Administration.

“It’s an incredible validation for our program, our students, and our faculty,” said Ronnie Myers, DDS, dean of Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM). This is the sixth year that the school has participated in the matching program and graduates have been repeatedly accepted in prestigious residencies.

Vasyl Nayda, who matched with New York University’s prosthodontics program, praised his time at TCDM. “We’re a thriving, state-of-the-art dental school and a family,” he said. Nayda discovered his passion for prosthodontics in the university’s simulation lab and clinic, describing it as a “complex and foundational approach to comprehensive care” that delivers life-changing and lasting treatments. He was inspired to apply to NYU’s program because many of his mentors at TCDM were alumni.

Maryam Arshad will join the Hudson Valley Veterans Affairs Healthcare System for an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program. Her goal? “To be the reason why people like going to the dentist. I don’t want people to fear getting their teeth cleaned—oral health is general health.”

Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs David Katz, DDS, reported an initial 85% match rate, increasing to 100% post-match rate for anyone who wanted to be matched. “It’s a fulfilling moment for us,” Dr. Katz said. “I look forward to our students becoming our colleagues and leaders in the field, carrying the Touro name.”

Stephanie Rachaf will remain at TCDM, joining the third cohort of its Post-Graduate Training in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Reflecting on her journey, she credited TCDM’s supportive environment. “I had a great experience in TCDM,” she said. Match Day was also a chance for her to reflect on the unlikely source of her inspiration to become an orthodontist: reality television. “Every time one participant laughed, she put her hand in front of her mouth,” recalled Rachaf. “For her makeover, they gave her a new smile and it changed her life. I wanted to do that for someone else.”