What are the best things about attending Tufts University School of Dental Medicine?

At Tufts, the first year is fairly light and lectures are recorded, meaning attendance is not mandatory. For the fall semester, the major courses are Gross Anatomy, Dental Anatomy, Ethics, Intro to Dental Patient, and Operative Dentistry. For the spring semester, the major courses are Tissue Biology, Tissue Injury/Host Defense, Neuroscience, Cardiovascular, and Gastro-Intestinal. These courses are integrated (all subjects) and taken one at a time in a 4-5 week block meaning for all of your basic science classes there is just one exam at a time which is very nice and condenses your studying. Also taken during this time is Operative Dentistry (cont.), Intro to Dental Patient (cont.), and Oral Health Promotion. The professors teach all the Tufts Health students (Medical, PA, Graduate) so you get good exposure to your basic sciences.

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What are the worst things about attending Tufts University School of Dental Medicine?

All dental schools have had to switch to integrated curricula to accommodate the new boards. Obviously, this will involve a lot of trial and error, but as it stands now, the courses don’t really feel integrated. A few courses feel like 4 courses mixed together with a different name. This makes it harder to actually learn the material: facts and information seem scattered, unrelated, and incoherent. Some courses, however, have done a fantastic job of incorporating histology, cell bio, etc. into their curriculum and making it feel truly integrated and interwoven. Administration is taking our feedback into consideration – which is very important for future classes – but it’s very unfortunate for those currently experiencing these new courses.

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What do students need to know/What do you wish you knew before attending Tufts University School of Dental Medicine?

Like many schools, Tufts is a very liberal institution when it comes to politics, policy, and a lot of the faculty. Tufts is very big on affirmative action so take that as you will. I would recommend really getting involved in a lot of activities. Tufts holds a clubs and activities fair right in the beginning of the year where you can sign up for different clubs, societies, and organizations. You should take advantage of that and sign up for whatever you might potentially be interested in. Over time, you’ll find a few things you are passionate about and want to invest your limited time in.

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