Touro College of Dental Medicine Class of 2026 Achieves 100% Match Rate

Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs David Katz, DDS, reported an initial 88% match rate for non-specialty programs—a 3% increase from last year—and increasing to 100% post-match rate for anyone who wanted to be matched. TCDM’s acceptance to specialty post-graduation programs is significantly higher than the national average.

“It’s a fulfilling moment for us,” Dr. Katz said. “I look forward to seeing our students emerge as professional colleagues and leaders who carry the Touro name forward with distinction”.

“It’s an incredible validation for our program, our students, and our faculty,” said Ronnie Myers, DDS, dean of Touro College of Dental Medicine.

This is the seventh year that the school has participated in the matching program and graduates have been repeatedly accepted in prestigious residencies.

Daniel Son, who grew up in Bergen County and studied exercise science at Rutgers University, matched into a four-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at Geisinger Health. The Geisinger residency program is highly competitive and serves a population of approximately 1.3 million patients in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. 

“I’m super excited,” Son said. “I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I feel like I’ve got a good foundation and I’m ready to take the next step.”

His interest in healthcare developed early through his younger brother, who has special needs. Son spent time in hospitals and dental offices, often watching procedures that required sedation or operating room care.

“Even for simple dental work, he had to go into the operating room,” Son said. “That was really my first exposure.”

At Rutgers, he explored both medicine and dentistry before focusing on oral and maxillofacial surgery, drawn to the combination of surgical training and anesthesia.

“When I learned what oral and maxillofacial surgery was, it felt like something I had to go after,” he said. “You’re able to do the surgery and the anesthesia.”

At TCDM, his clinical training included general dentistry and specialty rotations, along with work treating patients with more complex medical needs. He also participated in Smiles United, a program that develops educational materials for patient care providers. In clinic, he moved from routine procedures to more advanced cases, including surgical extractions and exposure to trauma and corrective procedures.

“You see everything,” he said. “That made it clear for me.”

Gina Cantatore matched into NYU Langone’s pediatric dentistry program in Tampa. She studied neuroscience at the University of Delaware, where she was a Division I cheerleader and part of four national championship teams.

“When I opened my result and saw my first choice, it was the best feeling,” Cantatore said. “It felt like winning nationals again.”

She began cheerleading at a young age and continued through college, later coaching younger athletes, including children with special needs. The experience shaped how she approached working with children. “I didn’t expect to love coaching younger kids as much as I did,” she said. “But seeing how much confidence they could gain really stayed with me.”

Cantatore served as one of the three student directors of Give Kids A Smile program for two years, where TCDM’s students and faculty saw over 1,800 kids during those years. These events are part of TCDM's participation in the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile initiative, which mobilizes dental professionals across the country to serve children in underserved communities.

“That’s where it really clicked for me,” Cantatore said. “I want to work with kids who are nervous and help them get through it.”

During interviews, she focused on programs with a high patient volume and strong clinical exposure. NYU Langone’s Tampa program stood out. “It’s a program where you see a lot of patients,” Cantatore said. “That’s what I was looking for… If a kid comes in nervous and leaves feeling a little more confident,” she said, “that’s what matters to me.”