Support and motivation key to success

Along with the virtual convocation ceremonies on June 12, the School of Dentistry proudly announced one of the top students from the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) 2020 Class. Cathy Kucey received the ADA&C's Gold Medal, awarded to the top convocating student in the DDS program, based on academic standing.

"Honestly, I was surprised to win this!" Kucey says. "Our class has a lot of driven, amazing, intelligent people, and I saw them all working so hard and excelling, so I didn't think it would be me. It's a big honour to receive the gold medal. I feel the weight of this big achievement."

Finding the right motivation was key to Kucey's success. "My motivation has always been to be the best clinician for my patients, to take care of them the best I can. The better the student I can be, the better their experience."

"On top of that," she continues, "We have these amazing instructors, all leaders in their areas, which can only reflect onto us students. The faculty at the program build us up the whole way through, encouraging us to ask questions, try harder, be better. From day one, they were always there for us. We all appreciated their open-door policies."

She says you don't get through a program such as this without support. "For all of us to get here, we've already gone through years of schooling and the competitive application process. We need the social and emotional support of classmates, friends and family."

Having won a few awards earlier, Kucey called her grandmother about them. Proud, her grandmother told the whole family that Cathy had won the gold medal when at that point, she didn't even know it was the actual ADA&C gold medal! So when she found out, it was exciting for all of them.

Kucey also won the Dr. G.H. Gibb Memorial Prize and the Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics Award.

The School of Dentistry celebrated several other students in the DDS program. The complete listing of awards this year can be found on our website.