June 2, 2016
The Faculty of Dentistry is saying farewell to two clinical assistant professors who are retiring after many years of commendable performance and service.
William Brymer, DDS, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinic Group Advisor (bio)
Dr. William Brymer
Dr. William (Bill) Brymer’s love of teaching, his dedication to student learning, and his desire to improve the oral health of marginalized individuals has been a constant presence at the UBC Faculty of Dentistry since his appointment in 1975 as a Clinical Instructor. Whether he was participating in Admissions interviews, scurrying around the OHC as Clinic Liaison, or advising a student about a troubling patient, Dr. Brymer has been an encouraging and inspiring educator in our Faculty.
Following graduation from Dalhousie University with a DDS in 1967, Dr. Brymer successfully practiced as a family dentist in Toronto and Vancouver. As a UBC part-time instructor, he thrived on the satisfaction and reward of contributing to the education and mentorship of aspiring young dentists. After his retirement from practice in 2007 he took on the duties of a Clinical Educator, including participating as an eager student himself in the UBC Certificate Program in Higher Education. He has instructed in most of the clinical simulation modules and in the Integrated Care Clinic. Further, Dr. Brymer has capably organized weekend Volunteer Clinics for dental hygiene and dental students at venues including the Richmond Hospital, Vancouver Native Health Society and Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre. In addition, he has accompanied students providing much-needed dental services to First Nations families in rural BC and in various global locations. Dr. Brymer is the recipient of several part-time and full-time teaching awards and is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.
Throughout his career, Dr. Brymer has been supported and encouraged by his wife, Lois, and daughters, Molly and Jenny.
Mel Schneider, BSc, DDS, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinic Group Advisor (bio)
Dr. Mel Schneider
Dr. Mel Schneider has a great love of dentistry and even more enthusiasm for teaching future colleagues. His early passion for teaching was such that he joined the UBC Faculty of Dentistry as a Clinical Instructor in 1978, just four years after graduating with his DDS from the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill University. Following graduation from McGill and completing a GPR program at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Mel (and Reisa) moved to Vancouver where he practiced for more than 30 years as a general dentist. In addition to his dental practice, Dr. Schneider was an enthusiastic member of orthodontics, prosthodontics, occlusion and periodontics study clubs. He also helped pioneer one of the first computerized programs based on the windows platform for dental purposes. It was used in the faculty practice at UBC for a number of years before switching over to AxiUm. It was called Quadra Dental Systems.
In 2009, Dr. Schneider graduated from being a part-time instructor to taking on the substantial role of a Clinical Advisor. The role of Clinical Advisor includes providing oversight of students within their clinical group, monitoring and managing student progress, assisting with patient management, participating in clinic quality assurance and providing a clinic liaison role to support faculty and student in the Integrated Care Clinic. He has been a much loved and highly-regarded Clinic Advisor to countless numbers of students who have benefited from his clarity, kindness, insight and clinical acumen. To further enhance his skills as an educator, in 2013 Dr. Schneider successfully completed UBC’s one-year Faculty Certificate Program in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
His other pursuits, in addition to dentistry and student learning, include skiing, tennis, telling jokes and storytelling. Throughout his remarkable career Dr. Schneider has been supported by his wife, Reisa, and children, Carly, Pamela and Amanda. He has one beautiful granddaughter, Emily and another on the way.