Dean Feldman Delivers State of the School Address

Dean Cecile A. Feldman delivered her annual State of the School address to first-year DMD candidates and alumni in two separate events in January.

In her presentations, Feldman shared the latest updates, accomplishments, and future plans from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM). Her talks focused on three core missions of the school, namely education, research, and service.

She stressed the school’s successful track record with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). “We have been continuously accredited without any recommendations for the past 25 years,” said Feldman. “And I don't think there's a single dental school that has that kind of record other than Rutgers.” RSDM is known for its rigorous clinical program and top growth in admissions across the nation.

Feldman also shared curriculum changes, including the opening of the Georges E. Sara Digital Dentistry Center, which enables students to use state-of-the-art tools in patient care, and the new Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE). With a handful of students still yet to take the exam, she said, “as of today, there's not a single failure on those national board exams, which is really remarkable.” RSDM also has an exceptional match rate. Last year, 90 percent of fourth-year students seeking placement in postdoctoral programs were matched—far above the national average of 64 percent.

RSDM’s research accomplishments are equally remarkable, Feldman noted. “We have a very active research program,” she said, adding that RSDM is nationally ranked 25th for National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) funding.

Feldman herself oversees the largest NIDCR clinical trial research project in the country. Her study examines alternatives to opioids. “While we may not necessarily eliminate every single last opioid prescription, we believe that there could be a significant reduction in demand and that very, very few patients really do require opioids,” she said. “We believe that an over-the-counter combination will provide better pain relief than opioids will for most people.”

Regarding patient care, Feldman recited that RSDM, with its two faculty practices and Community-Oriented Dental Education (CODE) sites, sees more than 120,000 patient visits each year. The school offers dental care for prenatal all the way up to forensics.

“We are the largest Medicaid provider in the state of New Jersey,” said Feldman. “Over half of our patients are covered by Medicaid. We are also the largest provider of care to special needs patients within the state.”

Operationally, she touched upon future projects, such as renovating the pre-clinic. “We continue to continually invest in our facilities,” she said.