New dentistry, dental hygiene students ready to practice with ‘empathy, humility, respect’

The associate chief medical officer of Prairie Mountain Health told UM’s newest dental and dental hygiene students to imagine where their boots will take them in the next 10 to 15 years and all that they will accomplish.

“You have the support right here,” said Dr. Kyle Conrad in his keynote address at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene’s Opening Assembly held on the Bannatyne campus on Sept. 9.

“You have mentorship. You have people who have done it for so long. All you have to do is be creative, come up with the ideas and then push it forward and come up with your own projects and your own things that you need to do in order to increase access to care and look after people.”

Conrad’s health-care career began at the School of Dental Hygiene, where he graduated with his diploma in dental hygiene in 2010. He went on to earn his bachelor of science at UM and his MD at the Max Rady College of Medicine in 2015.

The Brandon-based family practice anesthetist asked the new students to look after each other as they go through their programs.

“I want you to support each other, because providing health care as we do, means we need support sometimes to do that as well,” Conrad said. “And you lean on those people, and you lean on those mentors to do that.”

Dental hygiene student Marie Alcantara said Conrad’s words were inspirational.

“He’s been through the path that we are going through, he’s overcome it and achieved much more,” said Alcantara, who immigrated to Winnipeg from the Philippines when she was 13 years old. “That is something that inspires me in this upcoming journey. It will take hard work and effort, but everything will be worth it.”

Alcantara wants to be a dental hygienist to provide people facing barriers to oral health care with the help they need.

Welcome new oral health students

The Opening Assembly was the official welcome to the 28 members of the dentistry Class of 2030, five students in the International Dentist Degree Program (IDDP) Class of 2028, and 26 learners in the School of Dental Hygiene Class of 2028.

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, welcomed the students and shared with them that dentistry is a unique profession because it combines foundational medical knowledge, paired with fine motor skills and emotional intelligence.

“Many people don’t look forward to going to the dentist, but they will look forward to seeing you,” Kelekis-Cholakis said. “Because you’re going to meet them with empathy, humility, respect and genuine concern for their well-being.”

Ready for the future

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene, welcomed the students and told them that the White Coat Ceremony is a proud UM tradition that celebrates their entry into the oral health profession.

“During the Opening Assembly, you will don a white coat,” Bertone said. “You haven’t actually earned that yet. This isn’t a mistake – it’s a promise. We’re giving you this coat before you completed your clinical hours, before taking board exams and before you scaled your first root service or done your first restoration. We want these next few years to be a time for you to grow into it and not to just wear it at the end.”

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Dr. Chidinma Ikeogu practiced dentistry in Nigeria for seven years before immigrating to Canada five years ago. She is in the IDDP program, which provides internationally trained dentists the opportunity to enter the third year of the four-year doctor of dental medicine program.

Ikeogu, who is eager to practice dentistry in Canada, got to don a white coat once again.

“I feel very, very blessed to be here,” Ikeogu said. “There is never a late start to a new beginning. I’m ready to take on these two years and just see what it’s about.”

After the ceremonial cloaking of the students in their first white coats, the learners recite the Community Code.

First-year dental student Omar Elmatary said he was nervous reciting the code.

“Along with the celebration, it made me think about the actual responsibility and social contract that we have to uphold as future health providers,” said Elmatary, who grew up in Winnipeg.

After the hard work, stress and sleepless nights to get to this point, Elmatary was happy to be starting dental school.

“It’s definitely a relief,” he said. “Especially to see the people who supported me and have their support pay off. It’s really nice.”