I grew up in Montreal, so McGill was a natural choice. Also, both my father and older brother had gone to McGill, so it seemed a natural for me.
The Faculty of Dentistry gave me an excellent education with all its principles, fundamentals, and actual clinical experience. When I chose to further my training in Ohio, I was surprised and amazed by how much of an advantage I had in comparison to my American colleagues in the basic principles of dentistry. So, I think McGill gave me an excellent education and an excellent training in dentistry. Also, I've made lifelong friends in my class, which I think is the biggest impact for me. I'm still in contact with a good portion of my classmates, and we still go on ski trips and organize our reunions. Even since the pandemic, we’ve even organized group Zoom calls once a month to check in on what we're going through in our practice, and in our personal and family life. My classmates have remained my core group of friends, and it has really impacted my life. My wife attended McGill and has three degrees from here: a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, an MBA, and a Bachelor of Social Work. I also have four children who have all attended McGill.
I was always interested in health sciences, and dentistry seemed like a natural progression. When I was accepted, I was very happy and still am very happy with my chosen profession. I think for students who are graduating from dental school, I would tell them that it's a great profession with a lot of benefits. You can be your own boss, create your own office, create your own workspace and do exactly what you want to do. But it is very demanding, and I would remind students that aside from the dentistry, you're also a business owner and you’re going to have to learn the running of an office and managing your employees. It can be pretty hectic, but it's very rewarding in both ways: the pride in providing quality work to your patient, as well as seeing your business grow.