Secure Dental_Candy Tobar_Ryan St Germain: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Welcome to the Secure Dental Podcast. Through conversations with the brightest minds in the dental and business communities, we'll share practical tips you can use to scale your practice and create financial freedom for yourself and your family. My name is Dr. Noel Liu, CEO and Dentist at Secure Dental and also co-founder of DentVia. I'm your host for the Secure Dental Podcast, and I'm so glad you're joining in.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Welcome to another episode of our Secure Dental podcast, where we bring talented individuals from inside and outside the dental industry. This is your host, Dr. Noel Liu, and today, I have two of my favorite people from NYU College of Dentistry. I'm here joined by Candy and Ryan. So Candy comes from the fashion world, and she has tremendous experience in sales. She did everything from the front end and the back end, and I mean, she led like a huge sales team there down in Florida. So with that being said, we have Candy here, and then Ryan, of course, Ryan comes from an MBA finance background, lots and lots of experience with fundraising, and he does it for the right cause, which is why he is so successful in what he's doing. And both these individuals, great, great people, they are right now with NYU College of Dentistry Alumni Relations. So with that being said, let me pass the mic on to you guys, and let's do a brief intro, and let's take it from there. Anyone of you guys want to start?
Candy Tobar:
Thanks.
Ryan St. Germain:
Candy, go ahead.
Candy Tobar:
Okay, sure. So I mean, you said it yourself. I'm so grateful to be where I am at NYU College of Dentistry, but I, it's funny, the path that led me there has been definitely a unique one. Not like most people that work in philanthropy and alumni relations, but I think it's just only adds to the experience, right? So it did sales wars in the fashion world, which is surprisingly one of the least most glamorous fields you could be in. A lot of people think it's all fashion shows and free samples, but it's a lot of work and really taught me work ethic and really taught me the value of building relationships, really taught me the art of follow-up and follow-through. Your word is only half of what you do, right? So at the end of the day, all that mattered in the fashion world was are you delivering, literally and figuratively? Are you delivering your numbers that are set for you, and then are you delivering the goods and for the client the way that they expect them to be delivered, both in quality, timing, routing, packing requirements? It's a lot of different fronts to manage, and I think that was really helpful for me for life experience, right? Knowing that you're not just seeing one part on the front end of things, but there's a lot happening on the back end of things as well. Financials, you name it. And I think it was a really great setup into this world where it takes a lot of work to set up a relationship, to then lead to a philanthropic, I guess, ending.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Love it.
Candy Tobar:
And really, it's the relationship building. It's how do you communicate what the mission of the college is, what your personal mission is. So sure, the college has a goal, but I have goals as well. So what are the two? How do they align? And then finding out how does this work not just for myself in the college, but is there an opportunity for the individual to get involved in a philanthropic capacity, but that works for them as well? Because a lot of people aren't knowledgeable to the fact that it actually benefits you as well. And I'm glad to have you hosting us, because you have been one of our main examples of that, and I hope that people follow suit. So long story short, you know, obviously, I've had a lot of success in this world so far in just learning the ropes, but I think there's a long way to go. And I think that the education behind how this all works is half the battle.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Awesome.
Candy Tobar:
So I'm looking to people like you and Ryan to really help mentor me and guide me into not just the dentistry world, but how does philanthropy and action, what does it look like.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Love it.
Candy Tobar:
So I'm eager and excited, and I have the energy to do it. And I'm just happy to be here, to be that person, to share.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I think you're already doing great, great, great.
Candy Tobar:
The guidance that you provide.
Dr. Noel Liu:
You're doing great, Candy.
Candy Tobar:
Thanks. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Thanks.
Dr. Noel Liu:
All right. Ryan.
Ryan St. Germain:
Well, Candy was obviously a great addition to our team a couple years ago. We couldn't be happier about that. For myself, I've been doing development work, advancement work, alumni relations, and fundraising side of things for more than 20 years now, which is a hard thing to say out loud, but it has been a little bit. Started off with my alma mater, Fordham University here in the city, worked for another number of other institutions, joined NYU, kind of unexpectedly a little more than six years ago. Did not think I'd be working for a college of dentistry. Before that, my experience with dentistry as a profession was my twice annual cleanings and that, and that was it. So I really didn't feel like I had the knowledge base or skill set to jump in, but the vice dean at the time really kind of pushed through the idea that they knew all I needed to know about dentistry, but I could bring the skill set of philanthropic culture creation and whatnot into the college, and I think and hope that's what we've been able to do over the last six years. A little bit of COVID hiccup in the middle there, so it's been a strange timeline to have been here, had a lot of good momentum, had a bit of a pause and a pivot in the middle there, and I think we are right back on track without losing too much. I really think Candy touched on it and saying the word mission. It's mission-driven. So if you're going to have success in fundraising, in philanthropy, in alumni relations, in engagement work, it has to be about the mission. It's not about me, it's not about our numbers, the college. It's about the work that's being done and how we can match you, the individual, you, the foundation, you, the corporation, and your goals with programs and projects and persons that make sense. The last quick anecdote I'll say that I think is kind of telling is, you can't be one who's looking for the spotlight to do this kind of work. Candy gives me, Why didn't you step into that photo? I need your photo. So this is, you know, outside of the norm being featured in this way, and we really do think and appreciate you for having us on, but most of our work is behind the scenes. In the end, it's not about me. It's about connecting you to the project, to the program, to the underserved community you want to help, to the veteran, to the disabled patient, to the creation of the scholarship in your mom's name or memory, and I'm not a part of that. I'm a facilitator of that vessel to kind of bring that into the world and hopefully a trusted advisor along the way. But it's really about the person who wants to get it done and the program in the end, so thank you.
Dr. Noel Liu:
No, you're very welcome. See, you guys play a huge role whether you guys, you know, admit it or not, but you guys played a huge role, in my part at least, bridging me and my wife to the school, because as alumni we did not know anything, like how do we go back to the school, how do we give back? And the only thing I knew about it, honestly, was those envelopes I used to be getting via mail. And I'm opening them up, and I'm like, all right, cool, there's something going on, right? And let's take a look, and let's try and go and, you know, figure out what's happening, and that was it. But when I met Ryan, when I met you, and I met Candy, I mean, it just opened up a whole new world, which we did not even know existed. So this is the whole reason why we're doing this is so that everyone knows, hey, people behind the scenes can actually help you connect with the school, and we can do something greater for the school, not only always thinking about just taking, right? Because Tony Robbins keeps saying that the secret to living is giving. And I've been living like that for the last few years, and it's been paying off pretty well. So on a typical day, what does a typical day look like for you guys? Like morning to, yeah.
Candy Tobar:
Good question.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I'm just curious. Just wanted to know.
Candy Tobar:
Yeah. If you don't mind, Ryan, I'm going to start because I think that Ryan, he is our fearless leader, right? So he's in these big meetings all day long, what's happening at the college, he's our source of information, whereas myself is the workforce. I think my day is probably very reminiscent of a true fundraiser, where his is more a bigger item, right? So myself, you need a self-starter mentality, and I mentioned that in my bio because nobody's going to tell you this is what I expect of you today. This is how many people you should call contact, this is what you should do. You need to come up with a strategy every day to say, okay, today I'm going to focus on this individual, these individuals, this event. It starts with how do I find the people, how do I reach out to them, and how do I bring them back into the NYU dentistry community to just be there, to have conversations, to meet their fellow alumni, to come to the events, whether it be educational, whether it be more reunion based to reunite with their classmates, or whether it be just more of a one on one to say, hey, I'd love to meet you and share with you some of the things happening at the college, because the fact of the matter is, it's a really big undertaking when you have such a big school. We are the largest dental school in the US, and our alumni base is massive. And as the only fundraiser, it's a really big undertaking to say, how do I get these people that have might not have ever been reached out to, or have never come to an event? How do I bring them back into this world? So it's a big challenge, and it starts with one email, one phone call, one Instagram message. I've done that before, it actually kind of works. One Facebook message to say, hey, am I going to see you at this event? Are you coming to this ... lecture? Are you going to come to your yearly reunion next year? I'd love to be that connection for you. I'm sure you're curious about your school. The school taught you your craft. This is what you do every day as your profession. I think it's very important to come back to the school, see what's happening, if you had not so great of an experience, to see how things have changed for the better, and find out how we could almost bring your dentistry, your school back into your life as a full circle moment to say, okay, you know what? I'm proud of what you guys are doing. Or, you know what? I'm okay. Thank you for offering, but I don't have time to come. So those are usually the two outcomes. Come, be a part of the family, or no, I'm okay, but thank you for reaching out. And so my day-to-day is calls and emails and reaching out and following up and saying, would you like to be more involved? Would you like to be a lecturer? Would you like to volunteer some of your time to be a mentor to some of the current students? And then ultimately, the ultimate goal is to find a philanthropic interest. Can you financially donate back to some of these amazing funds we've created that help serve the greater good, like veterans, like people with disabilities, that can't always afford our services? We'd love to keep that fund nice and full so that we can service them and not charge them out of pocket. So we'd love for you to be that person, to step up and help fund this. And then as a thank you, guess what? It actually really works to promote your own business, your name, or whatever you're looking to do to thank you by naming a wing, naming an operatory, naming a scholarship, whatever you determine that is right for you as the donor. It's actually kind of self-satisfying to say, you know what? That's now going to be the Noel Liu operatory for the foreseeable future. I think it's just such a great triple win for the patient, for the donor, and for the school. I just think for myself as my goals, I just think it's such a great thing. And I think my mission every day is to educate the general alumni base, to say, you might be missing out on something here, so how can I be that connection for you? So that's my day.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's great.
Candy Tobar:
No big deal.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's great. That's where I think your sales come into play, right? I completely believe.
Candy Tobar:
But this is so much better than ...
Dr. Noel Liu:
Exactly, because you are actually doing the right thing by making everybody aware and pushing for the fact that something you believe in so strongly. So if you believe in this so strongly, and that is your conviction, and you're like, hey, this is how it's supposed to be done, all I'm doing is I'm providing a pathway, and it can not only help the school, but it can help yourself, so love it.
Candy Tobar:
And it helps a population that should be taken care of.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's the main.
Candy Tobar:
And it's funny and just one last little piece. And the only other thing I would say is that, and Ryan has heard this story, but the fact that my name is Candy and the fact that I don't know if I told you this, but my parents came from a very poor country. I'm so grateful to be where I am today because my parents came very poor from another country. They didn't have any dental, no education when it came to oral hygiene. And unfortunately, as a kid, they didn't really help me take care of my teeth, and I developed early childhood caries where I had kind of blackening teeth. You wouldn't tell now because I smile at literally everything that comes my way. But when I was a kid, I always smiled with my hand over my mouth, and I was really embarrassed about smiling, and I was really shy because I didn't want to talk. You would never guess that either, because I'm a talker, but I didn't want to talk because I didn't want people to see my teeth. And so when this opportunity came to me, I was like, what a fantastic way to use my sales for something that I personally experienced that could really affect who you are developing as a child and developing as someone in need. Now, I can help give back to that community that I probably needed myself back then. So it's so full circle and it makes me super passionate about it.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I love it, awesome.
Ryan St. Germain:
Not a bad way to spend your day.
Candy Tobar:
Thanks.
Ryan St. Germain:
So much of what Candy does, I mean, hers is targeted. Our office is two sides of the coin. So we do the alumni relations work and the development work. The development work being kind of the finance side of it, the philanthropic side of it, and the alumni relations work being the big tent invite everyone back kind of pieces, alumni reunions, larger events. But day to day, I think for me personally, what's so attractive about the work is there's not a very typical day to day. So week to week you sort of look at my schedule and calendar, and it's corporate meetings, foundation meetings, funders, the faculty, and research. And again, we're big, and we do research that totally makes sense, and we're looking at a new biomaterial to be an adhesive. Fine, great. But we also have a professor that's working on saving the coral reefs. We have an entire pain center that just opened that does a lot of gastro work. We have a professor who researches nanotechnology and how to create an opioid alternative. So some of the stuff being created here that you absolutely would not expect is immensely interesting. And then how it correlates into oral health or general public health or our Department of Epidemiology, it's really a wonderfully robust portfolio of pieces and opportunities. And so those kind of outreaches and dinners, lunches, meetings, conversations, text exchanges are the fun part because we get to kind of show off, right? We have this great list of things we're doing, and we get to talk about it. And I'll say like, oh, you get the envelope in the mail, and it says, hey, send us 50 bucks. That's great, and that's cool, and I want you to do that. Everybody out there listening, yes, please send us your $100, right? But for Candy and I and our office, that's not that we're not interested in that. We are, because you know, every little bit, many hands make light work. But the conversations we're having are really much more individualized. They're much more, what is your point of passion? And again, that's where our personalities or interests take a step back and I can help and guide you and be an advisor to you of what I think might be a good match. And Candy does that daily, but how can we make you feel the most about it? There's a donor who recently closed a gift that had been in the works a long time, and they finally signed the paperwork, and they could not have been more excited. And people think, and there's lots of jokes, Oh, the fundraiser is coming. Like, watch your wallet. And, you know, like that kind of pickpocketing sort of piece. But from experience, that is very much not the case. Now, if you're someone who wants to guard your wallet, you're probably not our person. You're probably not from a place of philanthropic giving, and that's fine. But for those who do want to do something, being able to take from idea and vision and bring into fruition and sort of force your will into reality to create this thing, whatever it might be, is a very satisfying, validating, fulfilling experience. And, you know, it's doing well to do good. If you have done well enough that you are in a position to then turn back and help others, or lift someone up from behind you, or say, you know, I was a scholarship student, and I couldn't have done it without that. So I want to do one, and I want to make a splash, and I've been blessed to be able to have these opportunities. It's a very satisfying experience for people, and there's a lot of joy in that giving. You're giving away your assets, yes, but you're getting quite a lot in return. And as one of our very generous donors, Doctor Luke, you can speak from experience on that. And, you know, I think for you, too, it was a very positive feeling to give.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Oh, absolutely, 100%. Like Candy said, Oh, you're gonna have your name on the plaque on an arbitrary and all that stuff. That's great, right? And of course, we are really excited and really privileged to have that opportunity. But for me, it was more about like, these are side things that comes after what are we doing to take care of our veterans, our disabled population? Is there anything that's happening for them? And what NYU doing is it's you guys are doing great. When I visited the center, like I think, what, a few months ago, I was just blown away with the amount of care. I mean, that amount of care I can personally say I've not witnessed in even a private or a dental practice. So you guys are doing an amazing, amazing job there.
Candy Tobar:
Thanks.
Ryan St. Germain:
Thank you.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I love the fact that you said about, there are people who are guarding the wallet, and that's the kind of population that we that we encounter every single time, like you know, my friends, my colleagues.
Candy Tobar:
Right.
Dr. Noel Liu:
So I always believe, and I wanted your input on this thing here. When you come from an area of scarcity, I believe that everything else in your life becomes more scarce as we go. But once, when you start thinking about abundance and when you take abundance, and you're giving abundance, it's just become more abundant, but it's very difficult to explain that to a lot of people. What are some of the challenges that you guys have with this kind of mindset?
Ryan St. Germain:
Sure. You know, there is often, and I think your thinking is right. The plaques and the naming, those things are nice. Those who enter into the experience with that as their focus, right? And then it becomes transactional. Then it's quid pro quo, and I'm going to write a check. What's the minimum? That is typically the question, right? What's the minimum amount to get my name on X or to put my stamp on Y. And I don't want to diminish those gifts because they do just as much good on a financial side. The dollar spends the same way. I don't care if you gave out of guilt, love, respect, memory, legacy, all of those things, the check cash is just the same way. So I don't want to diminish any of those gifts, but the people that we most like working with, and I think the people who then, in turn, most like working with us and get the most out of it, aren't coming with that. They're starting from a place of, here's what I want to accomplish, here's what I want to do. I want to make sure that you can see an extra thousand veterans this year and don't charge them anything. I want to make sure we can add a social worker to the Oral Health Center for people with disabilities, because that's a gap in care, and that could really facilitate not just how they're seen in the center, but how it's going to take all the benefits New York City may offer that's so hard to navigate. We have people who have doctorates, who have a tough time navigating the system in institutionalized medicine and whatnot. So how can you possibly expect Average Joe and Sally citizen to do so? So having those sort of resources. So for us, the people that are guarded, as long as you're willing to have a conversation, fine. It is not a hard sell. There is no arm twisting for us. We're looking for the development of a relationship. You know, we want, we're effectively, you know, we're the private equity. I want the lifetime partnership. I don't want the quick turn. And again, that's the, I'm going to send you an envelope. You're going to send me $100, that's great. But I want someone who says, hey, we did that project, and it was at a significant level. And what can we do next? How can I build on that? How can we take my scholarship from two kids to ten kids? I want a baseball team worth of little Saint Germain scholars coming up the block on the next go-around. And I think as people invest in these programs, you know, it was probably a better word than give, but invest in these programs, they get dividends. It's not a financial dividend, but it is dividend yield. So a lot of what we do is show, I don't need to sell you, I just need to point, you know? Hey, you're interested in that, great. Here's an example of somebody who did it. Talk to them. Go through that experience. Let us tell you how that kind of came together and what the yield of it was. And so the challenges are plentiful because people are worried, people have expenses, people have to plan, people don't feel secure. A lot of our giving conversations are in plan giving, and that's excellent. People are able to think about their estates in ways that they wouldn't necessarily be comfortable talking about a cash anything today. They can think about real estate. They can think about other kind of assets that they could leave that can establish a thing, maybe not within their lifetime, but they know that that can live on. And for somebody, often people without children, they really like that idea, but then people with children like the idea that the next generation can see their name and allow that to live on and kind of what they were proud of or the profession that they accomplished so much in and really kind of keep their name active and present. That's a lot of the conversations we have.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Love it.
Candy Tobar:
I'm going to add a little bit to that. So listen, I take all my cues from Ryan. He has so much experience, and I'm happy to learn the ropes through him, but I will say that there is another side to it. And yes, people are guarding their wallets, and they're nervous about the cash conversation. But I do think that they should give to give, yes. But I also think that something has shifted recently that, and Ryan, please disagree with me if you think this is different, but some of the conversations I'm actually having now are a little bit different than that. They are, create your own legacy. So some people have this ambition in dentistry. And I've been partnering with the chair of Perio and Implant Dentistry at NYU Dentistry recently, she's very aggressive, I love her attitude, I love her partnership, and I hope more people step up the way she is. But essentially, what she's asking me to do, and I loved this vision, was, I need you to educate these dentists out there that are trying to become very successful and make a name for themselves. I need you to educate them that through this charitable contribution and the naming of a program or a fellow, or the naming of a specific, I guess really it's the chair, whatever is going to support that particular department, that it's actually a really great investment in your own legacy and your own name to then further your success. So yes, absolutely everything that Ryan said, it's about the feel-good, it's about doing the right thing, integrity. But I also think that it's important for dentists out there to know that, hey, you want to be the next Rosenthal, ..., well, guess what? They named these really big key item things, whether it be a building, a program, a continuing ED course, whatever they named, they did it in their own name, and they created their own legacy. So every student that walked through the college, which, let's be honest, is a lot at NYU dentistry, they're going to see that name, they're going to be curious as to what that person does, and they're going to want to follow in their footsteps or work for them or whatever. Whatever business that attracts, it's actually a really great way to invest in your own name while serving the greater good. So one of the things that we're asking for now is to name these particular programs to create that self-legacy for, yes, your kids, maybe just for yourself, but for your family. It's a family name that you're putting your last name on this program for the foreseeable future of this program, that creates its own legacy. And what better way to make a big stand in the world of dentistry than to name this huge program? So I agree, yes, you should give to give, but I also think you're creating your own legacy, and there's no better way to become big in this world than to do something like that.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I love it, yeah.
Ryan St. Germain:
Candy's absolutely right, so I agree wholeheartedly. Anecdotally, Doctor Apa, who were so thrilled by.
Candy Tobar:
I wasn't sure if you wanted to bring him up, so good. I'm glad you, okay. Okay, good.
Ryan St. Germain:
And his partnership on all of our aesthetic programs, both GDS honors and the international program recently renamed for him. He anecdotally talks about coming to the school and being in the Rosenthal Center and seeking out and really feeling that that was such an impact. And so walking in every day into the Rosenthal Center only further energized and solidified his belief that he was going to work with Larry and they were going to build something, which, of course, then became a self-fulfilling prophecy, which he did, and now in turn, has named his own piece. So to your point, Doctor Liu, that is the abundance or scarcity. He went into it with a mindset of, this is my vision, and this is where I'm going to get to, and now he is, in turn, kind of reaching back and doing the same. And I am certain that once we open that and people are in that program both internationally and with the honors program, he's going to have very much the same experience. I don't know who it'll be, but ..., yes.
Candy Tobar:
I think he already is.
Ryan St. Germain:
... program in another year or two.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Oh yeah.
Ryan St. Germain:
And she's going to be him and say the same.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Oh yeah, this is a way to attract like future opportunities not only within themselves, but even with the students, with everybody outside the community. And when I saw that news there, with Michael Apa, I mean, I was really, really thrilled because it's such a good feeling because when you see, like your fellow dental colleague doing great things in his own industry, but then at the same time he's also doing stuff like, you know, with the dental school, it just gives you a lot of mirror image kind of deal, right? And you're like, all right, cool. If this is possible, then anything is possible. So it really gives us inspiration as well to even do better so that we can come back and do something similar. And that is our goal, honestly, because at the end of the day, I mean, what is more than a legacy that you're going to be leaving behind? And as well as, you know, having a name on the school, also helping out all future dental students as well as patients.
Candy Tobar:
Right.
Dr. Noel Liu:
So I just love the fact when I saw the news, I mean, I was thinking I was showing it to ... I was like, hey, check this out, Michael Apa, he got all this done. And many of the comments were really, really good. But then, of course, you know, there were one-on-one-offs, right? Like with negative comments, but, and we just shrugged it off. We were like, you know what, don't worry about it. Because at the end, this guy is doing exactly what he is supposed to do on this planet.
Ryan St. Germain:
They'll always ..., and I'm sure you experience it with your own success. There will be detractors. There will be those who tell you you can't do it, or be those who'll say, Dr. Liu's not that good, why should he have a podcast? You know, the answer is you stepped up, and you created it, and you did, and you worked toward it. And so that's the answer. But you'll always have, you'll always have ...
Dr. Noel Liu:
We always have critics, right? Those, I call them those keyboard warriors.
Ryan St. Germain:
Yes.
Candy Tobar:
Yeah, seriously.
Dr. Noel Liu:
So guys, tell me what's in for 2024 with NYU philanthropy, alumni, programs, events.
Candy Tobar:
Good question.
Ryan St. Germain:
It's a great question. Our slate is already coming together. And since we're the academic year, we straddle each time. We just concluded just last night, a great series, disabilities care speaking series called Unit Zero. We had two full-day symposiums. Then we had sort of one-hour lunch and learns, four opportunities for, eight opportunities so, geez, so we had eight, nine, ten, 14 kind of speakers throughout the whole thing, and it's a great part for us to highlight and really promote the Oral Health Center for people with disabilities, frankly. And people can disagree, it's the best place in the country to be seen as a person with disabilities that needs to be seen. And it's not a secret. No, we want others to do it. We promote it. We will hand you the blueprints. It is open source. There is no competition. We're not going to run out of patients who are so underserved to be seen. We want others to do it. So we're going to start a monthly ... webinar/in-person series with that.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Nice.
Ryan St. Germain:
So that'll be nice to launch. We're already working on next year's reunion, which for us is one of the largest in-person events we have. We'll expect maybe 250 classmates to come back for that in the fall. And on the fundraising side, we have a number of foci each year, and next year, one of the big pushes is going to be our international students.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Oh, wow.
Ryan St. Germain:
Frankly, for our history, we haven't done a great job including our international students. They're sort of our DDS and our PG students, and over here was the international students. And there's some reasons for that. The degrees are different, the programs are all different. But if you come and you attend for two years, you're an alum. Whether or not that title technically fits a New York State definition, I don't know. But to me, in our heart and in our office and how we're going to work, you are going to be a fully-fledged alum, and we're looking at all the benefits of including, you know, that not insignificant group of people that maybe hasn't been folded in the right way.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Great, great. And what about you, Candy? What's in it for you?
Candy Tobar:
Well, I do whatever Ryan tells me to do. That's the truth. No, but ultimately, I think one of the goals for myself. So expanding upon what Ryan is saying and touching into that international conversation, is getting to know who those people are. So, for example, I'm communicating with one of our alumni right now from Greece who came and did the implant program for three years and developed a lot of really great relationships while he was here those three years, and then went back to Greece, and he didn't really hear from us again, because again, like he said, it wasn't really along the alumni communication lines, but we're bridging that back to say, hey, we're changing things for the better here. And one of them is, you are our alumni. I don't care what that piece of paper says. Tell me about your experience. How would you like to be more involved with NYU? And then I see the ambition from these international dentists because they have become very successful with that NYU degree or that NYU education. They've made a name for themselves in their country. So how do we grow that name? What would you like to do? Some of them say, I just want my kids to be able to go to NYU dentistry. Okay, great. Some of them say I want to be an adjunct or associate professor. I want to come and teach every so often back at the college. Okay, great, let's connect you with that. And then, so my specific mission with these guys, some of them have been very successful, very, very successful. And right now my goal is to name the other programs that are considered the international programs, but we have reworded them as the Advanced Clinical Fellowships in. So Apa named the Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Aesthetic Dentistry. There is the Advanced Clinical Fellowship in implant dentistry, there is one in general dentistry. There is one in oral maxillofacial surgery. So those other programs besides the Apa still have to be named. So my key.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Still open.
Candy Tobar:
They're open. So my specific, yeah, listen, and it's limited. It's limited and it's a huge opportunity. So my goal this year is to see if there's the right candidates that are willing to step up and name these programs, create that same legacy that Apa is doing, and then be able to grow their name on an international level, because you can't just stay, if you're in Greece and you want to be bigger or you're in Spain or wherever you are, Mexico, you want to be internationally known. What bigger way to get your name out there than to name the program that every international student will be taking will be that name program in? So my goal right now is to name all of these other programs and say, hey, this is a very limited opportunity. You see what's happening with Apa and it's only getting better and better and better. His opportunities as a result of the naming. I'd love for you to be the next person to step up and do the same thing. So that's my specific goal for this year is name these other programs.
Ryan St. Germain:
Come September.
Ryan St. Germain:
I would love to chat with you afterwards.
Ryan St. Germain:
So in September, we'll have some new stuff to look at. The Apa Aesthetic Suite should open in September-October, a new patient registration area, a new center for radiology, a new oral pain, all of that, for those who are familiar with the space are alumni or visitors. That first section when you walk in Clinic One A, where patients currently register is going through a full renovation, renovation is even probably too late a word, you know, it's going to get emptied out and totally rebuilt.
Candy Tobar:
Yeah. What's the word, right?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Revamped.
Ryan St. Germain:
Yeah, it's going to be.
Candy Tobar:
Revamped.
Ryan St. Germain:
The impact, you know, to have that greet you I think is going to change and elevate and that will too provide additional opportunities for that sort of signage for the other areas, for radiology, to be in one section for patient registration. It really lets us rework some of the logistics in the college, some of the patient flow in the college. So I think we'll find some efficiencies and create a better patient experience, which is of course, you know, always a goal, because they are one of our prongs, right? We serve our students, we serve our faculty, we serve our community. So there's more than one, our alum are kind of all of those things. And our students that are alumni, there's some faculty that are loved and certainly our community. But I think that project will bring forth additional opportunities, some of which we've already kind of pre-identified and some we won't know until the last architectural renderings are done. And we say, oh, what is that little, you know, Doctor Tobar space in the corner there? We could be ...
Candy Tobar:
I wish.
Ryan St. Germain:
But there will there will be more of that. And that'll be, that'll come in the small.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Just love the fact that what you guys are doing.
Candy Tobar:
We'd love to invite you back to the school once it's all up and running.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I know it's been such, so many years that I went back to NYU when I saw you last time, and I hope that, you know, we can make frequent visits rather than just disappearing for a decade and then coming back after.
Candy Tobar:
Yeah. No, you've been so good about coming to all of the events that we feel like you really should be at. You've made that commitment. It is now a two-way street with our relationship, and I really hope that every alumni and donor, or however you're involved feels that, and I hope that you feel this way, that you're part of the family. So when we say, hey, we're having this event, you don't have to think twice about coming back and having a great time with us because that's what we do, right?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Absolutely. We appreciate you guys. I mean, you know, whatever you're doing. NYU is such a huge school with so many people coming in through that doors. I mean, all the stuff that you guys are doing for efficiency, for making the experience better, for better treatment, it all adds up, and it all adds up, and as a side effect, it just makes us proud, you know, being an alumni. So guys, I mean, with that being said, thank you so much for coming on on this pod here. Did you guys have any last statements or any kind of links that you guys wanted to share?
Candy Tobar:
Yes, absolutely. I'll start and I'll let my fearless leader end. So let me just pull up the link. But basically, you know what? Besides the link, you can just Google NYU Dentistry Giving. It'll take you right into a link that says make a donation. So if anyone is motivated to support our veterans, support our disabled community at the Oral Health Center for people with disabilities, you can just go in. It's a secure website where you can go in and make either a one-time contribution or set up yearly payments or monthly payments, or contact us to make a bigger pledge.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Awesome.
Candy Tobar:
So I'd say visit that if this motivates you. And I'd also just like to thank you for having us. And thank you for always being one of our best alumni and how supportive you are on every side of the spectrum. You've been so great to work with your positivity, your energy, your ambition. It's really energizing and I really hope that this continues in so many levels.
Dr. Noel Liu:
100%, it goes both ways, Candy.
Candy Tobar:
Thank you.
Ryan St. Germain:
Yeah, I think this has been fantastic. I look forward to seeing you again in person, hopefully in the New year. In general, my message is, get involved. If you're not in a place to write a check today, don't write a check today. Talk to the students, do a ... lecture, you know, see what's going on in your local neighborhood. We are as a college, as a university, only as strong as our alumni base. Let us connect you with each other. Oh, I live in, name the place, there's another alum there. There is nowhere on the map that is not colored in purple. So get involved, be engaged and I'm not worried about the effects after that. Yes, I hope you get motivated. I hope you have passion and want to invest. Of course, that is what we're here for. But that's not day one. Day one is coming back. Day one is seeing what's going on. Day one is talking to the incredible student body that currently exists in this school and seeing the program, even if you are only ten years out, it's not the school you left, it's not the programs you left. And things have changed and evolved, and I think that's across the board.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's right.
Ryan St. Germain:
So whether you are ours or not, happy to have you if you're not ours, you can be a friend. You don't have to be an alum.
Candy Tobar:
True.
Ryan St. Germain:
But if you are, you know, you went wherever, think about getting involved in your own school too. It will be fulfilling. This is not only self-serving, you know, volunteerism certainly pays back. So go out and do something and feel good about it because it feels good.
Candy Tobar:
I love it. Do good to feel good.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's right. That's the message. And yeah, anybody who wants to get involved definitely reach out. That's the way to do it. It's not only monetary, it's also like what Candy and Ryan just said, multiple ways to give back, right? So with that being said, we're going to land the plane here. Thank you guys for coming in. Thank you, Candy. Thank you, Ryan. I know you guys are busy.
Candy Tobar:
Thank you.
Dr. Noel Liu:
And we'll definitely get this going.
Candy Tobar:
Yes.
Dr. Noel Liu:
This comes to the conclusion of our Secure Dental podcast. Make sure to like and subscribe and we will see you at the next episode.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Thanks for tuning in to the Secure Dental Podcast. We hope you found today's podcast inspiring and useful to your practice and financial growth. For show notes, resources, and ways to stay engaged with us, visit us at NoelLiuDDS.com. That's N O E L L I U D D S.com.
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