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Gold medal recipient Kendra Cleary  (photos contributed)

Kendra Cleary was sitting in the dean’s office when she heard that she was to be named the 2026 recipient of the Dr. D. S. Precious University Medal in Dentistry. She had forgotten her articulator downstairs, which provided the perfect excuse to be in the Dentistry Building and receive the good news in person from the dean, Dr. Ben Davis.

Cleary says that she didn’t know much about the gold medal, which is awarded for academic excellence, compassion, and dedication to the profession, but when Dr. Davis contacted her, she thought the reason could be "something good".

Surprised by dentistry
Cleary had an interesting path into dentistry. After attending Horton High School in the Annapolis Valley – where she particularly enjoyed math – she went to Acadia University to study math and sciences for a year before switching to engineering.

Cleary graduated from Dal in 2013 as a materials engineer and then worked in the oil and gas industry in Calgary and Saint John for the next eight years. She enjoyed her job and the life she led, however Cleary says she didn’t feel passionate about the path she was on. "I liked the people I worked with,” she says, "but I was never in love with the oil and gas industry."

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Cleary to re-examine her career and she started to look for a role focused on making a difference for people. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Cleary to re-examine her career and she started to look for a role focused on making a difference for people. She recalled that her childhood dentist, Dr. Ron McGillivary (DDS’87) of Port Williams, had told her there were connections between engineering and dentistry, which she now began to explore further.

It wasn’t an easy choice. There was the small matter of acquiring the prerequisites, plus committing to another four years of university, plus a lot more debt to consider. But she knew she wanted a change.

The pandemic, with its lack of social life and ready availability of online classes, enabled Cleary to work on the prerequisites she needed and work full time. Her first application in 2021 was not successful, so she changed jobs, moving from Saint John to Halifax for a position with the Shaw Group.

When her second application to dental school was successful, Cleary was torn. She really enjoyed her new job, and she was still uncertain about four more years of study and more debt. She consulted her elementary school chum, Dr. Evan Baird (DDS’19), now an endodontist who teaches in the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry, for his advice on what to do. "He answered my questions, told me not to worry about the debt, and said that I should definitely do it," she says.

Hard work pays off
Cleary felt that she didn’t come naturally to the work, unlike some of her classmates who had dentists in their families. "First year was heavy academically and we were thrown into drills and the cadaver lab immediately," she explains. "I liked everything we were doing, but I did wonder if I would ever get beyond the dental wax-ups we did in first year!"

Cleary worked hard on both her studies and her skills. That work paid off and she consistently won awards for academic achievement and proficiency throughout the four years of the program. Feeling that she finished her first degree lacking in confidence and unprepared for her first job, she resolved that studying dentistry would be different.

"I started the program wanting to learn everything as best I ould so that I could be the best dentist possible at the end of the program," she says. "I practised in the lab, and I asked lots of questions. Our instructors and other classmates were a great support."

Cleary says she is honoured to receive the Dr. D. S. Precious University Medal in Dentistry. "I like that the award is connected to a specific dentist and is connected to his legacy. It adds to it."

Dr. Kendra Cleary looks forward to returning to the Annapolis Valley to work at Kentville Dental Center.