Endowed Clerkship Directors

Tufts is distinguished by the rigor and depth of our clinical training and by the mentorship of our faculty. Clerkships are a critical component of the MD program, an immersive experience in clinical medicine that enables medical students to become skilled and compassionate physicians.

Each one of the core clerkships in medicine, surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics, family medicine, and psychiatry is led by a clerkship director who is the academic leader of his or her discipline. The clerkship director plays a lead role in guiding faculty members throughout the medical school’s clinical partners to develop and implement a well-rounded and rigorous training curriculum in the discipline. Directors also assist students as they rotate through their core clerkship year. Many graduates consider core clerkships the highlight of their MD training, and we owe this strength in large part to outstanding clerkship directors.

Clerkship directors are guiding mentors, helping students acquire the skills, confidence, humility, and resilience to be great physicians. They also offer invaluable support as students prepare for residency, guiding students through this critical decision-making process and writing detailed letters of recommendation based on their knowledge of each applicant.

The Need

Hospital clinicians have always played a central role in medical training, but physicians today are under increasing pressure to see more patients, and time is a precious resource. Clerkship directors shoulder significant responsibilities, devoting approximately a quarter of their time to this role, including to program development, training, and mentorship. Endowed clerkship directorships will provide long-term support and recognition for the faculty who hold these important positions and will ensure that we continue to offer training of the highest caliber.

Giving Opportunities

A gift of $250,000 or more will establish a named, endowed clerkship directorship in one of the following core disciplines:

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Obstetrics-Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Family Medicine
• Psychiatry

A Gift of Lasting Impact

Clerkship directors have a positive and lasting impact on hundreds of medical students each year, who in turn will impact the lives of thousands of patients through the practice of medicine. Your gift can make a lasting difference to the medical school, our graduates, and all the patients and communities they serve.

For more information on this giving opportunity, please contact Rebecca Scott, Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at 617-636-2777 or rebecca.scott@tufts.edu.