UM Nowadays | Rady College of Overall health Sciences

September 13, 2023 — 

When Cody Magun donned his white coat at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s White Coat Ceremony last 7 days, he was a single stage nearer to noticing his desire of getting to be a dentist.

That aspiration commenced in a compact Yukon town when Magun was a teenager with braces. By visits with an orthodontist and the plan of taking care of his tooth, he created an interest in dentistry.

“It’s what catapulted me on this route,” stated Magun, who is First Nations and grew up in Watson Lake, Yukon.

His route led him to Toronto to teach to be a dental hygienist, and he labored in that job for quite a few several years. In 2018, he began getting prerequisites for dentistry at Yukon University and then at the University of Alberta.

Now that Magun has commenced dental faculty, he wishes to stimulate other individuals from northern communities to dwell out their dreams, also.

“It could possibly consider you 5 years, 10 many years, but it’s truly worth it, and now that I’m listed here, I simply cannot feel it,” Magun reported. “I’m so happy I took all individuals methods, and if I can do it, you can do it.”

The White Coat Ceremony was element of UM dental school’s Opening Assembly that took position on the night of Sept. 7 in the Brodie Centre atrium on the Bannatyne campus. The occasion welcomed 29 customers of the dentistry Course of 2027, 6 pupils in the International Dentist Diploma Application (IDDP) Course of 2025, and 26 learners in the Faculty of Dental Cleanliness Course of 2025.

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick School of Dentistry, welcomed the students and talked about the relevance of the White Coat Ceremony.

“As section of our ceremony tonight, you are going to be receiving and donning the white coat that will be a image of what your profession and modern society will count on of you,” Kelekis-Cholakis explained. “This white coat is a image of the accountability that is now currently being put on your shoulders.”

When initially-yr IDDP pupil Shivani Bharkhada donned her white coat, she stated it was a privilege.

“It felt so pleasant,” Bharkhada reported. “You just really feel like you’ve produced it. Like I’m one particular phase nearer to my desire.”

Bharkhada was born and raised in Toronto, but she finished dental university in Hungary. She stated UM’s IDDP was her top option for a plan that available a pathway for her to follow dentistry in Canada.

“It was an simple decide on,” she stated. “The College of Manitoba provides a great deal more clinical experience than other universities.”

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene, welcomed the pupils and instructed them that the ceremony was a time to look forward with delight to the job they had been about to embark on.

“It is also a time to choose a instant and ponder the bond you share with all past students, like you, who have fully commited by themselves to providing oral health and fitness care expert services to our group and past,” Bertone reported.

Dental hygiene college student Priya Meyler is seeking forward to pursuing her vocation and claimed the Opening Assembly was enjoyable.

“It’s a good issue to have at the starting of the yr for the reason that it gets us all alongside one another and gets us all set collectively,” Meyler claimed. “We’re getting ready for the tricky situations, and the superior times, and the enjoyment and interesting periods we’re likely to go via.”   

Meyler was influenced to turn into a dental hygienist since she will not just be aiding men and women, but she’ll also be protecting against wellness problems.

“You can teach people today how to avoid caries and all that things, so they really do not in fact have to arrive and see you for actually severe troubles,” Meyler mentioned.  

As perfectly as the White Coat Ceremony, the learners recited the Neighborhood Code. Elder Margaret Lavallee gave a blessing, and greetings have been presented by Dr. Scott Leckie, president of the Manitoba Dental Affiliation, and Jennifer Upward, president of the Manitoba Dental Hygienists Association.

Matthew Kruchak