Chronicle 2017

PROFILES

A taste for problem-solving

CHRISTINA McCORD 2000

Profile by Lisa Rossiter-Thornton 1995

Many people see dentistry as a prestigious profession, or perhaps a lucrative one. Christina McCord sees it as a fascinating balance between science and art… a challenging combination of physical skill and intellect. But it was her taste for problem-solving and her love of variety that caused her to fall in love with the diagnostic side of dentistry. Her speciality, oral pathology, overlaps with many others in the medical profession, including pathology, otolaryngology and, of course, dentistry. “My job involves a little bit of everything,” says Christina. “As an academic, I teach dentistry students about oral diseases. I see patients in a clinical setting. I perform small surgical procedures and I also spend time at the microscope, doing diagnostics and research.” At her clinic in the London Health Sciences Centre, Christina sees patients whose diseases run the gamut from oral cancer to rare genetic diseases, chronic pain problems, benign oral lesions and chronic mucocutaneous conditions. She relishes the feeling of puzzling through a diagnostic problem, often turning to academic sources or colleagues for help in learning about some rare condition. She delivers educational talks to dentists and dental hygienists, as well as to physicians who wish to recognize and treat various oral conditions. At Western University, she is an assistant professor in the department of pathology and laboratory

medicine, and lectures mainly to dentistry students. After graduating from Havergal in 2000, Christina completed a B.Sc. in kinesiology at Dalhousie University and a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) at Western. She always knew that she wanted to work in health care, but she didn’t discover her passion until a wonderful professor in dental school gave her a taste of what it would be like to become an oral pathologist. The spark which this teacher ignited in Christina prompted her to pursue specialty training and an M.Sc. at the University of Toronto, and continues to inspire her. From her early days at Havergal in Grade 5, Christina remembers the kindness of the other students and the sense of community. She recalls many great teachers, and also enjoyed the athletics program at Havergal (she played basketball, volleyball, softball and was on the swim team). Though she saw herself as “an average person,” she feels that Havergal pushed her to be her best self. “That did wonders for me,” she says. “I’m so grateful.” She now lives with her husband and two young children in London, Ontario, where her new role as a working parent leaves her in awe of the many women who mentored, guided and befriended her despite the chaos of their own child-rearing years. In addition, the friends whom she met at Havergal remain some of the most important and cherished friends that she has.

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