From Postings to Prosthodontics: first-year resident Jesse Barker shares how the military prepared him for graduate school

By Rachel Boutet

After only a few weeks at the Faculty of Dentistry, Jesse Barker has already drawn some similarities between his studies and his time working in the Canadian Armed Forces.

“The skills you learn in military basic training help you so much as a student,” says Barker, a first-year student in the Faculty’s prosthodontics graduate specialty program. “As a dental student and member of the military, you have to take care of yourself, be diligent, focused and organized, and have good habits and values.” 

Barker joined the military in his second year of the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) at the University of Saskatchewan. After a recruiter came and spoke to his class, he decided it was a good fit for him.

“It was a borderline impulsive decision, but I’m really glad I made it,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to see more of Canada, and joining the military allowed me to do that while continuing my education.”

The skills you learn in military basic training help you so much as a student

Barker enrolled in the military in 2011 and did his basic training over the summers to allow him to continue his DMD program. After graduation, he was posted to Quebec City where he started working as a military dentist, followed by two years in Nova Scotia and then Winnipeg where he was the clinic’s lead dentist. 

Although Barker’s dad was a dentist, he didn’t consider a career in the field himself until he was finishing his degree in microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan. He says he liked the science focus of it, especially the exciting new advancements he was seeing every day.

“I chose dentistry, specifically prosthodontics, because I wanted to work with people with complex cases,” says Barker. “I like collaborating with other specialists and helping patients with extensive problems. When they come to you, it’s not just with their dental problems – you have the opportunity to look at the bigger picture and manage their case in an elegant, comprehensive way. That’s what excites me.”

That’s part of what drew Barker to study at the University of Toronto. He says not only does the Faculty of Dentistry stand out because of its rich history of well-respected prosthodontists, but it allows students to collaborate in a very meaningful way.

“One main strength of our MSc Prosthodontics program is that, in addition to learning how to provide all types of implant-supported dental restorations, we also receive extensive surgical training for placement of dental implants,” he says. “This surgical part of the implant treatment is typically taught in periodontics and oral surgery programs, but not always in prosthodontics programs.  Learning this helps us develop a deeper understanding of the entire dental implant process.” 

In his first few weeks at the Faculty, Barker has already started working with patients and planning their course of treatment. He notes it’s quite different from his past patient experience, especially those he treated when he was deployed to Iraq from January to July 2021 to provide dental care to the troops.  

“In Iraq, people would come to us with dental emergencies, often flown in by a helicopter, and we’d have to find a solution right then and there because they had to get back to their mission,” says Barker. “I’m used to seeing people with challenging needs in difficult circumstances. I think this has prepared me for my time treating patients here, and I’m really excited about it.”

Photo: Sergeant Angela Brownell and Jesse Barker working in the Canadian Mobile Dental Clinic in Iraq (Jesse Barker)