Interview with Dr. Yu Kwong Li:
Could you tell us about your professional path after you earned your DDS from McGill? Having been exposed to, and acknowledging the importance of community dentistry during my studies at McGill, upon graduation in 1990, I decided to base my private dental practice on providing basic dental care to individuals in the community who were physically and/or mentally challenged. Using specially designed dental units, I was able to provide services in long term care centers as well as in private homes. Today, my team and I service over 100 nursing homes in the greater Montreal area. What motivated you to get involved with teaching and the Mobile Clinic? Due to the fact that the population was, and is still progressively aging, my involvement in teaching began when I was invited to speak about special care dentistry at McGill in the early 1990s. Consequently, I was invited to participate as a volunteer in the McGill Dentistry Outreach Program in 1998 and have been actively involved in helping direct the program since 2005. McGill introduced a geriatric rotation for the General Practice Residency program in 2009 whereby the dental residents were given the opportunity to accompany me within my mobile dental practice. Under my supervision, the dental residents were given the opportunity to treat individuals who were medically and physically compromised. What does receiving the Outstanding Alumnus Award mean to you? I am honored to be the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award, but there are many in the dental faculty who are just as, if not more, devoted and harder working than myself. Dentistry is a rewarding profession that allows you to serve the public in various ways. Personally, it has provided a balanced lifestyle of work, leisure, and community service.