Prospective Students and Families

Tufts University is a great place to be a pre-health student. The university is host to various health professions programs, including Tufts Medical, Tufts Dental and the increasingly popular Tufts Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy graduate programs. Tufts is one of the nation’s top research universities, earning the "Tier 1" classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the university's output of research activity. Students can engage in research on campus and off and participate in an incredible array of on campus activities. Tufts' location, close to many of the state’s largest healthcare facilities, enables students to gain the necessary clinical experience they will need as they pursue their career goals.

As prospective students, we hope you will consider Tufts for your undergraduate career but encourage you to choose the school that will ultimately meet your own specific needs. Whether that is large in-state institution, or a small liberal arts college like Tufts, choose the school that makes sense for you and your family. You can be a pre-health student anywhere. Becoming a doctor, nurse, physician assistant, or any other health professional does not require that you go to a particular college or pursue a specific major. In fact, pursuing what works best for you will inevitably make you the strongest candidate down the line. 

Health Professions Advising at Tufts seeks to provide Tufts students interested in health careers with the guidance to learn more about your intended fields. Our role in advising is to work with all students whether you are just starting to consider the field or have been thinking about it for most of your life. We encourage Tufts students to check in early, and take full advantage of our services, be it our group advising sessions, individual advising appointments or online resources. 

As advisors, we hope our services will give students the opportunity to fully consider the field of healthcare and make decisions based on what is best for you. The road in pre-health is an individual one, and what works for one student may not work for another, and that is okay. Our goal is to ensure that students have the resources to make the decisions that will best suit you. Being a resourceful student, particularly in pre-health, is a must, and while we will be here as you navigate your pre-health journey, it is our expectation that you will ultimately take the lead in making the decisions that work best for you.

Pursuing a health professions career comes with meeting many requirements, but we encourage students to move away from the checklist mentality, and rather do the things that you are genuinely passionate about because that is what will make you stand out. Considering a study abroad program? Go for it! Want to major in English? Great! College is a time to explore your passions and hone your strengths. Health careers are long-term careers for most who pursue them, so don’t forget to enjoy the road along the way!