After graduating from James Madison High School, he received his bachelor's degree in biology from Brooklyn College in 1968.
He attended Camp Vacamas as a child and, later in life, volunteered his time for their Hands in 4 Youth programming for close to 40 years, both as an officer and as a board member.
After a one-year GPR at Brookdale Hospital, he entered the postgraduate periodontics program at NYU, receiving his certificate in 1976.
[5] While in dental school, Tarnow held various jobs to help him afford tuition; he worked as a NYC taxi driver, a phlebotomist and a swim instructor.
He has received the Master Clinician Award from the American Academy of Periodontology and in addition, has been named New York University’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year.