Valhalla—One hundred and ten students began classes last month at the first new dental school to be approved in New York State in nearly 50 years.
Part of Touro College and University System’s growing cadre of schools devoted to improving healthcare by training professionals in medicine and related disciplines, the Touro College of Dental Medicine (Touro CDM) resides on Touro’s New York Medical College (NYMC) campus in Valhalla, New York. Touro CDM received more than 2,100 applications for the 110 seats of the inaugural class at the school in Westchester County.
“Touro College of Dental Medicine has received an overwhelming response from applicants across the country,” said Jay P. Goldsmith, DMD, founding dean of Touro CDM. “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 CDM at NYMC 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 (HECap). The HECap Program is a highly competitive economic development initiative that awards matching capital grants to colleges for the design, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation or equipping of a facility on a college campus that upgrades the school’s programmatic offerings, enhances the student life at the college or provides economic benefits to the surrounding area. Touro CDM is one of only ten institutions to receive over $2 million in funding from the state in 2016.
Funds are being used to renovate the NYMC’s Skyline Drive Building, which will house the dental school’s classrooms and training facilities, including an advanced digital simulation lab. New York State Senator Terrence Murphy was a strong supporter of efforts to secure the funding.
“The Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College is great news for the Hudson Valley that will not only generate well-paying jobs, but will also bring oral health and priceless smiles to our region,” said Senator Murphy, whose district includes Valhalla. “I am thrilled to partner with this fine institution as they expand their educational horizons and I look forward to their bright future.”
Touro CDM joins an established network of medical institutions in New York State, including the Touro College Graduate School of Health Sciences, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro College Graduate School of Pharmacy and NYMC’s Schools of Medicine, Speech Pathology, Physical Therapy and Public Health, which collectively graduate more than 2,000 healthcare professionals every year.
