Tufts University Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program

[j_diggity]

Hello all!

Today is when admissions decisions go out for the Tufts post-bac premedical program.

I wanted to create this thread so that accepted folks could talk with each other, and because I haven't found a ton of info about the postbac on these forums.

I got an acceptance email this morning very early! I'm not 100% sure whether I will attend this program, but it is a very reputable program. There are several linkages, and from a cursory search online I can see that many Tufts postbac students have been successful in their applications to medical school!

I think the drawbacks of this program (for some) might be that classes are taken during the day and with undergraduates (although this could be a positive as well since you're going to be taught by Tufts professors), and the high cost of living in Boston.

For me personally, I would like to get closer to the Midwest because that is where my family lives. So it's a tough decision. I also have one other interview with another program before I decide for sure. However, I feel a bit more confident that Tufts would prepare me well for med school applications than I do about some of the other postbacs that I've been accepted to, so I definitely have some soul-searching to do.

Congrats to all of the other accepted students!

What are you thinking about enrolling in the program? What do you know of the Tufts program? What factors are you weighing that make you feel either more or less inclined toward the Tufts program?

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[engineeringmajor23]

Hi!

I decided to enroll in this program today! I noticed that the program is very reputable as you mentioned, but I honestly do not have much information about this program.
If you will be attending this school the following semester, it would be great to share some informations about the program.
Let me know if you want to discuss about this issue!

 

[j_diggity]

Hi!

I decided to enroll in this program today! I noticed that the program is very reputable as you mentioned, but I honestly do not have much information about this program.
If you will be attending this school the following semester, it would be great to share some informations about the program.
Let me know if you want to discuss about this issue!

Yes! Let me post here what I have learned about the program.

First, I'm very surprised that there's not much information out there about the program, because it seems VERY solid.

They boast a 98% acceptance rate into medical schools, and this number is based on the number of all students who applied to medical school, with or without committee letters. To my knowledge there is "no BS" about this number - for example, I've heard of other programs saying they have a 99% success rate, but when you dig deeper it's only for those who get the committee letter and the letter criteria is very strict; not so with Tufts.

The program seems VERY supportive. There are two kinds of free tutoring available, one is offered specifically to postbacs and another is the general free tutoring that is available to all undergrads. Kaplan MCAT prep is totally free and included in the course fee. There are also free math refresher sessions given to all new incoming students, so if you're a bit rusty, they will help you out a ton!

The classes are with undergrads, but all the students I've spoken to spoke highly of this. They said they'd rather be in classes with the same great professors as the undergrads. Professor availability is high, apparently profs love meeting with students and will go out of their way to do so. The class grading sounds very fair, even friendly; the curving benefits postbac students who generally score higher because they tend to be more serious about their studies. The environment sounds very collaborative, no overtly competitive/gunner-style behavior.

There are loads of clinical opportunities and research available. Nobody has had any difficulty getting clinical positions. One of the best clinical positions available is a paid research preceptorship at the Lahey Clinic (one of the best hospitals in the US!) that is reserved only for postbac students and is fairly easy to get if you apply for it.

The advising seems solid, there are 2 advising staff for a program with about 40-50 students, so the opportunities to develop relationships with your advisors are definitely there. However, the advisor-director who was there for a long time just recently left, which seems to be a "yellow flag" to me - advising expertise, from what I hear, can make or break a program. I do hear that the new director is amazing though, so take that with a grain of salt.

As far as location, I've lived in the area before and love it, although the housing stock leaves much to be desired. Apartments are often old and cramped and very expensive, laundry will be in the basement, no pets allowed, that sort of thing. Tufts is not very well connected to the MBTA yet although the Davis Square red line is about a 15 minute walk away from campus, but the big news is that the Green Line is opening its Tufts stop this December, which will be right next to campus and will take you right into downtown near MGH and even connect you to the Longwood medical area where the Brigham, Beth Israel, and Boston Children's, and Dana Farber are all located. The Red Line also goes straight to MGH, but you would have to transfer to the Green Line at Park Street in order to get to Longwood; about 35min with no delays.

One thing I don't understand is why Tufts doesn't seem to want to share any information about its Linkage program criteria. They say that they don't want to share because it varies from year to year, which I understand, but they don't want to share even the ballpark. It sounds like the linkage program is a lot more individualized. I know for a fact that LOTS of students end up at their linkage schools though, so it shouldn't be an issue.

So, I don't think you can go wrong with this program at all. To me, it should rank up there with the Bryn Mawr, Goucher, and Hopkins programs based on their success rates. I think the only "red flags" are the new director and the reluctance to share their linkage criteria.

 

[You_Rologist]

As an older alum (grad 2011) I can say I had a great experience at Tufts. Great faculty, great support, learned a ton--a very strong program. I applied while completing the MBS (submitted my 1st semester grades on my med school apps) and was accepted that same cycle so I was "one and done". But many of my classmates went on to do the MPH and had good experiences too. Now, after med school/residency/fellowship I'm starting that attending life. Thanks Tufts!



P.S. Sure, Boston is expensive. But getting a chance to live in Boston for 1 year will probably be one of the best years of your life, so there's that!

 

[healthnut123]

I saw that they don't recommend this for students trying to enhance their GPA. Any other post-bacc programs with a supportive environment like Tuft you guys can recommend?