Director’s Message
John Castellot, Director of the MBS Program
]In October 2018, Dr. Alvar Gustafson, the legendary founding Director of the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MBS) Program passed away, and I was asked to step into his giant shoes. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on Al’s legacy as well as give a glimpse of what’s next for the MBS Program and how we plan to remain at the forefront of the 120 similar special master’s programs in the US.
When I arrived at Tufts in 1988, Al welcomed me with open arms and we were close colleagues from that point on. When a small group of faculty suggested creating the MBS Program, the Dean asked which of us should be the Director. Perhaps the very best advice any Dean has ever been given was when we all said, “Al Gustafson would be the perfect choice”. Al was indeed perfect! Coming up with an idea is one thing—scientists have thousands of them—but putting a concept into successful practice is infinitely harder. Al excelled in generating ideas and putting them into practice, and the MBS Program was, in my humble opinion, his crowning achievement in an amazing career.
We started with 55 students in 2008 and rapidly grew into the 130 students per year we have now. The academic advisors for the students were just that—we were not trained as pre-professional advisors. With Al’s guidance, the program’s academic advisors morphed into outstanding pre-professional advisors that provide the same nitty-gritty advice an undergrad would receive from a top-notch pre-professional office at their college. The MBS Program under Al’s stewardship helped more than 1,000 students (and their families) achieve their life’s dream—acceptance to medical or dental school. How many of us in the academe can come close to this kind of success?
It is no surprise to me that among his last thoughts was to establish an MBS Student Scholarship Fund—Al was a student advocate 24/7/365! He was truly a one-of-a-kind gentleman in the very best sense of the word. He spent his life in service to our students, and Tufts is a greatly enriched institution through his efforts. From a purely personal standpoint, Al was the quintessential colleague in all respects from whom I regularly sought advice.
From the solid foundation that Al built for the MBS Program, we are moving forward to meet several important challenges. The medical school is introducing a new curriculum this August, and the MBS Program has adapted to that new curriculum in ways that enhance the preparation of our students for medical school. We have developed a pathway for our pre-dental students to experience what the professional of dentistry is all about via a new elective course designed expressly for them. While the great majority of our students go to medical or dental school, there are also students who pursue other health care professions. We aim to provide the necessary academic prerequisites as well as career advice to ensure that all MBS students make the career decisions that are best for them.