Community

While we realize that postbac students are primarily here to take the appropriate courses in preparation for their future health profession plans, we also know that community is important and that their success and happiness will be affected by their communities.

Postbac Community

We are proud to say that one of the biggest advantages of our Postbac Premed Program is the community of postbacs who will be your classmates, collaborators, and support as you go through your rigorous course of study. For more than 30 years, students have formed lifelong friendships as they studied, volunteered, and socialized together at Tufts. You will find that your fellow postbacs can be an important part of your studies at Tufts in sharing resources they have found, helping you understand a new concept that is stumping you, and generally cheering you on towards your goal.

Tufts Community

While Tufts is a major research university that includes a highly respected undergraduate program along with a medical, dental, veterinary and nutrition school as well as programs in physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy and public health, the culture on the Medford campus is more like a liberal arts college. All courses are taught by professors and all professors hold weekly office hours with expectations that you will go in, ask questions, discuss your interests in the material, and more. Highly trained students work in our Student Accessibility and Academic Resources (StAAR) Center offering subject tutoring, study skills coaching, writing consulting, and more. All these services are free. 

Although Tufts students are ambitious and hardworking, there is a culture of collaboration rather than competition among prehealth students. Students have formed many clubs and organizations aimed at supporting those in our neighboring towns and beyond (e.g. LCS tutoring, Science Club for Girls, KDSAP and GlobeMed). They also want to support each other (e.g. Balance Your Life, Active Minds, etc.). Our postbacs are able to participate in any of our student groups and occasionally take on leadership roles.

Greater Boston Community

Boston is a major medical hub and as such affords a huge array of opportunities for volunteering, interning, and finding paid employment in the healthcare field. Our Postbac students have to prioritize their studies, but they are all engaged in some amount of healthcare activity to enrich their understanding and, of course, their candidacy. The Postbac program has a special relationship with the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, a nearby teaching affiliate of Tufts medical school, where 6-8 paid clinical research preceptorships are offered each year. Beyond that, postbac students gain valuable experience at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, Cambridge Health Alliance, Massachusetts General Hospital, Hospice, Boston Medical Center, and Winchester Hospital Emergency Room, among many other sites.

Of course the Boston community offers a lot more than healthcare! Our students enjoy the North End's Italian culture and cuisine, the lively Seaport district, many museums and restaurants, and the eclectic, vibrant nearby campuses of Harvard and MIT.