Polly Chan, DMD 1992, and Ken Horng, DMD 1992, joined UBC Dentistry as part-time clinical instructors six years ago. The couple share how the Faculty brought them together and why they decided to come back to teach.
What first got you interested in a career in dentistry?
PC: I grew up in Hong Kong and didn’t visit a dentist until I was 10 years old; I don’t think I even knew what a dentist was before then. I thought I wanted to be an architect, but when we immigrated to Vancouver, our family friend William Siu, DMD 1973, told me I’d make a great dentist. He always said I was good at communicating, knew how to quickly make people feel comfortable and paid attention to detail. I personally thought I was a wild child, but I guess he saw something in me!
KH: I’ve always wanted to be a dentist. I’m from Taiwan, and a dentist worked on the first floor of the building I grew up in. I would go down by myself to get my teeth cleaned or if I had cavities. He relieved my pain, so I always associated dentistry with pain relief, and I wanted to do the same for others.
Tell us how you met in dental school.
PC: Ken sat in front of me and would always turn around to look and talk to me—at least, that’s how I remember it! We met in first year of the DMD program but didn’t start dating until third year.
KH: Polly had to sit at the back of the class because she was always late! We graduated in April 1992 and were married that summer.
Who are your mentors from your time spent at UBC Dentistry?
PC: Mine was Dr. Rosamund Harrison—everyone loved her, she was truly a wonderful human. Pediatrics wasn’t easy, but she made everyone feel comfortable. I’ll never forget one of my oral exams, I was so nervous I couldn’t even remember how many roots were in a molar! Dr. Harrison asked me about my summer plans and told me about her upcoming travels to Phuket. All of a sudden, she no longer felt like an examiner, just a colleague, which completely calmed me down, and I did well on the exam.
KH: For me, it was Dr. Raymond Greenfeld. He was a clinical associate professor who taught us endodontics, and what I really admired about him was how much he wanted you to succeed. He wanted his students to feel relaxed, and he was always happy to help. I personally think endodontics is one of the most difficult aspects of dentistry from a technical perspective, and Dr. Greenfeld did an amazing job of teaching us how to treat endodontics patients.
What advice do you give to current dental students?
PC: Do your best with every case, have strong ethics and know your limits. I’ve been in this profession for 30 years and I’m still learning! Always do your best and be open to learning.
KH: Be humble and communicate with your patients. You can do the best clinical work possible, but if you don’t communicate properly with your patients, you’re failing them and the profession.
What inspired you to return as clinical instructors and what do you enjoy most about it?
PC: We both benefited from others who came back to teach, so we wanted to do the same. Working dentists have so much to contribute and students really appreciate it. I always tell my students that when you’re out in the real world, there won’t be an instructor over your shoulder, so now is the time to make mistakes and think outside the box.
KH: Becoming a dentist is all I ever wanted to do and I’m so grateful to be here. I love giving back to the UBC Dentistry community and spending time with students. It’s amazing to see them improve and gain confidence, especially knowing they will become my colleagues.