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Brenda's Story

Brenda had started a new job as a steri technician in a dental office that she really enjoyed, but when she heard they were looking for a new dental assistant, she jumped at the chance to start a new career where she could make the most of her talents and interests.

She researched dental assisting schools online and found that KDM offered an accelerated program which was ideal for her since she lives an hour outside of Edmonton and had a young daughter that she wanted to be home with as well. “I needed a quick course and KDM's seven-month program was the right fit for me. Also, a colleague of mine had gone to KDM and recommended it.”

Initially, Brenda had many questions about paperwork and requirements since she had recently immigrated from Argentina, “I emailed the administrators at KDM and they were really helpful. They replied right away with all the information I needed.” Her experience during the first day in class at KDM also calmed her nerves about beginning a new career, “I was nervous because I was a lot older than everyone in the class - I was 39. But everybody was so nice! We had the best group ever, we had so much fun.”

She went on to graduate with the top marks in her class and has found a great clinic to work at where she is able to choose her hours and be home to spend time with her family. She loves being able to help people in her job, especially when there are emergencies or if a patient is nervous about being at the dentist. “When we have emergencies or people in a lot of pain, it's so nice to help! The patients' faces changes - they come in worried and then they leave happy and appreciate our help. And some people have trauma or fear of the dentist, so I like to talk to them, calm them down, and hold their hand if they need it. I love that part, they really appreciate it, and they say, 'thank you, you really helped me, now I want to come back and do my other fillings!'”