Charting Her Own Course As the first in her family to enter health care, Dr. Zhong didn’t have a blueprint. “I didn’t know anyone in dentistry. Figuring it all out, from the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) to interviews, was a challenge,” she admits, especially as a daughter of immigrant parents unfamiliar with the Canadian education system. But she found guidance in mentors, particularly Dr. Brittany Pollock, then-president of Western University’s Pre-Dental Society and now a close friend. “She walked me through everything—resources, study strategies, even mock interviews. I owe a lot to Brittany and every person who helped me along the way.” Dr. Zhong completed her undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences at Western University, where she immersed herself in the pre-dental community. She scoured the CDA website, took advice from upper-year students, and prepped tirelessly for the DAT. “It was the first standardized test I’d ever taken. I was nervous, but I stayed organized, kept a detailed schedule, and reminded myself of how far I have come.” From Models to Meaningful Moments Dental school at U of T follows a progression: students start on typodonts in first year, then practice procedures like probing and scaling on each other in second year. By third year, they’re paired with fourth-years and treating patients in clinic. “One of the most memorable moments was painlessly extracting my patient’s teeth for the first time. ‘You may look small, but you are strong,’ my patient said to me, with relief. It was empowering,” Dr. Zhong says. Clinical training also extended beyond campus. In the summer before fourth year, Dr. Zhong joined an outreach mission in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, organized by Great Shape! Inc. in collaboration with her instructors. It was there that she performed her first root canal. “Usually, those trips are primarily extractions and fillings, but that year we had the privilege of an endodontist join who oversaw a wider variety of procedures. It was incredible,” she says. “That experience gave me so much confidence.” A Pandemic-Era Start Dr. Zhong began dental school at the University of Toronto (U of T) in 2021, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Everything was changing constantly—one week online lectures, the next week in-person labs. It was tough,” she says. But even through masks and distancing, her cohort formed a tight-knit support system. “O-Week” (a hybrid orientation) stands out in her memory as a time of real connection. “Those are the classmates I’ve now spent four years with. We became like family.” Academically, the first year of dental school was a shock. “Anatomy was brutal,” she says. “So many nerves and vessels to learn, and at the time, it was hard to grasp the relevance.” But as she transitioned into clinic time, the pieces began to fall into place. “Now I understand why it matters. Every piece of knowledge that we learned formed the foundation that helps us care for patients more effectively.” Anatomy was brutal, but now I understand why it matters. Every piece of knowledge that we learned formed the foundation that helps us care for patients more effectively. Dr. Zhong at her convocation with Dr. Laura Tam, interim dean of U of T Dentistry. Along with her sister Briana Zhong, (l.) Dr. Zhong launched Gifts That Smile, a grassroots initiative providing hygiene care packages to vulnerable populations across Canada. 25 Issue 4 | 2025 | Issues and People
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