Dean's Message

Dean Harris Berman

Medical school challenges the best and the brightest minds to learn the science of medicine and public health, and the art of compassionate care.

As one of the nation's premier medical schools, Tufts is dedicated to advancing biomedical knowledge and humane healing through innovative educational methods.

The Tufts faculty takes pride in its commitment to educating the next generation of scientists, public health practitioners and clinicians.

Our community is comprised of men and women who are passionate about their work and are poised to make significant contributions to clinical medicine, health care and translational research.

Tufts University School of Medicine encompasses three distinct educational pathways, all of which train the best leaders in their fields:

Students pursuing an M.D. are educated in the classroom and in a variety of top-notch clinical settings in the Boston area, Maine, and western Massachusetts. Our graduates obtain admission to outstanding residency programs ranging from family medicine to highly specialized practices; in doing so, they realize their fullest potential as clinicians, researchers, and public health workers.

Students interested in a career in biomedical sciences receive doctoral training through one of the programs in the Sackler Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. We also offer masters degrees in public health, biomedical sciences, a unique health communications program, and other opportunities through our Public Health and Professional Degree programs.

Regardless of the educational pathway, Tufts University School of Medicine provides all students a high quality educational experience that is rigorous, and committed to professionalism.

In recent years, our school has become an even better place to pursue an education. With totally modernized facilities, a redesigned curriculum that introduces early clinical experiences, new academic partnerships and global initiatives, we are pointed aggressively to the future. Thanks to the generosity of the Jaharis Family Foundation, our medical students now participate in learning communities that bring together small groups of students and their advisors to enhance personal attention and a sense of community within the larger educational environment. This gift resulted in new educational and student facilities, including a fully equipped fitness center and a state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation center.

Tufts has always been a leader in cutting edge educational initiatives, having pioneered a problem-based learning and online multimedia curricular management system. Known as TUSK, this comprehensive tool has been exported to medical schools and health care institutions all over the world.

Tufts also offers a cadre of combined-degree programs by which students can attain an MD/PhD with the Sackler Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; an MD/MPH with our Department of Public Health and Community Medicine; an MD/MBA in Health Management with Brandeis University's Heller School; a MD/MA with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, or a BS/MS/MD in Bioengineering through collaboration with Tufts College of Engineering. In 2008 Tufts established a unique medical school partnership with Maine Medical Center designed to train students specifically for rural and small-town practice. The Tufts/Maine track partnership extends beyond medical education, offering collaboration in research, public health and post-graduate medical education.

The Medical School's numerous global initiatives are a source of great pride to the Tufts community. Partnerships include institutions in India, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Panama, Ecuador, Argentina, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and others. Many of our students travel abroad to learn and to contribute. Exposure to these experiences enriches their own lives, those of our global partners and that of the host communities. The outpouring of support in response to the Haiti crisis reinforces the dedication of Tufts faculty and students to healing and to humanity.

The Medical School's achievements are a tribute to the University, our faculty, our students, our staff, and our alumni. We select each new entering class with the intent of ensuring that the School will train tomorrow's medical leaders, secure in the knowledge that they will be well prepared to practice their chosen specialties and to meet the needs of the public.

Harris A. Berman, M.D.
Dean
Tufts University School of Medicine