Match Day Celebration in the Student Affairs Suite

Class of 2018 Celebrates Match Results

The wait is over. On January 29, members of CDM's Class of 2018 opened long-anticipated emails with answers to the burning question, "Where am I going next year?" 

This was the second of the class' two Match Days, when the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program places applicants for their first year of training in numerous programs: U.S. general practice residency, advanced education in general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, and dental anesthesiology. 

To anyone stepping into the Student Affairs suite yesterday morning, it was immediately clear that the Class of 2018 came out on top. As a whole, 78 of 80 students had been accepted into programs of their choice or opted to go into private practice. In the initial match, only three students had not matched. By lunchtime, two were successfully post-matched. In addition, three alumni applied and matched in pediatric dentisry.  

Class of 2018

Over coffee and douhnuts, the class celebrated and fleshed out plans for their futures. Sidney Eisig, DDS, Chair of the Section of Hospital Dentistry, and Stephen Chussid, DDS, Chair of the Section of Growth and Development, were on hand to counsel students and make calls to programs on their behalf. The entire student affairs team was in a flurry of activity on what is one of the most exciting days of the year. 

The Class of 2018 matched with nearly every program with the most popular one being general practice residency, with 24 students matching there, followed by advanced education in general dentistry (12), pediatric dentistry (11), orthodontics (10), oral and maxillofacial surgery (9) periodontics (3), prosthodontics (2), and endodontics (2). Five students will go into private practice and four will join the uniformed servies. 

Matching is a personal success for graduates, but it is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Admissions & Student Affairs team. Ongoing efforts led by Laureen Zubiaurre, DMD, associate dean for admissions and students affairs, and Sandra Garcia, assistant dean for admissions and student affairs, help ensure that students reach their full potential. Extensive one-on-one counseling, advising on program selection, application preparation, and letters from the dean in support of applicants are among the many efforts made for each student by this office. Such work has helped secure success for generations of CDM students and has also earned the school its formidable reputation for match success.

The match process is supervised by a steering committee composed of representatives of each of the sponsoring organizations, the Special Care Dentistry Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Association of Orthodontists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists, and American Student Dental Association.

The class celebrated last night in its traditional Match Day party, which will be followed by an official Student Affairs event on the evening of Wednesday, February 6.