Dr. Will Draper didn’t always know he was destined for dentistry. In fact, while completing the first year of his Bachelors of Science at the University of Toronto (U of T), he considered many professions, including pharmacy, law, and medicine. Ultimately, his own dentist recommended dentistry as a career path.
After realizing his vocation, Dr. Draper decided to apply to dental school right away — but knew getting in might be a bit of a long shot.
“At that time, the university only accepted 20 per cent of the class after only one year of their BSc program,” he says.
While waiting to see if he would be accepted, Dr. Draper took a summer job doing glacier research with The Ohio State University. For 11 weeks, he lived in a tent and ate freeze-dried food on Devon Island (located on the northwest shore of Baffin Bay in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago).
“It was while sitting in our tent one evening that I heard I had been accepted to Dents at U of T — nowhere to celebrate!”
After graduating from dental school in 1972, Dr. Draper associated in Guelph, Ont., for three years while his wife, Jinnie, attended the Ontario Veterinary College. From there, the couple went to Calgary for a year before heading to Nova Scotia.
“We thought we’d give it a year — that was 47 years ago!” he says. “Best decision we ever made.”
Indeed, from the get-go, East Coast living seemed to agree with Dr. Draper. In 1976, he took over Wayne Barro’s practice in Dartmouth when Dr. Barro went back to school for orthodontics. Then, in 2013, Dr. Draper expanded operations further with the purchase of a second Dartmouth clinic.
Throughout his career, Dr. Draper was also involved with dentistry on an association level. He served on the NSDA Board for 10 years in the 1980s, where he supported the profession’s progression within the province.
“One of the accomplishments of the Board was starting the mandatory continuing education program, which was long overdue,” Dr. Draper says. “I encourage dentists in the province to volunteer for positions to help the profession move forward. I enjoyed the camaraderie and accomplishments during those years.”
In 2018, after 46 years in general practice, Dr. Draper decided to sell his practices, hang up his instruments, and retire from dentistry. While he thoroughly enjoyed his career, he’s the first to admit that retirement has its perks.
“No alarm clocks anymore!” he jokes.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Dr. Draper isn’t still busy. Quite the contrary — there’s plenty to do!
“We started our farm 40 years ago in Lawrencetown on 25 acres by the ocean,” he says. “My wife, being a veterinarian, introduced me to the lifestyle.”
On the farm, Dr. Draper and his wife tend to a horse, donkeys, sheep, barn cat, and two golden retrievers named Bess and Hannah.
“I’m just back from the shoe repair shop due to Hannah ripping apart my boots — the joys of having a puppy!” he laughs.
The farm also includes a sizable vegetable garden, which the couple quite enjoys. They grow kale, collards, zucchini, beets, butternut squash, and chard (Dr. Draper’s favourite).
“I have started doing a lot of cooking and enjoy that, too,” he adds.
A long-time tennis fan (Dr. Draper served 10 years on the Board at Tennis Nova Scotia), tennis also plays a significant role in his retired life. The couple built a court on the farm and they play three times a week, year-round.
When asked to share his thoughts on retirement with dentists about to embark on this exciting next chapter, Dr. Draper has nothing but good things to say.
“For those of you still practising, look forward to your retirement years,” Dr. Draper says. “I thoroughly enjoyed my years in practice right until the last patient, but am really enjoying retirement.”
As for words of advice for the next generation of dentists, Dr. Draper’s sentiment is simple: Trust your instincts!
“Find an area you enjoy and become the best you can in that aspect of practice,” he says. “I enjoyed endo and travelled to Toronto, California, and Boston, as well as Dal for hands-on endo courses and really enjoyed that part of practice”
Now five years into retirement and enjoying life’s daily adventures at his own pace, Dr. Draper wouldn’t have it any other way.
“What I like best about retirement is the time that becomes available to follow your heart,” he says. “It is a wonderful chapter of one’s lifetime.”
Thank you, Dr. Draper, for taking the time to share your experiences and advice with the profession.
Are you a retired dentist embarking on your next great adventure? We would love to hear from you and share your story! Reach out to Samantha, NSDA’s Communications Manager, at communications.nsda@bellaliant.com.
