All smiles as they make the grade
New cohort commits to a profession of excellence in oral health
The first of many milestones will be reached today by a group of young professionals who have already cleared a major hurdle towards becoming the next wave of oral health practitioners in Manitoba.
The new cohort of over 60 new students will officially be welcomed to University of Manitoba at Opening Assembly today, the annual rite of passage at the College of Dentistry and the School of Dental Hygiene on the Bannatyne Campus.
The College of Dentistry will welcome 29 new students with along with six from the International Dental Degree Program (IDDP) who will join the third-year class for studies now underway at the Bannatyne Campus. The School of dental Hygiene welcomes 26 students to its field of study. Each and every one will be presented with White Coats, emblematic of their commitment to the profession of oral health care in this time-honoured tradition that dates back to the formation of the institution in 1958.
“Today is a very significant day in the lives of our new cohort,” says Dr. Anthony Iacopino, Dean of Dentistry. “It represents their commitment to the life of an oral health professional. This is a monumental step and a personal pledge from each of these young people as they commit themselves to a life-long career of service excellence.”
For most, it was an extreme challenge just to reach this point at all. The 29 members of this first-year class were selected from a group of close to 300 applicants and each passed a thorough and rigorous screening process in order to be accepted into what is considered one of the finest and most comprehensive oral health academies in the nation.
“Acceptance into our program requires total commitment to our profession,” Iacopino notes. “It’s a commitment that begins here but will last throughout their lifetime.”
Canadian oral health care is widely regarded as amongst the finest of anywhere in the world. University of Manitoba graduates have also earned a national reputation as some of the best prepared of any practitioners in the nation.
All are welcome to attend this event that begins at 3:30 pm on the afternoon of Thursday, August 28, 2014 at the Frederic Gaspard Theatre, located in the Basic Medical Sciences building at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne Campus.
For more information contact: Grant Warren, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Dental Hygiene, at: 204-789-3267 or email: gwarren [at] cc [dot] umanitoba [dot] ca.