Leadership program inspires Schulich Dentistry students

Muntdr Madlol and Zahra Danaei, both Schulich Dentistry students, recently finished the American Dental Education Association’s Student Leaders for Social Change program. Selected through a competitive process, they were the only Canadians in the opening session in Montreal. The six months included two in-person conferences and several virtual sessions on access to care, ethics, patient advocacy and professional leadership.

Madlol, DDS Class of 2028, has served as class president and held roles with the Federation of Canadian Dental Student Associations and the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association. He also raised more than $24,000 for health-care workers by racing an Ironman 70.3 in medical scrubs. The program helped him link leadership to patient education, including countering misinformation online.

Danaei, DDS Class of 2027, says she once tied leadership to titles and now sees it as commitment and action. She writes ethics case scenarios for the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.

She is also working with an instructor to give dental students more hands-on practice in accessible care for patients with disabilities.