(Courtesy of Touro College) Teaneck residents Akiba Danziger and Zachary Burack, Touro College of Dental Medicine class of 2021, celebrated with family, classmates and friends at the White Coat Ceremony last week. The White Coat Ceremony is a symbolic event that marks the students’ official entrance into the dental profession. During the ceremony, students recite an oath that signifies the importance of compassionate care for the patient as well as scientific proficiency. Respected faculty leaders who represent the value system of the school and of dentistry ceremoniously place a white coat—the mantle of the health profession—on each student’s shoulders to signify the student’s ability to carry on the noble tradition of the practice of dentistry.
Burack took to the stage with his 2-year-old son, Effie. “The White Coat Ceremony is a way that my classmates and I can come together along with our professors and families to celebrate all that we have accomplished during these first two years of dental school, and to look ahead to what we will be accomplishing in our next two years in clinic. Looking around and seeing my friends, professors and family, it reminds me that I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without everyone’s support. I’m truly excited to start working at Touro’s dental clinic as it will be my way of taking my first steps into the profession I’ve always dreamed of entering. All the late nights of studying, both during dental school and beforehand, and hours of practice in the simulation lab, have all led to finally being able to work with patients.”
Danziger’s fan club included daughters Yocheved, 14 months, and Emmy, 3 years. Pictured in her own white coat is Emmy. “Since I was really young, I always had a very strong interest in the medical field. Dentistry for me was the most exciting profession. It was more than just diagnosing. It was diagnosing with your hands and putting the diagnosis into actual practice. The faculty at Touro are truly interested in the students’ success academically and also strive for us to become great dentists. As a brand-new school, we have a lot of advanced technology. While at school, I and my classmates have the opportunity to learn digital dentistry and other skills that many people have to take additional courses post-dental school to learn,” said Danziger.
For more information visit
dental.touro.edu.
