Editor’s Note: This article is the start of Campus’ new alumni series “Students of the Past” which will feature one JCU alum per story. If you would like to submit someone to be featured, please email [email protected].

John Carroll University alumna Dr. Jaclyn Tomsic, originally and proudly from “The Land,” is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Ohio’s Center for Oral, Facial, and Implant Surgery. Tomsic graduated from John Carroll University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Biology.

Once a Blue Streak herself, Tomsic says she enjoyed all aspects of her experience attending John Carroll University, from the vibrant and diverse student life to the assorted academic coursework. Tomsic felt the active community truly allowed her to be involved with on-campus activities, congregate with other students and join a variety of intramural sports teams, study groups and student organizations.

To this day, Tomsic values the friendships she formed at John Carroll, she told The Carroll News. These relationships have remained intact over the years and returning to her hometown of Cleveland has allowed her to reconnect with a number of them. “I keep more in touch with the friends I made at John Carroll than those from high school,” she said. “So, for me, that was the biggest takeaway and what I loved the most, obviously besides the education.”

Having been a varsity athlete in high school, it was important to Tomsic to continue sports in some way. She played on a couple of different intramural sports teams at John Carroll, including the intramural volleyball and co-ed intramural basketball teams. She recalls being back-to-back basketball champions during her time at the university. She was also involved in pre-med and pre-dental groups. 

Tomsic earned her doctorate at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University in 2005. She later earned her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit in 2010.  There, she completed her oral and maxillofacial surgery training at the Detroit Medical Center, training at Level I trauma centers, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital and St. John’s Medical Center.

Tomsic furthered her training by moving to the nation’s capital to join the Posnick Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, completing a one year fellowship in jaw reconstruction, orthognathic surgery, facial plastic surgery and sleep apnea surgery at Georgetown University Hospital under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Posnick. Tomsic relocated once more to the St. Louis area to complete a one year fellowship with the Oral Facial Surgery Institute and Mercy Hospital, concentrating on facial cosmetic surgery and temporomandibular joint surgery. She worked at a private practice St. Louis for five years.

The curriculum at John Carroll played a big role in helping to prepare Tomsic for her career, she said.“I definitely didn’t go to JCU thinking I would be a surgeon one day, so it prepared me for my career and gave me a great foundation,” Tomsic said. “I had a great, not only educational experience but social experience. I think that those are equally important when you’re considering what college to go to and when you have that good fit, you just get more out of it honestly.” 

Nearly two years ago, she returned to her hometown of Cleveland where she says she is now excited to give back and be part of the community she holds so dear. Tomsic hopes to be a valuable resource for students by offering shadowing and learning opportunities. She encourages any students interested to reach out.

In her free time, Tomsic is an avid sports fan. She roots for Cleveland teams and is a member of the Junior League. She also enjoys traveling, adventure, fitness, country music and spending quality time with her family and friends.

“I really enjoyed my experience [at JCU]. It was a very close-knit community, I made a lot of great friends and really enjoyed my college experience at John Carroll. I lived on campus all four years, so I was able to enjoy the whole college life experience. I think John Carroll is a lovely place. I was glad that I chose to go there.”