Page 4 - The Apex - Touro College of Dental Medicine 2024

FROM THE DEAN
‹‹
I cherish most
One of the parts
about being
the Dean, is the
opportunity to
talk to students. I should say,
talk WITH students, since my
daily encounters always involve
very energetic and passionate
individuals at varying stages
of their dental careers—and in
those cases, I often do not even
get a word in edgewise. But that’s
the beauty of it. Because in most
cases, I find that I come away from
the encounter having learned
something. Something such as
why they wanted to become a
dentist or why they are choosing a
particular specialty or some small
insight into their academic day or
even how they spent the weekend.
I often learn about things going
right in the clinics and the labs
and I often learn about things
that are not necessarily going
perfectly smooth. In all cases, I
can say I have gained important
information from the encounter
and I hope that in many of
those cases, the student gains
something as well.
This engagement is not only
enjoyable, but an essential
part of Touro College of Dental
Medicine (TCDM). Since our
founding in 2016, we have put our
humanistic values first, ensuring
the experience of learning, as well
as teaching and supporting our
students, remains our focus and
our number one priority. With
five graduating classes under our
belt, we now have over 500 alumni
ambassadors around the country,
practicing dentistry in a way that
honors those values and pays
them forward in the communities
where they work, live, and
volunteer.
As you read through the pages
in this Annual Report, I believe
you, too, will gain something
valuable from the encounter.
If you are an alumnus, this is a
chance to see how your legacy
has impacted students currently
experiencing many of the same
things you enjoyed when you were
at TCDM. But you will also be
able to take pride in our growth in
so many areas, from research to
digital technology and more.
If you are a current student,
or a family member of a current
student, here is your chance to
revel in the bonding experiences
you have had with your peers. You
will be able to see how far you
have come, and share excitement
in what still lies ahead. Faculty
and staff should feel a sense of
pride and joy in all they have
helped to build, and just how
valuable everyone’s contribution
2 \ TOURO COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE
has been.
For our donors, there is much
to learn in these pages. A new
campus in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, where we are already
hearing from residents about how
excited they are to know we are
coming, and giving us assurances
that we are, indeed, needed in
their community. You will learn
more about plans for a special
needs clinic, TouroCARES, to
enable us to provide much needed
service to this marginalized
population. I have had this dream
for many years, and am thrilled
that we are inching closer and
closer to making that dream
a reality, and with your help,
perhaps next year’s report will
share specifics about a successful
TouroCARES opening.
Regardless of your role in
getting the Touro College of
Dental Medicine to where we
are today, please know that we
learn, grow, and are incredibly
successful because we do so
together. It is with immense
gratitude for all that has come,
and all that the future will bring,
that I thank you for your support,
and look forward to having the
opportunity to engage with you in
the days and months to come.
Wishing you a happy holiday
season and a healthy, successful
New Year.
Sincerely,
Ronnie Myers, DDS
Dean
Professor of Dental
Medicine
Touro College