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l to r: Sean, Taylor's mother, Taylor Chaput, Taylor's father, Taylor's sister Sydney (photos contributed)

When Dr. Ben Davis, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, emailed Taylor Chaput (DDS’25) to arrange a phone call with her, he was careful to say that there was no need to worry – it was something good. And indeed it was: Chaput is this year’s recipient of the Dr. D. S. Precious Gold Medal in Dentistry.
 
Chaput’s love of academics began at Dr. Wilbert Keon School in her home village of Chapeau, Quebec, which is located on the Ottawa River. She describes her school of 67 pupils as a "hidden gem" where the teachers "put their all into teaching us" Their efforts included Skyping the class into schools in Montreal so that keen students like Taylor could learn advanced sciences and math. 
 
A solid educational foundation
With this solid educational foundation, Chaput headed to the University of Ottawa in 2015 to take the biomedical science program, with no clear idea of where it would take her.
 
After her first year at U of O, Taylor was offered a shadowing opportunity at the dental practice where her mother works as an administrator. She says she knew dentistry was for her when "I saw the associate dentist take out the most infected, gross tooth you can imagine."
 
Chaput began researching dental schools and learning what prerequisites were needed for dentistry school. Now working towards that goal, Chaput worked even harder during her remaining years at U of O, despite crippling anxiety and panic attacks. "I was really hard on myself and I didn’t know when to take a break," she says. Chaput credits her supportive mother, Ann Marie – and Stella, her cat – with getting her through the bad times. At graduation, she was awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal.
 
The call of the Maritimes
Although she considered other dental schools, when Dal accepted her, Chaput sat down with her partner, Sean, and decided it was a great opportunity to spend four years in the Maritimes.
 
"We drove the 16 hours here in one go, crossed the MacDonald Bridge, and then sat at the boardwalk and drank a beer," Chaput says of her arrival in Halifax. "We were like 'Wow, this place is stunning. We made the right choice'." 
 
The feeling was amplified when she arrived for Orientation Week and met her classmates. She says she has definitely made friends for life.
 
During her time at Dal, Chaput received numerous awards for academic and clinical excellence. She participated in a clinic observation elective, conducted research, co-authored an article, observed oral surgeries, and participated in activities such as Special Smiles and the senior students’ panel. She also learned to be less hard on herself and give herself a break. "Going out for a nice coffee is not going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things," she says. "If anything, it’s going to benefit you."
 
What’s next? She has signed up with Major’s Path Clinic in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which is owned by Dr. Robert Snow (DDS’80) and his son, Dr. Patrick Snow (DDS’10).  In late June, Chaput, Sean, and Stella the cat will once again pack up the car and head further east.
 

Credit to Dr. Precious
Reflecting on the award she has received, Chaput says, “I think the greatest honour with receiving the gold medal is being linked to Dr. David Precious.” His accomplishments "astonished" her, she says.
 
"A passionate humanitarian and community leader, teacher, oral maxillofacial surgeon – the man is an inspiration and a reminder there's always more we can be doing as humans and professionals to make the world a better place."