Why I Run: Dr. Leffler
Giving back is one of Dr. Marc Leffler’s favorite accomplishments. Having spent 10 years as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, 23 years as a lawyer, and over ten years as a marathon runner, he now supports our world-class care as a proud member of Team NYP.
“Before every long race—literally, like, right when I’m standing at the start line ready to go—I say to myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’” laughs Dr. Leffler. “The answer always comes at the end of the race.” Born and raised outside of New York City, Dr. Leffler graduated from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 1982, before continuing his education as an oral surgery resident at Bellevue Hospital Center. After a decade of caring for patients, Dr. Leffler stepped away from oral surgery following an injury to his dominant hand. However, his love for medicine remained undimmed—so Dr. Leffler pursued his passion for healthcare in a new lane: law school.
“I practiced as a trial attorney for over 20 years… almost exclusively in the areas of dental, medical, and allied health malpractice,” he says. Working with healthcare professionals allowed Dr. Leffler to maintain his passion for the fields in which he specialized while helping his fellow specialists in meaningful ways.
In 2020, he stepped away from law, taking on more curated malpractice work and mentoring care professionals. “I’ve always continued to come back to Columbia Dental School,” he says, where he’s spoken to students and residents about dental malpractice prevention. In 2024, Dr. Leffler returned to Columbia not as a professional but as a husband: a local ENT had found a lump in his wife's neck and diagnosed her with lymphoma.
