Lander College of Arts and Sciences

For more than four decades, the Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Flatbush (LAS) has been a vibrant and important component of the Orthodox community in New York, educating generations for career and professional advancement. A flagship of Touro University, LAS offers separate classes for men and women, providing yeshiva and seminary graduates with a foundation of academic excellence for career growth, in an environment that is supportive of their values and attentive to their personal goals.

EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND GROWTH LAS offers more than 22 majors and preprofessional options, accelerated degree options, an honors program, as well as three joint undergraduate-graduate degree programs with The School of Health Sciences of Touro College via the Integrated Honors Tracks. As part of their degree program, students are required to complete a carefully designed core curriculum that emphasizes communication skills, critical thinking and analytical reasoning, computer literacy and quantitative analysis— competencies that are essential for success in most professional fields.

Annually, more than 90 percent of LAS students who apply to professional schools are accepted to prestigious schools of dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, psychology and social work. LAS graduates have excelled on the Uniform CPA examination and on the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) test. Equally important, an LAS education is accessible to all who are motivated to achieve and reach higher for an education of enduring value. Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, the longtime executive dean of LAS who also serves as vice president for planning and assessment, has seen generations of alumni benefit from the school’s academic rigor as they innovate and contribute as partners and directors in top firms and researchers and physicians at the top of their specialties.

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS Students have the opportunity to advance directly from a Touro undergraduate school to a graduate or professional program, and accelerated pathways are available in a number of our most sought-after programs in medicine and health sciences.

In collaboration with Touro College of Pharmacy, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and The School of Health Sciences of Touro College, the Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Flatbush offers the Integrated Honors Tracks for students who are pursuing careers as doctors of osteopathic medicine, pharmacists, physician assistants, occupational therapists, physical therapists or speechlanguage pathologists.

In conjunction with New York Medical College (NYMC), the three Lander Colleges launched the Medical Honors Pathway, which offers the opportunity for qualified applicants to continue their studies at NYMC after completing their undergraduate work, provided they sustain the academic requirements.

HONORS PROGRAMS The Honors Program at Lander College of Arts and Sciences, also known as the Flatbush Society of Fellows, is attracting academically gifted students to its serviceoriented leadership mission. The Fellows engage

in vigorous debate at monthly colloquia dedicated to identifying, understanding and addressing key issues affecting the community, the nation and the world.

LAS also offers an accelerated accounting honors track that enables high-achieving students to earn the required credits for CPA certification in less than two years. Touro University accounting students recently scored second highest of all universities in New York State on the Uniform CPA exam. Our accounting graduates are hired by Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwC and many other major firms.

Efrat Bruck, M.D.

Anesthesiology Resident, Mount Sinai Hospital

When her five-year-old daughter informed everyone in her path, “My mommy is a doctor!” a fierce pride enveloped Efrat Bruck. “She understands already that I love helping people and I love science,” says Bruck, who in 2021 graduated from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Bruck’s medical journey began at Touro in Flatbush. “Touro provided me with an excellent education that was tailored to my needs,” says Bruck, who graduated with an honors degree in biology. “Touro educates and gives you the tools to succeed, while being culturally sensitive. Those are crucial components, especially to a religious student seeking a good education.”

Today Bruck is an anesthesiology resident at Mount Sinai Hospital. Becoming a doctor was a childhood dream: Her family moved from Israel to New York because her brother suffered end-stage kidney disease, requiring specialized care. She juggles motherhood, community service and the vampire hours of a resident. “Sleep is right up there after oxygen for me,” she says, laughing.

It’s a mystery when she fits that into her schedule: Bruck has created 30 MCAT prep videos for the online Khan Academy, to help those who can’t afford tutoring. She helped create a pre-med chapter for the Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association and also gave birth to a second daughter during med school.

Bruck was a high school teacher for several years. She believes the two careers are a perfect match. “Teaching is an important skill in medicine,” she says. “Teaching patients is a way to help them through sadness and confusion.”

Daniel Peikes, DDS

Pediatric Dentist

Dr. Dan is a pediatric dentist who, at age 40, effortlessly channels his inner kid, transforming the trauma of “open wide” into a truth-telling session that sometimes ends in a stand-up comedy routine.

From toddlers to teens, they all love Dr. Daniel Peikes. “That’s because I myself grew up in the dental chair,” says Peikes, whose private practice is in Montvale, New Jersey, near the Clifton home he shares with his wife and five personal dental clients (aka children). “I knew from my experiences that I wanted to help kids just like I was helped by my dentist, who became my mentor.”

His chief mentor, though, was his father, Meyer Peikes, currently business department chair at Touro and a professor at the university for 40 years, who recommended the school. Nothing readied the young Peikes for the rigors of dental school and additional years of pediatric specialty studies more than Touro in Flatbush, where he received an interdisciplinary sciences degree. “Its flexibility, its rigorous education, I was able to do well academically and religiously,” says Peikes, who attended yeshiva by day while pursuing college studies at night. “The Lander education got me into my first choice dental school and eventually my first choice of specialty.”

A Dean’s List regular, Peikes graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). He completed his pediatric dentistry practice while serving as chief resident. “The ability to turn a frightened, anxious child into a trusting patient is my ultimate goal,” he explains. “My career is truly rewarding.”