Université de Montréal's Faculty of Dental Medicine is getting a major financial boost from Canada's largest dental services company to help train the next generation of Quebec dentists and develop entrepreneurship in dental medicine.
Dentalcorp Holdings Ltd. and UdeM today announced the creation of the Dentalcorp Fund: $1 million over 10 years that will support entrepreneurship training, excellence scholarships, oral health research and the clinical advancement of UdeM's dental students and graduates.
Raised as part of UdeM's 'L’Heure est brave' philanthropic campaign, the fund also aims to better prepare the next generation of Quebec dentists for the realities of private practice and management of dental clinics.
“We've built a network that attracts the best dentists, (and) to maintain that position we need to invest in how the next generation prepares,” said Nate Tchaplia, president of Dentalcorp, a U.S.-owned, Toronto-based company that operates over 550 dental practices across Canada.
The $1 million will give future dentists in this country a range of opportunities to develop that go beyond the strictly clinical realm, particularly in leadership and management, Tchaplia added.
In recognition of the partnership, one of the laboratories for students at UdeM will be named the Dentalcorp Student Laboratory.
A new summer school in entrepreneurship
In collaboration with Millénium Québecor, the Faculty of Dental Medicine is also launching a summer school for dental medicine students who want to explore the many entrepreneurial opportunities in their future profession.
The two-day training program will bring together dental professionals for lectures, panels and practical workshops.
“A career as a dentist also involves a management and entrepreneurship dimension that remains essential," said faculty dean Hugo Ciaburro. "As the profession evolves, these skills must continue to adapt and meet the needs of our future graduates,”
In connection with Dentalcorp’s gift, the goal of the training is to help students better understand the various entrepreneurial dimensions of their future profession and reflect on their professional identity.
