My mother graduated in 1955 from dental school in Havana, Cuba, where I was born, at a time when women were rare in the dental profession. I literally had a dental office in my home growing up. We immigrated to the U.S. when I was 7, and I watched my mother complete her board exams in NewYork state and set up her first practice in Manhattan. I would go in on Saturday mornings and help out with sterilization, reception, and simple assisting duties with an amazing role model. the prosthodontic specialization residency, and, shortly after graduation, we were married. He brought me to Canada. As a foreign-trained dentist, I took the National Dental Examining Board of Canada exam in Montreal on removable dentures, dental castings, amalgam and composite restorations on live patients before starting my dental career. Thankfully, I was working as a full-time dentist within a few months of arriving in Edmonton. I’ve been in the same group practice now for over 37 years. For more than 25 years, I was also a part-time clinical instructor and sessional lecturer in periodontics, pediatric dentistry, and implant dentistry at the University of Alberta. I’ve also been involved with organized dentistry, continuing education, and study clubs with hands-on mentorship as well as leadership positions in charities focused on helping women succeed. In the US, there’s a long-standing Association of Women in Dentistry, and I’ve felt like we should also have one in Canada. Despite many efforts, it has been a slow progression on a national level, but some local groups have had success. Working with wonderful colleagues, we established the Canadian Association of Women in Dentistry. With a national stage, we can foster discussions about the specific challenges encountered by female practitioners, students, specialists, and our technology partners. There is a real opportunity to share solutions and create mentorship opportunities for young women pursuing dentistry and a forum for colleagues to exchange ideas and get much needed support. In dentistry, there is a lack of women involved in CE lecturing opportunities, academia, and in publications. How can we fix this? There’s talent on all sides of the profession, and we want to make sure women have equal opportunities. As a mother of four, I can tell you that navigating the time in life when your children are young while also working full time and running a practice is very challenging. But things are changing for the better; dentists can bring babies to CE courses now, which would have been unheard of when I had mine! We know practices can be run with schedules to allow us to still be parents and be active in our community. Dr. Elena Hernandez-Kucey In the U.S., there’s a long-standing Association of Women in Dentistry, and I’ve felt like we should also have one in Canada. Working with wonderful colleagues, weestablished the Canadian Association of Women in Dentistry. Later, my mother decided to take the Florida board exams, because we wanted to move our family to Miami. During that exam, I was called in to assist because the hired dental assistant couldn’t make it, so I was the best substitute. I was already interested in dentistry but was discouraged by rumours that it was too hard to get into dental school. I initially entered a dental hygiene program, and soon realized I was ready to pursue my dental education. In my early 20s, I began my dentistry education at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While there, I met a Canadian dentist who was enrolled in 29 Issue 3 | 2024 |
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