123Dentist Gives UBC Faculty of Dentistry $1.25 Million Reasons to Smile
VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 18, 2020 /CNW/ - 123Dentist, Canada's largest majority dentist-owned network of dental practices, is pleased to announce a $1.25 million donation to the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry to advance the future of dentistry. As leaders in dental education, UBC Dentistry is committed to providing advanced opportunities for students and building capacity for the school.
The Nobel BioCare Oral Health Centre currently serves over 38,000 patient visits annually and supports the educational training of over 400 undergraduate and graduate students in clinical programs. Given the increase in student applications as well as fulfilling growing patient oral health, the Faculty recognized the need to expand the Centre. At the same time, the leadership team had been working on plans to create a new simulation and digital dentistry laboratory to transform their dental education by enhancing the clinical teaching experience through state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to the generous gift from 123Dentist, the Faculty is able to fulfill this need by building a new Simulation and Digital Dentistry Laboratory.
The new Simulation and Digital Dentistry Laboratory will provide a progressive learning environment that will allow students to learn complex clinical procedures using technologically advanced patient simulators and acquire the knowledge and specialized skillset of digital dentistry. The vision for this initiative required a substantial investment to enhance the Faculty's curriculum model and the right partner who shared the commitment to providing the very best in dental education. "The costs to outfit the new laboratory were significant and required the right partner who envisioned both immediate and long-term benefits for students and the future of dental education. 123Dentist was the right partner that matched our vision, values and goals. This $1.25 million gift is significant. In fact, I believe it is the single largest donation to any Canadian University by a Dental Services Organization in Canada" shared Dr. Mary MacDougall, Dean of the UBC Faculty of Dentistry. One afternoon in December last year, Dean MacDougall met with UBC Dentistry alumnus and CEO of 123Dentist, Dr. Amin Shivji, and shared the vision to create a state-of-the-art simulation & digital dentistry laboratory within the current footprint of the John B. MacDonald Building. After reviewing with the 123Dentist board of directors, the response came quickly - a commitment of $1.25 million gift was announced to support the laboratory, as well as create a unique student lecture series to provide access to qualified expert speakers.
"123Dentist is committed to providing access to the very best patient dental care to communities across Canada. Vancouver is our home base and the UBC Faculty of Dentistry has always been an important part of our vision. When Dean MacDougall shared her plan and our shared values of quality dental education, it was a natural fit. This is the largest single donation 123Dentist has made to a University so far. It reflects our dedication to students and to our profession. On behalf of all our partners, we are very proud to contribute to the future of dentistry and support the next generation of dental students in this way." added Dr. Amin Shivji.
"We continue to look forward to be leaders for our students and faculty. This commitment from 123Dentist is an incredible gift that will support the UBC Faculty of Dentistry to be progressive and dynamic in our educational model. I am so proud to have one of our own alumni champion this donation." Dean MacDougall shared. The vision is to begin initial refurbishing construction of the space in the summer of 2021. The 123Dentist Lecture series is projected to launch the fall of 2021 and will be open to students, faculty and staff.
About Dr. Amin Shivji
Dr. Amin Shivji was born in Africa and moved to Vancouver in 1973. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1989 with a BSc in Biology and entered the Faculty of Dentistry at UBC, graduating in 1993. Dr. Shivji is the CEO and Co-Founder of 123Dentist national platform and an experienced operator and leader of dental practices, having opened his first practice in Vancouver in 1993.
About 123Dentist
The 123Dentist national platform was launched in July 2017 which was an evolution of a longstanding community network of dental practices that started in Vancouver in 1993. It is now Canada's largest majority dentist-owned network of dental practices with over 200 practices across the country and support centres in Vancouver and Toronto. 123Dentist enables dentists to focus on providing optimal care to their patients, while an experienced team provides a wide range of support services. 123Dentist offers alternative partnership models to meet the unique needs of each individual dentist, including the opportunity to retain a minority interest. For additional information, dentists can visit doctors.123dentist.com and patients can learn more at 123dentist.com.
About University of British Columbia, Faculty of Dentistry
The University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry is located at the western tip of the Point Grey Peninsula in the city of Vancouver. UBC Dentistry is on a mission to advance oral health through outstanding education, research, and community engagement. As the number one ranked dental faculty in Canada, we are a committed partner in the education and training of our students to become oral healthcare professionals. Our goal is to help students stay current with emerging technological advancements by integrating digital technology, foster them to develop critical thinking skills and appreciate the importance of lifelong learning, and support them to participate in research activities as well as local, national, and international service-learning programs. Our graduates are prepared for diverse roles in society that include clinical practice, public health advocates, and academia such as education and research.
SOURCE 123Dentist
123Dentist, Dr. Amin Shivji, Co-Founder and CEO, E: [email protected], Phone: (604) 553-9007 ext. 102; Ali Bozorgzad, Co-Founder and EVP, E: [email protected], Phone: (604) 553-9007 ext. 103; Website: doctors.123dentist.com | Toll Free: 1-866-811-0888, Vancouver: 42 Fawcett Rd, #110, Coquitlam, BC V3K 6X9 | T: (604) 553-9007, Toronto: 141 Adelaide St. W, #900, Toronto, ON, M5H 3L5 | T: (416) 366-5009; University of British Columbia, Contact: Jane Merling, Assistant Dean Development & Alumni, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Dentistry, Email: [email protected], Phone: 604-790-3147
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