The Med School’s New and Improved Home
Kristin Childress, M’12
The home base for the medical school, the Arthur M. Sackler building, has undergone a great deal of change since the winter of 2007 when many M12’s interviewed at Tufts. During my interview day, I remember eating lunch and hearing Dr. Castellot speak in a large meeting room on the 8th floor—a space which no longer exists and is now filled with classrooms, study rooms, conference rooms, and university offices. The 8th floor is an example of the incredible face-lift the Sackler building has received over the past two years, mostly due to the unprecedented gift of $15 million to TUSM from the Jaharis Family Foundation.
So what’s new? Here’s a floor-by-floor description of the new and improved Sackler:
- Basement: One of the last floors to be finished, the basement houses the gym and multimedia resource center (aka the computer lab). The gym has a studio, free weights, cardio machines, and T.V.s!
- First Floor: The first floor holds the main auditorium for first-year students’ lectures. The auditorium for second-year students has now been replaced by the function hall and bathrooms, both of which are really beautiful.
- Second and Third Floors: These floors are the students’ home. They house the learning communities, which include common spaces and study rooms. The T.V.s, fridges, and microwaves make this an ideal place to live during exams for many.
- Fourth floor: This is the hub of the action. The café, the OSA, and the entrance to the library are melded into a harmonious, energized environment.
- Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Floors: The library—pretty much the same, except for some new classrooms.
- Eighth Floor: New classrooms, offices, and study cubbies with an amazing view, unfortunately of the freeway and the cooling units of other hospital buildings.
So while we all feel warm fuzzies for the changes that have occurred, nothing’s perfect…
First off, many have complained about the color scheme and how it looked very similar to the colors of the Target college collection last year. The fuchsia, lime green, orange, and navy are supposedly meant “to warm the building” during the winter… Another thing I noticed is that no changes were made to the auditorium on the first floor where students spend a considerable amount of time. The carpet could have at least been changed; it has suffered the abuse of hot coffee and cold Coke time and time again. Also, what’s with the random glass divider when you enter the building? The yellow caution tape on it is a harbinger of bad things to come with that architectural genius! Additionally, an M12 who will remain anonymous (Neal Biddick) was slightly peeved by the fact that the women’s locker room in the basement has more showers and space than the men’s (don’t worry…we toured when the gym had not been finished yet!). Finally, the issue of the signs is of great concern. Perhaps the dental school needs to compensate for something, or those in the dental school just have very large egos, because that is the biggest sign ever on the corner Washington and Stuart! We, on the other hand, get a small (but tasteful) sign in our hidden away corner of Harrison—no one drives down this street—Ave. I’m just saying…I think “Tufts Med School” could have gone up on Washington or the dental sign there could be smaller.
In any case, I do not aim to look the gift horse in the mouth. The Sackler building is truly amazing. And let’s not forget the new Clinical Skills Simulation Center at 35 Kneeland. That facility is nicer than a lot of working doctors’ offices. It’s a wonderful place to learn physical diagnosis. So from the students to the Jaharis Family, the faculty, the administration, the construction workers, and everyone else who has put so much of their time and effort into this project, THANK YOU!! These changes will improve our learning experience and student life as well as imporving the experiences of the next generations of Tufts med students for years to come.