Bulletin of Dental Education Article

Touro University, a leading New York-based non-profit institution of higher and professional education, announced the expansion of its health sciences curriculum and recently broke ground on a clinical branch of Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College (TCDM at NYMC) in New Mexico. This clinical facility will be located in Albuquerque on the campus of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (LBRI), a member of Touro University. Touro Dental Health New Mexico is TCDM’s clinical training facility that will provide 200 TCDM students a new dental practice location with a planned opening in May 2025.  

“Touro University is committed to delivering quality education as well as integrity, inclusivity and respect for all members of our new Touro community in New Mexico,” said Alan Kadish, M.D., Touro University President. “We provide diverse, innovative and engaging course offerings that nurture personal growth and intellectual inquiry in superior academic programs.”

Students at TCDM spend their first two years in the classroom studying basic biological sciences, and the last two years seeing patients in the clinics. Going forward, 100 students from each TCDM class of 200 will do the classroom portion of their training on TCDM’s New York campus and spend their final two years treating patients from the Albuquerque community in the new clinical facility. The first class to be split in this way is looking forward to a spring 2025 arrival and to seeing patients under highly skilled faculty, supported by professional dental staff from New Mexico.

“TCDM is thrilled to expand to New Mexico and create the first ultra-modern, world-class dental clinical training facility in the state. Our mission is to improve oral health care and graduate outstanding dental professionals who deliver excellent health care service to diverse communities,” said Ronnie Myers, D.D.S., TCDM at NYMC Dean. “With the first predoctoral dental student clinical educational facility in New Mexico, we will provide an opportunity to deliver much needed low-cost oral health care to underserved communities while at the same time expanding local access to New Mexico students interested in becoming dentists.”   

New Mexico lags behind the nation in the average number of oral health care professionals servicing residents of the state. Recent studies reveal that the number of dentists per 100,000 people in New Mexico is only 48.4, below the national average of 60.84. “We anticipate that there will be a significant number of graduates who remain in New Mexico to pursue their dental careers filling this void, adding to our incentive to build the new facility and clinic in the land of enchantment,” said Dean Myers.  

New Mexico’s first predoctoral dental school clinical training facility will encompass more than 70,000 square feet of educational and clinical space. It will house more than 100 dental units, including those that will provide specialty care in oral surgery, orthodontics, endodontics and pediatric dentistry accommodating the students who will complete their education at TCDM’s new facility and campus.

TCDM’s faculty of general dentists and skilled specialists including periodontists, prosthodontists, endodontists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, dental anesthesiologists and radiologists enables the school to provide a full range of dental care under one roof while providing students with hands-on exposure to and training in all dental disciplines.

“The arrival of the Touro College of Dental Medicine marks a major milestone in our city’s fight to expand health care options for families,” said Tim Keller, Albuquerque Mayor. “Not only will it help fill a critical shortage of dental professionals in our community, but our young people will have the opportunity to pursue careers in dentistry right here at home. This first-of-its-kind facility will help build a healthier, more equitable future by expanding access to affordable dental care for those who need it most.” 

Touro University is investing an estimated $40 million in New Mexico, including the property acquisition and construction of the dental college, which should positively impact educational and economic development in Albuquerque and throughout the state. TCDM plans to provide new high-paying jobs for New Mexicans to support the school and clinic.  

“We welcome Touro College of Dental Medicine to the New Mexico dental community,” stated Tom Schripsema, D.D.S., Executive Director of the New Mexico Dental Association. “We are hopeful they will bring needed care to this neighborhood and look forward to exploring collaboration on our ongoing efforts to educate local students.”  

TCDM’s new dental college and clinic expand on the success of the organization’s New York campus and offer educational opportunities to students to serve diverse communities. The students in New Mexico will receive the same high level of academic support and student services, faculty to student ratios, educational facilities and clinical experiences. 

Touro University and Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College believe that creating a dental education and clinical educational facility in New Mexico will deliver necessary dental care to those in need, while also providing local access to New Mexico students interested in becoming dentists.  

About Touro University

Touro University is a system of nonprofit institutions of higher and professional education chartered in 1970. Touro was founded primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,000 students are currently enrolled at Touro University’s various schools and divisions, which encompass 37 campuses and locations in New York, California, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois are separately accredited institutions within the Touro University system. For more information, visit www.touro.edu.

About Touro College of Dental Medicine

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College (TCDM at NYMC) is located in Westchester County on the campus of New York Medical College, which serves as the principal academic public health resource for the New York Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut. TCDM at NYMC is dedicated to graduating outstanding dental professionals and conducting important clinical research, while providing vital dental health services to the public through its state-of-the-art, 115-chair dental training facility. TCDM at NYMC is the first new school of dentistry in New York State in almost 50 years and the first in the United States under Jewish auspices. For more information, visit www.dental.touro.edu. 

About Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute

Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute is a not-for-profit contract research organization headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. Founded in 2016 as a division of Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, the organization helps biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies with preclinical and clinical testing and advancing their research and discoveries. The institute incorporates a multidisciplinary toolset that is designed to look beyond the boundaries of pre-clinical research and support the clients’ investigational product.

Courtesy of Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College

Published on November 13, 2024