School of Medicine

Accreditation

MD Program Accreditation

Jointly funded by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) reviews allopathic medical schools in the United States and Canada every eight years. In order to maintain accreditation, a medical education program must meet the accreditation standards established by the LCME.

Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) engages in continuous quality improvement by monitoring compliance with LCME standards on an ongoing basis and by performing a formal self-evaluation. This evaluation includes an exhaustive review of every aspect of the MD training program and the overall academic environment at the medical school.

In 2020, TUSM embarked on a comprehensive self-study process in preparation for LCME reaccreditation. An institutional self-study task force (see below) comprising faculty, students, and staff conducted an extensive evaluation of the medical school program and student satisfaction. As part of the process, students created and administered a survey to all MD students and then independently analyzed the results. The school underwent the LCME “virtual” site visit on April 25-27, 2022. At its October 11-13, 2022 meeting to determine the status of the MD program, the LCME voted to continue full accreditation of the TUSM medical education program for an eight-year term. LCME will next survey TUSM during the 2029-2030 academic year.

Tufts Self Study Task Force

Helen Boucher, MD, Dean, Chair

Administration

  • Scott Epstein, MD, Professor of Medicine, Faculty Accreditation Lead
  • Amy Kuhlik, MD, Dean of Students
  • Joyce Sackey, MD, Dean for Multicultural Affairs and Global Health, Associate Provost, Chief Diversity Officer Health Sciences Campus
  • Linden Hu, MD, Vice Dean, Research
  • Doug Sawyer, MD (Dean, Maine Track)
  • Anne Mosenthal, MD (Dean, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center)
  • Ann Maderer, Project Manager, Office of Educational Affairs, LCME Coordinator

Faculty

  • Jeff Marchant, PhD, Senior Faculty, Curriculum Comm Chair (Medical Education)
  • Amy Lee, MD, Vice Chair Curriculum Comm (Family Medicine)
  • Laura Baecher-Lind, MD, MPH (Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Taimur Dad, MD (Medicine, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Neha Sharma, DO (Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Robert Trowbridge, MD (Medicine, Maine Medical Center)
  • James Bartz, MD (Medicine, Newton Wellesley)
  • Okeanis Vaou, MD (Neurology, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center)
  • Deb Erlich, MD (Family Medicine)
  • Lilian Chen MD (Surgery, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Mary Brown, MD (Pediatrics, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Jamie Maguire, PhD (Neuroscience)
  • Richard Glickman-Simon MD (Public Health and Community Medicine)
  • John Leong, MD, PhD (Microbiology)
  • Mike Tarnoff, MD (Surgery, Tufts Medical Center)
  • Peter Brodeur, PhD (Medical Education)

Students

  • Spencer Scott, M21
  • LeAnn Louis, M21
  • Meghan Murphy, M22
  • Tony Laracuente, M22

Alumni

  • Caitlin Fai, MD (Class of 2020)
  • Ana Lopes Johnson, MD (Class of 2001)
  • Tejas Mehta, MD (Class of 1992)

Public Health Programs Accreditation

Tufts MPH and combined degree programs are accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the US Department of Education to accredit schools and programs of public health. The Tufts Public Health programs reside within the Tufts University School of Medicine. While CEPH has different expectations for the organizational structure of schools and programs, the academic standards for degrees at both kinds of institutions are exactly the same. Read the self study and full report.

Physician Assistant Program Accreditation

The Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program is an accredited program through the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).

2016 ARC-PA Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Tufts University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be 2026 March. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

MS in Biomedical Sciences Program Accreditation

The MBS program is included in Tufts University’s accreditation through New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NECHE).

Tufts University has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NECHE) since 1929 and its accreditation by NECHE encompasses the entire institution. NECHE establishes and maintains high standards of educational excellence through self-evaluation and peer review. Institutions demonstrating they meet these standards are accredited and thus members of NECHE.

Tufts University’s most recent on-site comprehensive evaluation took place in March, 2023. In Fall 2023, the commission will issue a decision regarding Tufts University’s accreditation. The next comprehensive evaluation will take place in Spring, 2033. The most recent fifth-year interim report was submitted in January 2018 and was accepted by NECHE in May 2018.

  • Tufts’ 2023 self-study is available here.
  • The 2018 fifth-year interim report is available here.
    • The response by NECHE to the 2018 fifth-year interim report is available here.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs

DPT Program in Boston, MA

Tufts University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Boston, MA, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA, 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 617-636-4075 or email dpt.program@tufts.edu.

DPT Program in Phoenix, AZ

Effective May 10, 2022, Tufts University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Phoenix, AZ, has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 617-636-3880 or email eric.hegedus@tufts.edu.  

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.

DPT Program in Seattle, WA

Effective April 30, 2024, Tufts University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Seattle, WA has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 617-636-4036 or email dpt.program@tufts.edu.

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.