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Volume2 Issue2
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CDA
at
W
ork
APowerfulReminder
T
heevents involvingaFacebookgroup
of fourth-year male dental students
at Dalhousie University has affect-
edmany members of our profession
across thecountry.
Asdetailsofthegroup’sallegedactivitiesemerged,
I read the angry commentaries directed toward
this groupof studentswho foolishly thought that
their degrading comments aboutwomen ingen-
eral, and some of their female classmates in par-
ticular, wouldonly be readby fellowmembers of
the “Class of DDS 2015 Gentlemen.” Instead, their
online comments were consumedwith great in-
terest by the public and their behaviour widely
condemned.
In short time, the scorn directed towards these
men spread, implicatingawider environment that
supposedly condoned a disrespectful attitude
towardswomen—be it the faculty of dentistry at
Dalhousie, theuniversityadministration, thedental
profession, or societyasawhole.
As a dentist and alumnus of Dalhousie’s dental
school, the father of a daughter who graduated
from this samedental school, and as a concerned
member of society, these events troubledme on
manydifferent levels. And the responses I’ve seen
andheard from fellowdentists tellme that it has
also troubledmanyofmycolleagues
.
Although it may be tempting to isolate the
issue by viewing it solely as a concern be-
tween the individual studentsand theiruni-
versity, I believe that avoids the larger issue.
Misogynyexists inour societyandbecomes
apparentonlywhen revealed in itsmostegre-
gious forms. It isnotconfined topredictableen-
vironmentsorgroups.
Certainly, this year’s graduates of Dalhousiedental
school will be collectively associated with these
events—whether they acted dishonourably or
not. However, I trust that the restorative justice
processatDalhousie isa step in the rightdirection
towards ensuring a fair, responsible and just pro-
cess for those involved.
How can the profession learn from these events
and move forward? We can all consider and re-
flect on some valuable reminders. It’s a reminder
that all dentistsmust consider howour individual
actions can reflect on the profession as a whole.
It’s a reminder that inhealth care, ethical conduct,
trust and professionalism are the cornerstones of
a strong patient–provider relationship. And it’s a
reminderofhowquickly this trust canbebroken.
Moreover, asaprofessionwemustcontinue toen-
sure that theprinciplesof ethical behaviour areef-
fectively ingrained inourfirst-yeardental students,
carried into their professional careers and upheld
as a lifelong virtue. Advancing the profession in-
cludes more than improving one’s clinical skills.
We must all embody a culture of respect in our
relationships with the public, our patients, team
members and colleagues, and respect an individ-
ual’sworthanddignityat all times.
Asmy timeasCDApresident comes toaclose, I’m
grateful that I’vehad theprivilegeofmeetingand
working with dentists who are caring, respectful
andpassionate about their work. Ledby their ex-
ample, I’m certain that our professionwill emerge
from theseevents stronger thaneverbefore.
GaryMacDonald,dds
ForOurProfession,
From thePresident
