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Laura's Story

As a newly single mother going through a divorce, Laura needed a job fast, but she really wanted to start a career that meant something to her. “I wanted to be a dental assistant because I like working with people and I care for people quite a bit. I didn't have the time or the need to go back to become a nurse or anything like that, and the KDM Dental Assistant program was quick enough that I could start my career right away.”

KDM Dental College guided Laura through getting a grant through the provincial government, and within a few months she was sitting in the classroom, ready to kick off the process of getting her diploma and build new friendships. “As a hands-on, visual learner, I did well on the clinicals because it was neat to see how everything finally came together with the theory we learned. And the other students and I had a lot of fun! I'm still friends with everybody. We keep in touch and if we're interested in a job where we know another KDM grad is working, they put in a good word for us.”

She loved KDM’s program and has even recruited other people to become dental assistants. “I have recommended KDM to other girls! I thought KDM was great, they were really supportive to me. If I was struggling, the teacher and I would sit down and chat, and she helped me.”

Graduation was an extra successful day for Laura, she was also awarded the College of Alberta Dental Assistant International Student Award in recognition of academic standing, clinical proficiency, and professionalism. “It was a really big deal, especially for me since I hadn't been in school for since 1998!”

Laura enjoyed working for a few years, but when the COVID pandemic hit her job was affected. “I lost my job and I had to find other work. I wasn't getting the promised full-time hours, so I called the KDM Job Placement Agency for temping jobs and ended up into getting into an office for a few shifts. They invited me to come and work with them, which is great because our dentist does a lot of surgical procedures and he's showing me stuff that I've never seen before. I'm getting experience and training with actual surgery procedures now - it's going to be really good for my resume.”

So, who does she think would make a great dental assistant? “If you're a people person and if you're wanting to care for people - people who have fear, anxiety, anything like that - if you think that you have that kind of ability to help them, it's an excellent career. You learn something new all the time. You're never sitting down in an office - that was a big one for me because I can't sit in an office, I would go bananas! There's something different every day, and every dental office is different.”