CDA
at
W
ork
TriciaAbe
BSc,MSc
Ms. Abe is
CDAwriter/
editor.
DOCTOR
GARYMacDONALD
Dedicated to Community Leadership
Dr.GaryMacDonald, CDA’snewpresident for 2014–15, vividly recalls June10, 1975, asadayof
great consequence.
Having recentlygraduated fromdental school atDalhousieUniversity,Dr.MacDonaldandhis
wifeMariepackedupherFordPintowitheverything theyownedandstartedout fromHalifax,
headed for the ferry toNewfoundland.Mariehadencouragedhim “persuaded, actually” tomove
toherhomeprovinceofNewfoundland tostarthisdentalpractice.Afteranuneventful crossing,
theymade itas farasGander,where theywere forced towaitoutasnowstorm inahotel.
Raised in the lushagricultural landscapeofNovaScotia’sAnnapolisValley,
a June snow stormgaveDr.MacDonaldpause toconsiderhismove toThe
Rock. “I said toMarie,wehaveadecision tomake:wecaneither turnaround
andgoback—whichwas sortofwhat Iwas leaning towards—orheadon to
St. John’s,” recallsDr.MacDonald. Still undecided, bymorning theyawoke to
find the sunwas shiningand the snowhadmelted. Thedecisionwasmade:
theyweregoing toSt. John’s.
Thepath todentistry
HemetMariewhilebothwere studyingatAcadiaUniversity,Dr.MacDonald in sciencesand
Marie inhomeeconomics. At theendof his thirdyear atAcadia, hewasaccepted intomedical
school. “I brokemymother’sheartbecause shewas soexcitedaboutmegoing tomedical
school and Imade thedecision that Iwasn’tgoing togo,”he says.
Instead, he followed theadviceof agood friendwhoencouragedDr.MacDonald to joinhim
indental school. “I just felt thatdentistrywas somethingperhaps I’dbemore interested in
doing—no real rhymeor reasonwhy,”headmits.
For adentist freshoutof school, thedecision topushon towardsMountPearl, acityon the
outskirtsof St. John’s,wouldprove tobea fruitful one. “I always say thatdaydetermined
my future, really,”he reminisces.Onlyoneotherdentistwaspractising inMountPearl at the
time, so “I prettywell hadan instantpractice inoneof the fastestgrowingcommunities in the
province,” saysDr.MacDonald. Afterbuyingahouseand renovating it for adental practice, he
put anotice in thepaper andwas fullybooked6weeksprior toopening. Today, thepractice
hasbeen running for 39yearsandcounting, nowoperating fromaprofessional building in the
centreofMountPearl.
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Volume1 Issue2
8
Dr.MacDonald
credits hismentorswith
instillinga sense of caring in
him that still drives hiswork....
Scenicphotograph:Newfoundland&LabradorTourism
