Dalhousie mum on how many dentistry Facebook scandal students on grad list

The fourth-year Dalhousie University dental student who outed the perpetrators of a misogynist Facebook post to a female classmate will graduate with his degree in dentistry.

Whistle-blower Ryan Millet was also a member of the private Facebook group known as the Class of 2015 DDS Gentleman's Club. 

His name appears on the university's convocation list, but it is unclear how many other members of the Facebook group will graduate this spring. Convocation is nine days away for Dalhousie Dental School graduates. 

The university is refusing to say how many of the 13 men, who were disciplined for being part of a Facebook group that discussed chloroforming patients and sexual violence toward a female classmate, are on the graduation list. All had their clinical training privileges suspended for two months this winter after the Facebook postings went public.

University spokesman Brian Leadbetter says dental students have "until two days before convocation" to complete those clinical requirements. They also need to be approved by the dental school's academic standards class committee that deals with conduct.

'Premature to speculate'

Until then, the university isn't answering questions about how many of the 13 Facebook members (the group was bigger prior to the page coming down last December) are still preparing to graduate.

"As is the case every year in the faculty of dentistry, some students may not have completed their clinical requirements in order to graduate at spring convocation," Leadbetter said in an email to CBC.

"That may be the case this year, but it is premature to speculate at this time."

Leadbetter declined to answer direct questions about how many of the Facebook club members are on the graduation list, or still hoping to graduate, or will not graduate this spring.

Based on screen grabs from the DDS Gentleman's Facebook page last December, CBC concludes that just two of the 13 members are on the convocation list so far. More names could still be added.

Millet will graduate with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, but has no plans to attend the Dalhousie ceremony. He's moving with his wife and three children back to his home state of Utah.

After graduation, it's up to state and provincial dental boards to decide who gets a licence and under what conditions they can practise.

The Nova Scotia legislature amended the rules last month to allow the Dental Board of Nova Scotia to prescribe supervision or additional classes for dentists.