By any measure, 2020 is a year we all are happy to see in the rear-view mirror.

But even with all the havoc wrought, the year also gave us a crash course in the changing shape of education in the 21st century. Forced to pivot from in-person instruction, we embraced remote learning as a rule rather than an exception. Small, physically distanced groups emerged when remote instruction was impractical. Asynchronous learning has allowed learners to keep up with teaching across many miles and time zones.

Separation during the pandemic has resulted in new ways of staying connected. Faculty development and continuing education is an area where teleconferencing may actually broaden our reach. With distance no longer a hindrance, we are able to exchange knowledge with people we once might have considered out of reach. Collaboration and sharing across divisions, across the University, even between institutions, is no longer a daunting task. And the tools for educational collaboration, for students, researchers and instructors alike, are evolving in real time.

Regenerative medicine also is rapidly evolving, and will have a profound impact on dentistry. Remineralization of teeth already is a common aspect of restorative care. Researchers like our own Ophir Klein and Sarah Knox are advancing the science of tooth and salivary gland regeneration. Their work ultimately will shape how we treat, and how we teach.

Those two are inextricably linked. Our didactic instruction is the basis of how we train dentists to provide care. And the evolving future of oral health care is health care, an integrated approach to holistic healing.

This is one reason why precision health is so essential to the delivery of health care, and has such a tremendous impact on how we educate our future practitioners. We are not just teaching dentistry; we are teaching genetics and epigenetics, how both behavior and environment impact health. Future dentists will be able to better treat patients with the understanding of how social determinants influence their physical condition, or the role of heredity. We are learning more and more about the interplay of oral and overall health, and what we learn is evolving into what we teach.

Allow me one last look back at 2020: One profound lesson we learned last year is the importance of resilience. This is one of the most trying times faced by all humanity, and the psychic toll has been nearly as harsh as the physical. We must help learners and trainees build a reservoir of emotional intelligence and resilience: not only to sustain them through trials, but also to treat patients with compassion and empathy. This is just as important as any lesson learned in the lecture hall or lab.