Alerts & Advisories

MD Students

Inclement Weather Policy - Year 1 and Year 2

When Tufts University School of Medicine is closed, classes are canceled and administrative offices including the OSA, OEA, Financial Aid, Student Advisory, the library and the fitness center are closed. You may be contacted by Dean Laura Baecher-Lind who will let you know of any new arrangements for exams or other required activities. If this occurs on a CAP day, you should call your CAP preceptor to determine if his/her office will be open. If the office is open and you can safely travel to the site via walking or public transportation (assuming that it's running), you are expected to report to your CAP site. If safe travel is not possible, please do not put yourself or others at risk. In that case, let your preceptor know that you will not be able to travel in for the session (this session should be made-up at a later time).

Inclement Weather Policy - Years 3 and 4 (clinical rotations)

The University closures (any campus, including Boston) will not impact students on clinical rotations at area hospitals or physician offices.

There are no "snow days" during the clinical years. That said, during a weather emergency, your safety is our highest concern. If you live within walking distance of your site or if you can travel via public transit (assuming it is running), you are expected to report to your site (if you are working at a private practice office you should call to confirm that the office is open). If travel to the site would be dangerous, please let your clerkship director and team know that you cannot safely travel to the site (you will not be penalized for this decision as long as you cannot get to the site by public transportation). You will be expected to make-up the day/night if you are on call.

From time to time Tufts University may close the Tufts Health Sciences Campus or the University due to inclement weather. When weather threatens campus or university closings, delayed arrivals or early dismissals, information will be available by calling (617) 627-INFO as early as 6:00 AM, or by logging on to tufts.edu. In the event of a closure University administrative offices will generally remain open but operate remotely and PHPD Classes will meet, or not, depending on the degree program:

Online MPH, MS HIA, and DPT Didactic Coursework

In the event of a University or campus closure due to inclement weather, classes that were originally scheduled to meet online will continue to meet as scheduled. Students should notify faculty if they will be unable to attend due to weather-related reasons (e.g. power/internet outage) and arrange to make up any missed content. If a class is unable to be conducted for weather-related reasons it will be rescheduled or replaced with asynchronous or recorded content under the purview of the course director.

Campus Based MPH, MBS, and PA Didactic Coursework, DPT Onsite Clinical Skill Labs

In the event of a University or campus closure due to inclement weather, classes will not meet unless they were already scheduled to meet online. In person classes that don’t meet will be rescheduled or replaced with asynchronous or recorded content under the purview of the course director.

Cancellation or delayed start for DPT Clinical Skill Labs will be separately communicated by the DPT Program Director.

DPT and PA Clinical Education

While students are completing site-based clinical education/rotations they should consult with their site to determine if that site will be open for business during times of inclement weather. If the site is open and a student can safely report to their site during an inclement weather event they are expected to do so. If weather conditions make it unsafe to travel to a site the student should notify the Director of Clinical Education (DPT program) or Associate Program Director (PA Program) as well as their supervisor at the clinical site.

During incremental weather closures laboratories will be open and if you can safely travel to campus via walking or public transportation (assuming that it's running), and you have time-sensitive experimental work, you may go to your laboratory. If safe travel is not possible, please do not put yourself or others at risk. In that case, let your advisor know that you will not be able to come to campus.