What
is a Post-Bac Premed Program?
Tufts provides the opportunity for
college graduates who did not study the sciences to prepare for
entrance into a health care profession of their choice.
A concentrated program of study, supplemented by a network of
personalized advising and support, gives Tufts students the needed
advantage when applying to competitive medical schools and other
health professions graduate programs.
The Tufts program is uniquely positioned to accommodate a variety of
health-related career goals. The health
professions advisor will
help you develop an individualized program of study, chosen from a
wide range of course offerings. This flexibility allows our students
to pursue careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine,
physical therapy, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine,
optometry, podiatry, or as a physician assistant or nurse
practitioner.
Tufts also provides a variety of workshops specifically for Post-Bac
students — applying and interviewing for graduate programs, options
for financing your education, and strategies for studying science.
Students may attend public lectures on our
Medford campus, as well as at the
Sackler School of Graduate
Biomedical Sciences, the
Schools of Medicine,
Dental Medicine, and the
Friedman School of Nutrition
Science and Policy (all located
in Boston), and at the School of
Veterinary Medicine (on our Grafton campus).
Once a student completes the prerequisite courses at Tufts, the
Tufts Health Professions Recommendation Committee will prepare a
composite letter of recommendation for you. In addition, students
who complete their prerequisite courses with a 3.3 GPA or above are
automatically granted an interview at the Tufts University School of
Medicine, should they choose to apply.
Who
is a Post-Bac Premed Student?
The program is designed for
students who did not intend to pursue a career in health care as
undergraduates and who now wish to begin pre-health course work.
The "typical student" is between 23-40, had
at least a "B+"
undergraduate average, scored at or above the 80th percentile in
standardized tests (and at or above mid-600's in each of the SAT
sections) and has demonstrated, through volunteer or
employment experience, a strong motivation for a career in health
care.
Tufts University and the health care community believe that older
students make particularly good candidates for schools in the health
professions. This belief is supported by the high percentage — over
90% — who matriculate into medical school and other health care
professional programs.
This program is not
a remedial or
enhancement program. It is for those who have not yet taken
most of the prerequisite science courses for their intended health career.
Students who only have a few courses to complete
(that usually means fewer than 6 courses) and/or who wish to strengthen their knowledge and demonstrate
their ability to excel in the sciences should consider Tufts'
Graduate
Career Advancement Program. (GCAP
students do not receive a letter of recommendation from the
University, are not
eligible for financial aid, and do not
have access to the health professions advisor.)
Program of Study
A minimum of six courses is
required to complete the program. Students admitted to the program
generally attend Tufts for 12-24 months and usually take two
laboratory courses for credit
per semester. The actual time enrolled in the program varies from
one student to the next. Each student works with the advisor to
customize his/her course of study.
- Primary courses
taken to fulfill professional school requirements include:
- Biology: Cells and Organisms
(Bio 13)
- Biology: Organisms and
Populations (Bio 14)
- Chemical Fundamentals
(Chem 1)
- Chemical Principles
(Chem 2)
- Organic Chemistry I and II
(Chem 51/53 and 52/54)
- Introductory Physics I and II
(Phys 1 and 2)
- Introduction to Calculus
(Math 5)
- Calculus I and II
(Math 11 and 12)
-
In addition to these basic
requirements, Tufts offers a wide range of biology courses including
anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, as well as math, psychology and
statistics. All Tufts undergraduate courses are available to
Post-Bac Premed students.
Once accepted, students must take all of their
prerequisite courses at Tufts. After completing the required courses needed
for graduate admission, students may choose to enroll in
other advanced science and math courses.
Click here for a complete listing
of prerequisites for different graduate
programs in the health professions.
Academic Advising
Recognizing that the transition
from the humanities and social sciences to the laboratory sciences is
often a difficult one, Tufts makes academic advising an integral
part of your Post-Bac experience.
You will work closely with the Tufts health
professions advisor to
develop and successfully complete your academic plan. The program's
small size (between 30-40 students) ensures access to the
Program Director for
Health Professions Advising and support network.
When you apply to graduate or professional programs of your choice,
the Tufts Health Professions Recommendation Committee will prepare a
composite letter of recommendation for you.
Post-Bac students who successfully complete the program with a 3.3
GPA or better are also guaranteed an interview at the Tufts
University School of Medicine, should they choose to apply.
Linkage and Joint Acceptance Programs
The Post-Bac
Premed Program currently offers 3 linkage programs and 2 joint
acceptance programs.
A linkage
program establishes a connection with a specific school that
allows a student, once enrolled in the Post-Bac Premed Program, to
begin the application process earlier than usual and skip the "glide
year" (the year of the application cycle after the MCAT).
Students decide if they wish to be considered for a linkage program
after they have begun their post-bac premed studies.
All course work and the MCAT have to be completed by the spring of
the year they hope to begin medical school. Candidates are
reviewed in the spring for possible acceptance and matriculation in
the fall of that same year. Acceptance to medical school
through a linkage program eliminates the traditional "glide year."
We offer linkage
programs with the Tufts University School of Medicine,
Boston University School of
Medicine, and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Biddeford, Maine.
A joint
acceptance program is one in which the applicant applies to
both the Post-Bac Premed Program and their chosen graduate
health profession school simultaneously. Applications
are initially reviewed by the Post-Bac Premed Admissions Committee.
Those determined to be competitive "joint" applications are then
forwarded to the appropriate graduate school for a second,
separate review. Acceptance to the Post-Bac Premed Program
is not affected by the "joint" decision.
We offer joint
acceptance programs with the Tufts University School of Dental
Medicine and the Boston School of Occupational Therapy at Tufts
University.
For all the joint
acceptance programs, students' acceptance is conditional, based on
the successful completion of the prerequisite courses (which are
part of the Post-Bac Premed curriculum) and satisfactory performance
on the required admissions exam: DAT (dental) and GRE (OT). Applicants who wish to be considered for one
of these joint acceptance programs should check the appropriate box
on the application form and answer the additional questions required
(these are listed on the application form).
Frequently
Asked Questions
|
Questions |
Answers |
|
What does Tufts look for in an
applicant? |
Because the Post-Bac Premed Program is designed for students planning
to make a career change, the Admissions
Committee needs
indicators that a candidate is making an informed decision and
is capable of working up to the academic standards of
Tufts. Every aspect of an application is examined — the transcript(s), letters of recommendation, essay question(s),
résumé, and test scores. We are looking for a strong academic
history and either paid or volunteer experience in the health
field. |
|
I have already taken some science
courses; can I still apply to the Post-Bac
Premed Program? |
Many of our students come to Tufts having already taken one or
two of their basic science requirements;
however,
they still have most of their prerequisite course work to
complete. To fulfill program
requirements, students must complete a
minimum of six science
courses at Tufts. Taking at least six courses gives the Tufts
Health Professions Recommendation Committee the opportunity to
know a student well enough to write a letter of recommendation.
Our program is not intended for students who wish to enhance a past academic record. |
|
I took a couple of the premed courses
as an undergraduate, but that was several years ago. Am I
an appropriate applicant for your program? |
Many medical
schools, as well as other health professions schools, expect
relevant science course work to be recent, i.e., taken within 5-7
years of the time of application. If you took one or two of your premed courses years ago, you
would (if accepted) be allowed to retake them here, along with your remaining courses. |
|
Is an interview required? |
Interviews are encouraged (if an applicant's
time and geographic location permit), but not
required. An applicant who does
not interview is not at a disadvantage. Interviews are scheduled
just prior to each of the three
application deadlines (March 1, June 1, November 1). Only
students who have submitted an application may
schedule an interview. The number of
interviews per review cycle is limited
so it is advisable to submit your
application as early as possible if you wish
to schedule one. To schedule an interview, call (617)
627-2321. |
|
Do you have information
sessions? |
Yes.
Information sessions are
scheduled throughout the year and are listed
on our web site. Any
interested student is invited to attend.
There is no need to make a reservation to attend an information
session. |
|
How do I get a copy of my test
scores? |
The Educational Testing Service (ETS)
in Princeton, New Jersey maintains records of every individual
who has taken the SAT, GRE,
etc. To receive your scores,
contact ETS (phone: 609-921-9000; web: www.ets.org)
and request that they send your scores to you and not to
Tufts.
Please be sure scores are
sent to you, not to Tufts. The Post-Bac Premed Program does not have a
separate code and cannot accept test scores sent directly from
ETS. Scores sent to Tufts will either go to Undergraduate
Admissions (in the case of SAT or ACT) or to Graduate Admissions
(in the case of GRE) and the Post-Bac Premed Program will not
have access to that data.
Only SAT, ACT, or GRE scores are acceptable. Other
scores (LSAT, GMAT, etc.) are not appropriate.
IMPORTANT: If your scores are listed on
your high school transcript and that's the easiest way to get
them, then it is fine to send us a copy of your high school
transcript. High school transcript(s) are not required
otherwise.
|
My test scores are old.
Will you accept them if they were taken more than five years
ago? |
The age of an applicant's scores
is not a factor in our evaluation. What is more important
to consider is whether your past scores (SAT, ACT, or GRE) are
indicative of your academic ability. If you believe they
do not accurately reflect your potential, we recommend that you
consider taking the GRE before applying to our program.
Please note that LSAT and GMAT scores are not appropriate test
scores for this program. |
|
Is the program only for premeds? |
No. The Post-Bac Premed
Program is uniquely positioned to accommodate a variety of
health-related career goals. Its flexibility allows you to
develop an individualized program of study to prepare you for
the graduate study of your choice. |
|
Does Tufts require a self-managed
application? |
Yes. All applications
to the Tufts Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program must be
self-managed applications. If this is not possible, you
need to contact us in advance to discuss your individual
situation.
|
|
What is a self-managed
application? |
With a self-managed application, the applicant is responsible
for collecting all the required application materials and
submitting them together in one envelope. When collecting
the materials be sure that all transcripts and letters of
recommendation are in sealed envelopes, with an official
signature and/or other appropriate certification across the
envelope flap. Open envelopes or envelopes without proper
certification will not be accepted as official. Once an
application is received and processed, notification is sent to
the applicant via email. |
|
Is financial aid available to
Post-Bac Premed students? |
For purposes of federal financial
aid eligibility, Post-Bac Premed students are considered
enrolled in "preparatory coursework to enroll in a graduate
program." Federal regulations allow a student to
borrow a maximum of $5,500 through the federal Stafford Loan
Program (subsidized and/or unsubsidized) and, beginning July 1,
2007, an additional
$7,000 through the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan (independent
students only) for a total of $12,500 (for two semesters, one
year of study only). Students must be enrolled
at least half-time (2 courses per semester minimum).
Post-Bac students and applicants who wish to apply for a
Stafford Loan should complete and submit the
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). |
|
Should I explore volunteer
opportunities in my chosen career field before applying? |
Yes! Exploring your chosen
career field is the best way to decide if that field is the
right one for you, and we expect applicants to acquire some
experience prior to applying to our program. This
experience need not be paid or full-time and can be in any type
of health setting where direct contact with patients and
providers is available. We look at an applicant's specific
experiences in the health care field and the variety of those
experiences, as well as the person's articulation (in the
essay) of his/her understanding of medicine. Exposure to
direct health care not only serves as a great motivator for
students as they pursue their studies, but also is a beneficial
addition to professional school applications. |
|
Do you accept applications from
international students? |
While we do accept applications
from international students to our program, it is
important to consider the challenges faced by non-U.S. citizens
hoping to enter U.S. medical schools. Admission to U.S.
medical schools is heavily dependent on citizenship or permanent
residency. Statistically, only about 1% of matriculating
medical school students each year are non-U.S. citizens or
permanent residents. The statistics for other graduate
health professions schools are a bit less severe but, as in most
countries, preference is given to citizens.
If you do hope
to pursue a U.S. medical education, it is important to keep
several things in mind as you plan your studies. In order
to be a viable candidate for a U.S. medical school, you will
need to take some science course work in a U.S. college or
university. This can be achieved in a formal post-bac
premed program or simply by taking individual courses on your
own. If your undergraduate studies were not in English,
you will also be required to take at least two English courses
to fulfill most U.S. medical school requirements.
International students oftentimes have not taken standardized
tests (SAT or GRE) as part of their education, but test scores
are a requirement for this program. An
application without test scores is considered incomplete and
will not be reviewed. Not only are test scores a vital
assessment tool in our review process, but standardized tests
will be a mainstay in your future medical, residency, and
specialty application processes.
The only
financial aid our program offers is through the federal Stafford
Loan Program. International students are not eligible for
this type of aid. Most of the U.S. medical schools that do
accept non-U.S. citizens do not have financial aid available to
them either. Many require students to prove they have
sufficient funds to cover four years of medical school.
Unless you can secure private funding through lenders in your
home country, you should assume that you will have to incur the
cost of your education. |
|
When are admissions decisions
made? |
All decisions are made by committee after each application
deadline (March 1, June 1, and November 1). We do not
review applications and make decisions on a rolling basis.
We review candidates for the
next two start dates only. For
example, candidates who apply
by March 1 may apply for either
that year's summer (May) or fall
(September)
start date. Applicants indicate on the
application form when they wish to begin our program. Only
one start date should be specified.
Deadlines are receipt, not postmark,
deadlines. Decision letters are
mailed within four weeks of each application deadline.
|
|
What percentage of applicants
is
accepted into the program? |
Historically, 20-30% of the applicants
are accepted in each
application cycle. There is no set number of "spots"
per admission cycle, but the program is very small and competitive. Applicants are reviewed and selected
based on their individual merits and strengths. |
|
How many students are in the
program? |
To ensure access to the health
professions advisor and support
network, Tufts tries to limit the program to
between 30 and 40 students per year.
|
|
How long is a person in the Post-Bac
Premed Program? |
Students with no previous science course work
can usually complete the
program within 15 months, depending on the start date. |
|
How many courses would I take each
semester? |
We advise that students take no more than
two lab science courses per
semester. Two courses allow for a full but manageable lecture,
lab, and recitation schedule, with time to pursue a
health-related internship and/or part-time job. |
|
When are classes held? |
The prerequisite
science classes (biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and
physics) are held during the day. Lectures are always held in
the morning (three 50-minute sessions per week), but labs and
recitations (small group discussions) are scheduled throughout
the day and evening. Tufts does not convene separate classes for
its Post-Bac Premed students. Post-Bac students take the same classes
(at the same time) as Tufts' undergraduates.
You can review class schedules on the
University's web site. |
|
What is Tufts' acceptance rate? |
Over 90% of Tufts Post-Bac students
who apply are accepted into health professions schools each
year. The majority of our students enter medical school. |
|
What is the "glide year" and is
there any way to eliminate it? |
The "glide year" is the time between
beginning the application process to medical school and actually
enrolling. Unless a school has a linkage program and the
medical school is willing to bypass its year of decision-making
(which is rarely done), the glide year is inevitable. Our
Post-Bac Premed Program has linkage programs with the Tufts
University School of Medicine, Boston University School of
Medicine, and the University of New England
College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM). |
|
I'll be
graduating in the spring and really want to begin my post-bac
premed studies the summer following graduation. Is that
possible with your program? |
Typically, we do not accept new
graduates to begin our program in the summer for two reasons.
Our summer session begins in mid-May. We require that a
final transcript be submitted to us for review before a
student can begin our program. This requirement is
difficult to fulfill when graduation occurs within days of the
start of summer session. It is also our strong belief that
a new graduate should take the summer off -- take an "academic
break" -- before beginning our very rigorous program and,
ideally, enrich their experience within the health field. |
|
I'm very
interested in your program, but I'd like to come to campus first
and talk with some current Post-Bac Premed students before
applying. Is this permitted? |
Certainly you can come to Tufts
and tour the campus, even sit in on some of the introductory
(lecture) science classes. Campus tours are conducted by
the Undergraduate
Admissions Office. We do not, however, put individuals
in contact with our current Post-Bac students until you have
actually been accepted to our program. We get many
requests from prospective applicants, but we must guard our
students' time. They are busy with school, work, and
family. If you decide to apply to the program and are
accepted, we would then be happy to put you in contact with
several of our current and former students so that you can chat
with them about their experiences before making your decision to
enroll. We have many
information
sessions throughout the year; attending one of those would
be the more appropriate way to explore our program and get your
general pre-application questions addressed. |
|
Is campus
housing available for the Post-Bac Premeds? |
Campus housing at Tufts is
reserved for the undergraduate population. If you plan to
relocate to Massachusetts or the Boston area for this program,
you will need to locate your own housing. An excellent web
site to explore is the one for
Off-Campus Housing.
Many
students locate housing by contacting local realtors as well.
As a point of reference, the communities of Somerville, Medford,
Cambridge, and Arlington are the ones closest to the Tufts
(Medford) campus where you'll be taking classes. If you're
planning to bring a car with you to school then you can seek
housing in the suburbs and that opens up your options, but most
of our students are able to locate very nice apartments (singles
and shared) within walking distance of or a short bus ride from
campus. The public transportation system in Medford and in
Boston proper is excellent so you don't have to worry about
bringing a car if that is not an option. You won't need
one to get around Boston. |
|
I'm more
interested in preparing for graduate school (i.e., pursuing a
Ph.D. or MPH) than going to medical school. Is this
program appropriate for me? |
Our Post-Bac Premed Program is very flexible
and can accommodate many career goals. Typically, students
plan a clinical health career when they enroll in our program,
but we have had a small number of students over the years who
have changed direction once enrolled or come with the intention
of pursuing public health or another field. It's important
to keep in mind our six course minimum requirement when
making your decision. You may not actually need a formal
post-bac program to complete your course work. You might
simply need to take the few, individual courses required to meet
specific graduate program requirements. If you wish to
take individual classes here at Tufts, you can do that as a
student in the Graduate
Career Advancement Program. |
Application Process
and Requirements
To be eligible for the program, students must have completed their
bachelor's degree. To apply, please submit:
- a completed
application form
(in PDF format
 ).
Be sure to include answers to the required essay
questions. There is no limit on essay
length, but we expect your essay to be concise,
well-written, and relevant to the issues we have asked you
to address. Be sure that any experiences discussed in
your essay also appear on your résumé. Be sure to list
all colleges and graduate schools attended or
currently attending. This information must
be on your application form (under Postsecondary
Education).
- a non-refundable application
fee of $50 (check payable to Tufts University). We
cannot accept cash. Check or money order only.
- an official transcript from
each college and graduate school attended or currently attending.
This information must be listed on your application form. If your name has changed since
you graduated, please be
sure to let us know what name(s) to expect on your official
documents. All official transcripts must be in sealed
envelopes with an official signature and/or other
appropriate certification across the envelope flap.
Open transcript envelopes or transcript envelopes not
properly certified will not be accepted as official.
- two letters of
recommendation. Letters
should be written on the recommender's
official, professional letterhead (no special forms are
required) and signed. Envelopes should be sealed and
signed across the envelope flap by the writer and returned
to you for inclusion with your other application materials.
You should not open them. At least one
letter should be an academic
recommendation. Ideally, this letter
should be written by a faculty member who can speak to us
objectively about your intelligence, academic ability,
perceptiveness, study/analytical skills, etc. Both
letters can be from academic sources, or one can be from
another objective party (colleague, volunteer contact,
supervisor). Letters from
family and friends are not appropriate letters of
recommendation for this program.
- a
current, targeted résumé.
Please be sure your résumé includes all relevant paid
and volunteer health-related experience. If you discuss
a position or experience in your essay, be sure it is listed
on your résumé.
- SAT, ACT, or GRE test scores (photocopy is acceptable).
Scores do not need to be recent. If you request test
scores from ETS, they should be
sent
to you and then you send them to Tufts with the rest of your
application materials. Please do not have ETS send
test scores to Tufts directly. If your scores
are listed on your high school transcript, you may send a copy
of that document instead (we do not require high school
transcripts otherwise). This transcript can be a
photocopy.
Once an application is received
and processed, notification is sent to the applicant via email.
|
Information sessions
(open to all without a reservation) are
held throughout the year. Optional
interviews are scheduled just prior to each of the three
application deadlines (March 1, June 1, November 1).
Interviews are encouraged (if an applicant's time and geographic
location permit), but not required. An applicant who
does not interview is not at a disadvantage. Only
students who have submitted an application
may
schedule an interview. The number of
interviews per review cycle is limited
so it is advisable to submit your
application as early as possible if you wish
to schedule one.
If, after
reviewing the web site thoroughly, you have
questions about the program or the application process, or wish to
schedule an interview, please call Liz Regan at (617) 627-2321.
The application
deadlines are:
March 1 to begin in the summer (mid-May)
June 1 to begin in the fall (early September)
November 1 to begin in the spring (mid-January)
These are receipt, not postmark,
deadlines.
Students who wish to complete the
program in approximately 15 months should plan to begin in the spring or summer term.
Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee after each application
deadline (March 1, June 1, and November 1). We do not
review applications and make decisions on a rolling basis.
We review candidates for the
next two start dates only.
For example, candidates who apply
by March 1 may apply for either
that year's summer (May) or fall
(September)
start date. Applicants must indicate on the
application form when they wish to begin our program. Only
one start date should be specified.
Decision letters are mailed within four weeks
of each application deadline.
All application materials should be mailed by
the applicant, in
one envelope, to:
Post-Bac Premedical Program
Tufts University
Dowling Hall, Administrative Support, Room 760
419 Boston Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
Inquiries should be directed to:
Liz
Regan
Assistant Director
(617) 627-2321
email: liz.regan@tufts.edu
2007
– 2008 Tuition and
Financial Aid
The program has moved from a
'tuition per course' structure to a 'comprehensive' (flat fee)
tuition structure. As of September 2007, the program tuition
will be $24,500. This will be billed in two installments.
One installment (for half of the tuition) will be billed and due
before a student begins the program. The second installment
will be billed later in that student's academic year.
A small lab fee is charged in Chemistry I and II and Organic Chemistry I
and II, and this is an additional fee paid at the time a student
begins Chemistry. All other Post-Bac workshops, receptions, and ancillary
programming are provided at no additional cost.
For purposes of federal financial aid eligibility,
Post-Bac Premed
students are considered enrolled in "preparatory coursework to
enroll in a graduate program." Federal regulations
allow a student to borrow a maximum of $5,500 through the federal
Stafford Loan Program (subsidized and/or unsubsidized) and,
beginning July 1, 2007, an additional $7,000 through the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
(independent students only) for a total of $12,500 (for two
semesters, one year of study only). Students must be
enrolled at least half-time (2 courses per semester minimum).
Post-Bac students and applicants who wish to apply for a Stafford
Loan should complete and submit the
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA).
|
