CDA Essentials 2015 • Volume 2 • Issue 2

Volume 2 Issue 2

ews and

vents

By now, every dentist in Canada must be aware of the Facebook group behaviour at Dalhousie

University that has featured prominently in media across the country for the past month. There

has been a lot of very heated discourse about what should be done in the wake of this series

of events, and I know that many dentists feel particularly hurt by how our profession has been

portrayed in some of the more biting commentaries.

On a personal basis, I have wrestled with how to analyze the behaviour and place it in proper

context. I have also wrestled with what we as a profession can learn and how we can move

forward both wiser and stronger. The temptation to label this student behaviour as being

solely a gender-related issue, and localized to one institution or one profession doesn’t rest

comfortably with me.

I have been searching for the proper language framework to describe the actions of the

Dalhousie Facebook group, and my reaction to them, and I didn’t feel I had it until I came

across the phrase “culture of respect” on a section of the Dalhousie University website

cultureofrespect.html

). When I saw that term in that context, I felt I could begin to conceive

what we in the profession might do to foster an augmented culture of respect among our

members, from day one in dental school until retirement from practice.

In December 2014, details emerged about

inappropriate online activities by some

4th year dental students at Dalhousie

University—a Facebook group called the

“Class of DDS 2015 Gentlemen.”

On January 19, 2015, Dr. John O’Keefe, director of CDA Knowledge Networks, posted the following piece on

Oasis Discussions about the issue

If I show respect,

I am likely to be respected

Dr. John O'Keefe

jokeefe@

1-800-267-6354

ext. 5000