Linda Niessen, DMD77, MPH77, PD82

Linda Niessen

Throughout its 150-year history, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has played a major role in dental education. As the first dental school to award a Doctor of Dental Medicine, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has always educated dentists that oral health is intricately related to systemic health.

The Harvard School of Dental Medicine provides its graduates with not only an outstanding dental education but also access to the entire educational coursework offered by Harvard University. As a result, an HSDM graduate is much more likely to have a much broader educational background than graduates from other U.S. dental schools. Joint programs with the Harvard School of Public Health, Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School as well as the ability to conduct research with scientists at the Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital has enabled HSDM graduates to play leadership roles in all aspects of the dental profession.
 
I believe that the dental profession, as a whole, is better for having a dental school as part of Harvard University. It is remarkable that the small number of HSDM alums have managed to serve as leaders in the profession of dentistry.