Dean R. Bruce Donoff, DMD, MD
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Dean’s Message
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine is a special place. It changed my own life and influences our students in so many ways. Flexibility and serendipity are possible within a rigorous curriculum that provides an environment of excellence that prepares students to pass all of the usual tests of competency and licensure.
This is done by bringing together clinicians and scientists to help put science into practice in new ways. We must foster interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary learning and discovery to bring us ever closer to creating an academic dental center where education, research and patient care occur simultaneously and inform and improve one another.
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s vision is to set the standard of excellence in dental education, practice and research. Therefore, I dedicate this message to all those who assist in our mission to develop and foster a community of global leaders advancing oral and systemic health.
Dean R. Bruce Donoff, DMD, MD
Introduction
The first university-based dental school in the country, Harvard Dental School was founded in 1867. It was also the first to be established in close affiliation with a medical school (Harvard Medical School) and to make the full scholarly and scientific resources of a university available to dental education.
In 1940, under President James B. Conant, the School was reorganized as Harvard School of Dental Medicine to place stronger emphasis on the biological basis of oral medicine and to institute multidisciplinary programs of dental research. A unique feature of the curriculum placed dental students in joint classes with medical students for two years of basic science and pathophysiology and for an introduction to clinical medicine on the wards of Harvard teaching hospitals and in community health centers.
In 1957, the School of Dental Medicine was awarded National Institute of Dental Research training grant funding and began to expand and enhance its postdoctoral educational programs, combining advanced clinical and biomedical research training for dentists planning careers in academic dentistry. Several postdoctoral programs were developed under the leadership of former dean, Dr. Paul Goldhaber. These include a four-year Doctor of Medical Sciences in Oral Biology program; a five and six-year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/MD/General Surgery program; and a group of three and four-year, joint-degree programs combining advanced clinical training and research in health-care systems, health policy or biomedical sciences.
Highlights
On June 8, 2007, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) kicked off its celebration of 140 years of dental education and research. The festivities began with an HSDM Alumni Weekend Welcome Reception and Dinner. On June 9, Dean R. Bruce Donoff, DMD ‘67, MD ‘73, began the day with the State of the School Address. A Symposium (The Oral Health Crisis: A Professional Dilemma?—Who Cares and Who Is Making An Impact?) was held following the address, which delved into national policy initiatives. Dental leaders discussed their roles, which were stimulated by the innovative Alaska Native Dental Therapist Program for the underserved and the unlawful practice of dentistry lawsuit brought by the ADA and Alaska Dental Society.
Evan Rubensteen, a student at HSDM and painter in acrylics, used his artistic and humanitarian talents to benefit children in rural areas of Guatemala. Rubensteen painted hundreds of schoolchildren’s teeth living in areas without fluoridated water and made good friends along the way. Rubensteen and Carrie Tsai, along with 11 students from Harvard Medical School (HMS), headed off to Guatemala for four weeks of intensive Spanish study followed by four weeks of community service. In participating in the Guatemala program, Rubensteen hoped to “do something to have a little positive impact on someone; it didn’t have to be huge. If you can do one little thing—help people understand that they don’t have to lose their teeth—it makes a difference.”
“Leadership: Creating Value Through Values” was the theme of the HSDM’s Fourth Leadership Forum, held in 2006. Supporting chief executives’ commitment to value-centered leadership within their organizations, the Forum provides a unique intellectual opportunity and networking environment for dental CEOs to access the resources of academia, government, and the industry. This year’s Forum explored methods for “doing well by doing good” in the dental industry and attracted attendees from as far away as Germany. Participants explored methods through which they and their organizations can create sustainable, winning strategies and collaborative, successful teams.
History
Located in the Longwood Area of the Boston Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine is an intimate community of students and faculty. Founded in 1867 as the Harvard Dental School, it was the first university-based dental school in the country. It was also the first dental school to be established in close affiliation with a medical school (Harvard Medical School) and to make the full scholarly and scientific resources of a university available to dental education. In 1940, under President James B. Conant, the School was reorganized as Harvard School of Dental Medicine to place stronger emphasis on the biological basis of oral medicine and to institute multidisciplinary programs of dental research.
