By COLlive reporter
One hundred and ten students began classes this month at the first new dental school to be approved in New York State in nearly 50 years – and it is geared to Orthodox Jews.
The Touro College of Dental Medicine (TouroCDM) resides on Touro’s New York Medical College campus in Westchester County’s Valhalla, New York.
“Touro College of Dental Medicine has received an overwhelming response from applicants across the country,” said founding dean Jay P. Goldsmith, D.M.D. “As a result, in a relatively short period of time we have secured a highly-talented and ambitious group of students to comprise our inaugural class.”
Touro’s medical college received final approval in April 2016 from the New York State Board of Regents. The state also contributed $2.075 million through the New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant program.
Ahead of its opening, businessman and philanthropist Yossi Popack joined his fellow members of the Touro board of directors in touring the Skyline Drive Building, which houses the dental school’s classrooms and training facilities.
Popack toured the Medical College with Dr. Edward C. Halperin, Chancellor and CEO of New York Medical College, and Dr. Mark Hasten, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and learned about its history.
He also received a tour of the college’s state-of-the-art Cell Biology and Anatomy Department from Dr. Matthew A. Pravetz, Director of Medical Gross Anatomy and The Clinical Skills and Simulation Center by Director Katharine Yamulla.
Later, Popack along with a few other board members and trustees, toured the newly constructed Dental School, before they were joined by a few hundred supporters for a dinner celebrating the school’s opening.
“This is the first dental school under Orthodox Jewish auspices in the world, outside Israel,” Popack told COLlive.com. “There will be a shul on premises and kosher food available. We want to cater to Jewish students to enter the dental field and make an honorable living off it.”
Touro College, chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, has approximately 18,000 students enrolled in its various schools and divisions of higher and professional education.
Heading the college are Dr. Alan Kadish, a nationally renowned cardiologist who is the president and CEO of Touro, and the chancellor, Rabbi Doniel Lander, the son of Touro Founder Dr. Bernard Lander.
“The school will address the existing shortage of training options for dentists in New York State and create a pipeline for the next generation of dental professionals, while also seeing to the immediate needs of the community through its dental clinic,” said Dr. Kadish.
The dental college will also conduct a range of research efforts including: research focused on reducing the cost of effective care; population outcomes-based research concentrated on interventions; and translational research that harnesses scientific discoveries to produce new devices and treatment options for patients.
For more info, visit dental.touro.edu
Does anyone know if a Kohen could attend this dental school?…
Make Shomer Shabbos Residencies more abundant! A Beard and a yarmulke only helps, never hinders. If you don’t shake hand, explain why. Be upfront. Lubavitcher don’t become dentists, they hire the dentists…lol
Dear Mr Popack as a student of Touro I would like to thank you for all the help you give to lubavitcher students. I just want to ask if you can help with a few things A. If the touro grant that is for lubavitchers can be extended vto other programs and not just Machon leparnassa. B. If you can tell Mr. Halpern that men and women joinijg the medical field don’t must shake hands during interviews. Lubavitchers are willing to go to school and practice with the other gender but during in interview the chabad Rabbis hold it is… Read more »
Since Yossi Popack supports both Oholei Torah and Touro – I was hoping to see a merger, where OT graduates can continue their OT education in Touro and hopefully be capable of one day making an honest living.