While working to complete her doctor of dental surgery degree at the University of Toronto, Liz Worndl found time to pursue her passion for cooking as a founding member of the Faculty of Dentistry's Culinary Club.
Now, she's showcasing her culinary talents on the reality TV show MasterChef Canada, earning a white apron to match her white dentistry coat.
"It's been a dream of mine to be on this show for a long time - I'm a shameless MasterChef superfan," says Worndl, who graduated five years ago. "It's so inspiring to see home cooks put themselves out there and pursue their dreams."
Some of those past home cooks include fellow U of T alumni Christopher Siu, who was the winner of Season 7 , and Mary Berg, winner of Season 3 and now one of the show's three hosts. Worndl considered applying to be a contestant during her final year of dental school, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, the show went on hiatus.
She was finally able to apply for Season 8, after "months of hitting refresh on the casting call page."
Worndl says her passion for cooking began in the kitchen with her Ukrainian grandmother, who loved to feed the family. Although she didn't realize it at the time, she was developing essential fine motor skills that would prove useful in her future career.
"When I was applying to dental school, I was asked about tactile experience working with my hands," she says. "My knife and cooking skills have definitely been transferable to dentistry. Yes, ingredients are usually larger than teeth, but it's the same concept."
She continued to hone her kitchen skills after founding the faculty's culinary club, where classmates gathered to cook, share dishes and learn from one another. Worndl says the life of a dental student is incredibly busy, but that cooking has always been her outlet - even now as she works full-time as a dentist in Toronto.
"No matter how busy I am, at the end of the day cooking has always helped me unwind and relieve the day's stress," she says. "Dentistry is often so precise without a lot of wiggle room - it's like following a recipe. I get to let my creativity go with my cooking, make a delicious meal and enjoy it afterward."
While she can't reveal any spoilers, Worndl describes her MasterChef Canada experience as both extremely challenging and the most exciting thing she's ever done.
"Before the filming started, I was studying and practicing techniques," Worndl says. "It felt very reminiscent of getting ready for dental school."
Worndl isn't sure what the future holds, but she hopes it includes both dentistry and cooking.
"This opportunity was my foot in the door to pursue my food dream, but it certainly doesn't mean I'm leaving my dental career behind," she says. "Dentistry can be so technical and stressful, and having side passions allows me to be my best self, including in my role as a dentist. My dream is to continue to share my creations with the world."
