From student to instructor to donor, Dr. Christopher Cottick continues to shape the future of dentistry in Manitoba.
Dr. Christopher Cottick [DMD/90] recently made a donation to support a new dental clinic for the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, which will be housed in the new Dr. Gerald and Reesa Niznick Centre on the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus. He says the gift is partially inspired by his father, who also taught part-time at the dental school for years.
“I still have people in the dental community come up to me and talk about my dad or thank me for what he did. I also want to be someone who has made a connection for our dental students,” he says. “But even without that personal connection, I still would have made a gift. To me it's just a matter of standing up and helping with whatever, whenever they need.”
As a self-proclaimed homebody, he decided to study dentistry at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, as it is located in his hometown of Winnipeg. He says dental school brought him out of his comfort zone, and he thrived in the camaraderie of the classes and working hard under difficult conditions. While studying, he became a part-time instructor and has continued working part-time in the clinics, eventually taking over the supervision of the postgraduate program.
“I like to think of myself as a person of the institution,” he says. “For more than 30 years, I've been teaching at the undergraduate oral surgery clinic every Friday morning, and it's the best part of my week, helping my colleagues and building connections. I had a lot of good professors, whom I still think about all the time, and I want to be like that.”
The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry will occupy a 33,770-square-foot purpose-built space in the new Centre. One floor will be dedicated to the undergraduate clinic and one floor will house the specialty clinics, forming the largest dental clinic in Manitoba. Designed to meet the needs of the College now and into the future, the new facility will replace the current infrastructure that is over 30 years old and in crucial need of updating.
“I also wanted to support this project because the dental school is a foundation of the community, providing quality dental treatment to underserved populations that is more affordable than private practice,” he says. “In turn, the community is also helping the dental school by getting treatment that takes a bit longer. A lot of people tell me they’ve been coming here for 30 or 40 years because they want to help our students learn.”
The demand for oral healthcare services is on the rise, driven by factors such as an aging population, increasing awareness of the importance of oral health, and the link between oral health and overall well-being. Every year, the College treats more than 3,600 patients – and the numbers are growing.
The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry is currently ranked 4th in Canada for dentistry and oral sciences and trains 60-80 per cent of the dental hygiene, dental and dental specialist workforce in Manitoba. To continue training oral health care professionals with the necessary skills to service communities now and in the future, it is fundamental to modernize infrastructure, equipment, and programming.
“The dental school is a needed block in the foundation of our province for dentistry, and giving back is the Manitoba way. New dentists are not going to come to Manitoba unless they’re trained here in Manitoba," says Cottick. "Think about yourself, how you got to where you are and how you can help others to get to where they are going. Universities like UM don't just drop out of the sky. We need the support of the community to keep our institutions for Manitobans in Manitoba.”
What does a future fueled by generosity look like? It’s in the faces of new graduates with big ideas, in bold research solutions for Manitoba and the world, and in community initiatives coming to life in collaborative ways. Here, a legacy of philanthropy is shaping the leaders, innovators and change-makers of tomorrow. Learn how you can get involved.
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