Faculty Spotlight: Najla Fiaturi

Students in MBS program learn from faculty who not only are experts in their field but also skilled mentors. Meet Najla Fiaturi MD, PhD, CFD, assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education.

What courses do you teach?
"My current responsibilities are to teach graduate level courses such as gross anatomy, histology, and pharmacology (for medical, dental, PA, MBS, and PhD students), and to serve as the course director for the Translational Pharmacology course in the Program in Drug Development."

What do you like most about teaching MBS students?
"The students are Incredibly friendly, motivated, and bright students. Engaged in their community and eager to make an impact. Last year, a couple of MBS students came up with the idea  to launch medical journal club sessions for their class and asked me to lead the sessions, it was a great experience!"

How does the pre-professional advising in the MBS program works?
"My advising duties for the MBS students include providing educational guidance by planning schedules, recommending elective courses, choosing thesis mentors, and tracking the academic and professional advancement of my advisees. In addition, I provide feedback on medical school personal statements, and I conduct a mock medical school interviews for my MBS advisees to help them gain confidence and allow them to present the personal attributes and motivations that have led them to pursue a career in medicine."

Why did you choose to teach at Tufts?
"The best thing about Tufts is the community. The community at Tufts is an amazing blend of academic discussion, socialization, and cultural experience. Moreover, Tufts is constantly re-inventing itself and improving to meet students' needs."

What is a piece of advice you would like to share with Tufts students?
"Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and the same thing goes for academics. Your professors are there to teach you and to support you, so going to their office hours and admitting that you don’t know how to do something, or you don’t understand something—that’s what they’re there for, to help you."

Anything else you would like to share?
"I strongly believe that the role of educator extends beyond teaching and includes skilled mentorship. Having been an international student from a deeply troubled country and region of the world, I know first-hand the many cultural challenges these students encounter. Despite their prior education and accomplishments, many international students feel ill-equipped to successfully tackle U.S. graduate programs. Linguistic proficiency and lack of awareness of how the U.S. academic system works can be challenging hurdles that must be overcome. I have launched the Tufts Program for Mentoring International Students. Through this program I hope to help them absorb and demystify three cultures: the U.S. culture, the culture of the U.S. research enterprise, and the culture within academic research-focused departments. I wanted to share this information to give the MBS newcomers a sense of the Tufts community as a whole."