When I graduated in 1959 from Lachine High, there weren’t many choices to follow in planning my future. I could be a policeman, school teacher or an engineer. I chose engineering.
In my second year at McGill I was playing on the football team, living at the Fieldhouse at the west end of Molson Stadium. We were about 20 students living there, some were dental students, and I remember seeing one at his desk, fixing dentures on a mannequin. I was intrigued. The words of my next-door neighbour Dr. Jim McCleod, a dentist, were also encouraging.
After second year, we had to decide which branch of engineering we would follow. I liked civil. It meant going to survey school for two weeks. I decided to apply to Dentistry instead. The coach of the rugby team, Dr. David Covo, who was one of my teachers in engineering, wrote a glowing letter of recommendation and I was accepted into the Faculty of Dentistry.
My two years of engineering were very valuable for my training in dentistry. Both deal with materials and stresses. I was living the dream. I woke up looking out at Molson Stadium. There were about 10 dental students on the football team. Everyone’s goal was to get through the academic year so they could play football the year afterward. In 1960, we won the first national collegiate football championship, defeating the Alberta Golden Bears at our Molson Stadium.
After McGill, I went to work in a group practice with six other dentists, including Dr. William Lambert (also a member of the 1960 championship team). I was getting involved in some minor orthodontics. My friend and classmate Dr. David Flam, who became an orthodontist shortly after graduation, said: “Go back to school and learn how to do orthodontics properly.” So, after having been a dentist for 11 years, with two young daughters Jodi and Jill, my wife Leigh and I sold the house, packed the car and moved up to London, Ont., so I could study orthodontics.
When I got back to Montreal in 1980, I bought a practice from a retiring orthodontist, Dr. Walter Swiston. I also became a part-time clinical instructor, first at the RVH under Erik Miller, then at McGill teaching dental students orthodontics. Later, Dr. Claudia Giambattistini came to work with me. We practiced for 20 years together. Four years ago when I retired, she took over the practice.
The relationship with my dental classmates was, and continues to be, my biggest joy at McGill. We graduated in 1966 and have had reunions every five years since then, spearheaded by Dr. Andrew Toeman. I served as a long-time class rep and have been an avid volunteer with my wife Leigh. I also loved my time in the clinic working with Dr. Oleg Kopytov and later Dr. Jean-Marc Retrouvey.
I feel very fortunate to have had this experience of a lifetime and given the chance would do it all again.