I was born and raised in Montreal. Thus, in all honesty, getting admitted to McGill was not perceived as such a big deal by my family or my friends; many of us were accepted. I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry in 1992. As I was going through the program, I became increasingly aware of just how special it was being a McGill student and learning from world-class faculty.
In my senior year, I worked for the Director of the McGill Cancer Centre whose research laboratory was housed in the Biochemistry Department, located in the McIntyre Building. Other world-renowned scientists were elsewhere on the same floor, and the entire department was built on collegiality, mutual respect and scientific rigor. My formative experience in this environment led me to contemplate a career in science. However, I had also developed an interest in pursuing a professional degree, and applied to dental school. I was fortunate to get accepted to the School of Dentistry at McGill. Although it was a difficult decision, I decided to enroll in the dental program. Nonetheless, I continued to work in the same research lab throughout all four years of my dental education.
My dental education was challenging but fulfilling. Living in the moment, I didn't appreciate the excellence of my education. It wasn't until I moved to the United States to pursue post-graduate training that I realized the strength of my education, and the true value of my years as a McGill student.
I eventually specialized in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. I'm now Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Pathology at Penn Dental Medicine. I'm also Professor of Dermatology and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Penn Perelman School of Medicine. As a faculty member, I've built on everything I learned from my time at McGill. I teach pre-doctoral and post-graduate students at the dental and medical school. I developed a basic cancer research program that was funded by the National Institutes of Health. I have an active pathology practice at the medical school. As Academic Dean, I'm also in a leadership role helping to shape and guide our educational program, and serve as mentor to students.
McGill University shaped my life and career. My experiences with McGill faculty, positive and not so positive, continue to shape how I interact with my current students. My McGill experience also helped shape me into the leader I've become within my institution and national professional organization.
While I no longer have any immediate family living in Montreal, I continue to visit the city at least once a year and invariably include McGill in the itinerary. In 2019, I made my first visit to the "new" Dentistry building on Sherbrooke Street. I saw familiar names emblazoned on the donor walls in the atrium. I met an eager student waiting for her patient. I didn't meet any faculty during that visit, but I hope to do so next time I visit.
McGill will always hold special memories for me, and I retain some McGill memorabilia in my current office for my colleagues and students to see. I have been encouraging my own teenage American-born children to consider pursuing their college education at McGill. It's not an easy sell, but I continue to try!
My greatest academic wish for my kids is that their college years provide them with formative experiences that will help forge a path for them, much in the same way that McGill University did for me.