie University in 2011, and completed her residency in Pediatrics with a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine in 2017. Her primary practice is in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the IWK Health Centre. She also has Community Pediatrics practices at the North and East Preston Community Health Centres, and the Newcomer Clinic in Halifax.
Dr. Holland’s clinical and advocacy interests focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations, including children who arrive in Canada as refugees, children in foster care, and children experiencing complex trauma, including maltreatment. The intersection of comprehensive care and acute, emergency care for these priority populations is a specific focus for Dr. Holland.
Dr. Holland has been involved in medication education, including teaching clinical skills to undergraduate medical students at Dalhousie University and serving on the Residency Progress Committee for the Pediatric Emergency Fellowship program. She was the grateful recipient of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Teacher of the Year in 2018 for outstanding commitment to teaching Emergency Medicine Residents, and the Stacey Schwartz Award in 2018 and 2019 for excellence in undergraduate pediatric emergency medical education. She teaches and presents provincially and nationally in her areas of expertise, including global health, pediatric refugee health, and child maltreatment.
Dr. Holland served on the Executive of the Canadian Pediatric Society Section on Global Child and Youth Health from 2014 until 2017, and the Doctors Nova Scotia Policy and Health Issues Committee from 2014 until 2018.
Dr. Holland is mom to a vibrant pre-schooler and two dogs. She and her husband are imminently expecting another child. Together, they hike, camp, kayak, ski, and travel, experiencing as much of their home province of Nova Scotia, and the wider world, as they possibly can.
Dr. Holland was elected to council in 2019, and currently sits on the Executive and Professional Standards committees.
Dr. Kathleen MacMillan – Maritime Resident Doctors Appointee
Dr. Kathleen MacMillan is a second year Diagnostic Radiology resident at Dalhousie University. Originally from Miramichi, New Brunswick, Dr. MacMillan is also a licensed clinical pharmacist who completed her BSc. Pharm at Dalhousie University in 2019.
Dr. MacMillan has held leadership roles at the local, national and international levels. She currently serves as the Chair of the Canadian Association of Radiologists Resident and Fellow Section, as a Member at Large for Maritime Resident Doctors, and as the resident representative for numerous organizations including the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Distributed Medical Education Network. She is also Co-President of the Dalhousie Medicine Class of 2023 and sits on several committees for the Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine.
Outside of medicine, her interests include soccer, walking her dog, hiking with her husband, and cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dr. Andria MacAulay – Past President
Dr. Andria MacAulay is a family medicine specialist practicing in Truro. In addition to general family medicine, her areas of special interest are women’s, children’s and adolescent healthcare, university health and medical education.
Dr. MacAulay graduated from Mount Allison University with a BSc (Honours with Distinction) in 1997 and attended Dalhousie University Medical School where she graduated with her MD (with Distinction) in 2001. She completed a Rural Family Medicine Residency through McMaster University in Northern Ontario and obtained her Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) in 2003. She was awarded her Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2014.
Dr. MacAulay is involved with the Dalhousie Community Hospital Program and local Grand Rounds. As well, she has played a leadership role in the National Assessment Collaboration’s Practice Ready Assessment (NAC PRA) program and is a member of the NAC PRA Therapeutics Decision Making Test Committee. She is the Evaluation Coordinator for the Dalhousie Family Medicine Residency Program at the North Nova site and is involved in residency training.
Dr. MacAulay began her work with the College in 2005 as an examiner for the Clinician Assessment for Practice Program (CAPP). She later began working as Physician Advisor on the College’s Practice Improvement Committee and has acted as a Practice Assessor. She has also been actively involved in the development of the College’s Physician Peer Review – Nova Scotia program (PPR-NS).
Dr. MacAulay has been a Council member since 2017. Dr. MacAulay is a member of the Professional Standards, Assessment, Registration Policy, Nominating and Registrar Review committees.
Dr. MacAulay lives outside of Truro with her husband and three busy children. She spends her free time volunteering in her community and exploring the outdoors with her family.
Dr. Stephen Miller – Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine Appointee
Dr. Stephen Miller is the Senior Associate Dean, Medical Education and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. Stephen grew up in Lower Sackville, NS, did his BSc ‘89 and MEd ‘14 at Acadia University, and his MD ’93 at Dalhousie University. He did a straight internship in Internal Medicine, obtained his CCFP in 1996, and Certificate of Special Competency in Emergency Medicine in 2006. He became a Diplomate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in the area of focused competence for clinical education in 2023.
Stephen started his practice in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine in New Glasgow for several years. He then worked in the greater Boston area for 5 years doing a mix of hospital and community clinical work. On return to Halifax in 2003, he worked as a civilian doing urgent care at CFB Stadacona Hospital and EM at Cobequid Community Health Center until 2008. He has worked at the Halifax Infirmary ED at the QE II Health Sciences Center exclusively since 2008.
Dr. Miller has an extensive background in medical education, having developed curriculum, assessment, and evaluation activities across the educational continuum at the Faculty of Medicine. He has published and presented widely at the local, national and international level on interprofessional education, simulation and psychological safety. He has held leadership roles in undergraduate medicine, continuing professional development and is currently a senior academic at the faculty of medicine. He has also held national leadership positions in medical education. At Dal he chairs the Education Council, sits on Faculty Council, and oversees the implementation of the Education Excellence stream of the Faculty of Medicine Strategic Plan. He is the current President of the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association.
Stephen is an avid outdoor enthusiast, spending hours hiking, biking, running and adventure trekking in such far-flung places as Nepal, Chile, Tanzania and Switzerland. Stephen has been married to his wife, Dr. Lisa MacIntyre, who is a family physician for over 33 years. They have two adult children, Brandon and Lauren, both in the Halifax region.
Dr. Mutiat Sulyman
Dr. Mutiat Sulyman obtained her medical training at the Usman Danfodio University in Nigeria, where she obtained her MBBS in 1999. She then started her career as a medical officer in Nigeria and subsequently moved to Ireland where she completed her post graduate psychiatry residency training from 2005 to 2010, through the Royal College of Surgeons Rotational Training Scheme in Dublin, Ireland. Following this, from 2010 to 2012 she received higher training in Psychiatry of Intellectual disabilities at St. Joseph’s Intellectual Disabilities Service in Dublin, Ireland.
Dr. Sulyman joined the Dalhousie Department of Psychiatry in 2012, as a lecturer and Attending Psychiatrist at the Dual Diagnosis Program, Nova Scotia Hospital where she provides both inpatient and outpatient mental health care for adults with intellectual disabilities. Through her job, Dr. Sulyman advocates for the needs of the population she serves and actively engages with different stakeholders in delivering care to this population. She has been instrumental in the recent Model of Care transformation at ANSU – Adult Neurodevelopmental Stabilization Unit (ANSU, formerly Emerald Hall) at the Nova Scotia Hospital which led to provincial and national recognition.
Dr. Sulyman is currently an Assistant Professor with the Department and has held several leadership positions within the Department. In 2014, she was appointed Clinical Academic Lead for the Dual Diagnosis Program. In 2022, she was appointed as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Director with the Dalhousie Department of Psychiatry and she chairs the department’s EDIA Committee. She sits on various other committees including the Executive Committee, Human Resources Committee and the Promotion and Tenures Committee.
Dr. Sulyman’s special interest is around autism spectrum disorders with a strong focus on enhancing their environment to optimize their mental health and behavioral needs.
Her passion is working with individuals with intellectual disabilities and advocating for their needs. She is also passionate about serving the needs of the underprivileged and marginalized people within society.
In recognition of her work, she was a co-recipient of the department’s 2021 Outstanding Clinician Award.
Dr. Sulyman participates in the education of various learners and her team has been receiving medical students on electives from across the country.
Dr. Sulyman lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband and three children. She spends her free time going on outdoor walks and going to Zumba classes. She enjoys music, dancing and providing to the community through her own personal volunteer initiatives.
Public Members
Mr. Barrie Dunn
Mr. Barrie Dunn is a lawyer and film/TV producer, writer and director. After spending 15 years as Vice-President of Trailer Park Productions Mr. Dunn founded Pictou Twist Pictures where he oversees the development and production of the company projects with its Canadian, U.S., Latin American and European partners.
Mr. Dunn has produced some of Canada’s most successful television programs and feature films. Recently he wrote and directed the feature film, The Madones. He is a co-creator, writer, and producer of the hit international comedy series, Trailer Park Boys. He has produced several feature films and has produced and written documentaries for the National Film Board, the CBC, and the CTV Television Network.
Mr. Dunn worked as an associate lawyer at some of Atlantic Canada’s leading law firms, including Patterson Palmer, Mclnnes Cooper and Pink Larkin. As a lawyer, Mr. Dunn has counselled clients across Canada on all matters relating to entertainment law. He is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School where he has spoken frequently on entertainment law issues. He is a Dean’s List graduate from Mount Saint Vincent University where he was awarded the President’s Prize for leadership and academic excellence. Mr. Dunn graduated with Distinction from the Acting Program of the Drama Studio London England. Mr. Dunn has worked extensively as an actor in several leading roles in Canadian theatre, television and film.
Mr. Dunn was a recipient of the inaugural Atlantic Film Festival/CBC Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Film and Television Industries. Mr. Dunn’s achievements have been recognized in such leading publications as Walrus Magazine, Macleans, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline.
Mr. Dunn became a public member of the College’s Council in July 2024 and currently sits on the Professional Standards Committee.
Ms. Damilola Iduye
Ms. Iduye is a Senior Instructor at the School of Nursing, a Research Scholar at the Healthy Population Institute, and a member of the Joanna Briggs Institute Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change, Dalhousie University. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, a Master of Nursing with a focus on Health Policy from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Ms. Iduye’s first exposure to health professions regulation was during her Master of Nursing program at Dalhousie University. As part of the program’s requirement, she completed a nine-month policy practicum at the former College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia to explore policy options for licensing internationally educated nurses (IENs) with identified educational gaps. Some of the project activities included conducting an environmental scan of regulatory practices and interviewing nursing regulatory bodies across Canada in relation to IEN registration and licensure. Furthermore, she had the opportunity to work with the Registration Policy Consultant at the former College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia to interpret the relevant Regulations, Acts, and By-laws for developing policy recommendations for licensing IENs with identified educational gaps.
Additionally, she has been involved with various national projects and committees on IENs’ integration into the Canadian workforce since 2014. She currently serves as an IEN representative with the Nova Scotia IENs Multi-Stakeholder Workgroup, which is comprised of representatives from the provincial nursing regulator, employers, educators, nurses’ unions, Nova Scotia Department of Immigration, Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education, and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. The workgroup provides a forum to address licensure challenges and work towards effective integration of IENs into the Nova Scotia healthcare system. As a member of the workgroup, Ms. Iduye shares the concerns of Nova Scotia IENs with other stakeholders and provides suggestions based on evidence and best practices from other jurisdictions to facilitate IEN integration into the provincial health workforce.
Ms. Iduye volunteers as a professional mentor with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia and co-facilitates the Nova Scotia IENs Interest Group.
Ms. Iduye is a member of the Assessment and Registration Policy Committees with the College.
Mr. Carlos Lazcano
Mr. Carlos Lazcano obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montreal. Mr. Lazcano and his young family moved from Quebec to Nova Scotia in 1998 where he continued his education by obtaining the Certified Management Accountant designation (now CPA) years later.
In 2009 he obtained a Master of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.
Mr. Lazcano has over 20 years of experience in finance roles. Over the last 10 years, he has mainly been involved in the non-for-profit sector, holding positions with CPA Nova Scotia, Chalice Canada (International Aid) and Acadia University.
Fluent in several languages and with valuable experience working with multicultural populations, Mr. Lazcano is eager to leverage those assets to assist the rapidly diversifying population of Nova Scotia through his contribution to the College’s Council.
Mr. Lazcano became a public member of Council in July 2024, and currently sits on the Finance and Audit Committee.
Ms. Sherry McNeil-Mulak
Ms. Sherry McNeil-Mulak and her family returned to their home province of Nova Scotia in 2019 after living in Iqaluit, Nunavut for 15 years. Before returning to Nova Scotia, Ms. McNeil-Mulak completed a 5-year appointment as the Representative for Children and Youth in Nunavut; an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. In this role, Ms. McNeil-Mulak was responsible to ensure the Government of Nunavut respected and upheld the rights of young people and their families according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. She led a professionally trained advocacy team who worked with young people and their families to identify and remove the barriers they faced when seeking government supports and services. As such, Ms. McNeil-Mulak is well-versed in representing the voice of the public, particularly marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Over the course of Ms. McNeil-Mulak’s career, she has held several senior-level positions, including positions in the health, education, social advocacy, and family services sectors. Prior to her role as Representative of Children and Youth, Ms. McNeil-Mulak held the position of Director of Social Advocacy and led the development of an innovative piece of rights-based legislation in Nunavut, the Representative for Children and Youth Act.
Ms. McNeil-Mulak holds a Master of Health Services Administration Degree and a Diploma in Health Services Administration from Dalhousie University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Cape Breton, a Diploma in Dental Hygiene from Dalhousie University’s School of Dentistry, and a Child and Human Rights Extension Certificate from Mount Royal University.
Throughout Ms. McNeil-Mulak’s career and personal life she has been a strong proponent of social justice. She served on the Board of the Niqiniq Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank for 12 years as well as the inaugural Board for Habitat for Humanity in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is also a past member of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates. Ms. McNeil-Mulak is eager to make a meaningful contribution to the well-being of Nova Scotians by representing their voice on the Council.
Ms. McNeil-Mulak became a public member of Council on May 29, 2020, and currently sits on the Registration, Registrar Review and Investigation Committees.
Ms. Kemi Olarotimi – Dalhousie Medical Students’ Society Appointee
Kemi Olarotimi is a medical student at Dalhousie University. She was appointed by the Dalhousie Medical Students’ Society to represent medical learners. Kemi completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Mathematics at Dalhousie University and her master’s degree in Biomedical Technology at the University of Calgary. Before medical school, Kemi worked with the health team at Alberta Innovates to promote health innovation.
Outside of school, Kemi loves mentoring. Kemi’s love for mentoring led her to work as a mentor with Imhotep Legacy Academy. Outside of school and work, Kemi volunteers as a mentor with the Rural Outreach and Mentorship Initiative (ROMI), serving as a mentor for high school students from rural areas across Canada who are interested in careers in medicine. Kemi loves meeting new people, trying different cultural cuisines and spending time with family and friends.
Districts
To ensure there is representation from across Nova Scotia on the Council of the College, physicians from the following districts elect members to represent them:
- District #1 – the counties of Antigonish, Guysborough, Inverness, Richmond, Victoria, and Cape Breton
- District #2 – the counties of Pictou, Cumberland, and Colchester
- District #3 – the counties of Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, and Lunenburg
- District #4 – the counties of Hants, Kings, Annapolis, and Digby
- District #5 – the county of Halifax
Committees
Council meetings are held four times per year. All members of Council sit on one or more committees of the College. These committees include:
- Executive Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Nominating Committee
- Professional Standards Committee
- Registration Committee
- Registration and Policy Committee
- Investigation Committees
- Practice Enhancement Committee
- Assessment Committee
- Registration Appeal Committee
- Independent Review Committee
- Internal Review Subcommittee
- Reinstatement Committee