Tufts University School of Medicine unveils new anatomy lab, kicks off 125th anniversary
BOSTON (Dec. 18, 2017)—Last week, Tufts University School of Medicine cut the ribbon on its new gross anatomy lab, introducing a modern, enlarged space for students to learn essential anatomical training. The lab’s opening celebration was also the launch of the school’s 125th anniversary.
The Michael Jaharis Jr. Anatomy Laboratory is an entirely new facility with room for more than 200 students and faculty to work with high-resolution diagnostic imaging, computer screens at each of the 44 dissection tables, and additional classroom and work spaces to support active and group learning. Tufts medical, dental and physician assistant students all take gross anatomy classes in the lab.
“During the study of gross anatomy, medical students meet their first ‘patient,’” said Harris Berman, M.D., F.A.C.P., dean of Tufts University School of Medicine. “With this new laboratory, we will be able to integrate state-of-the-art technology and interactive learning with the classic anatomy dissection experience to better prepare our students to become great clinicians.”
The new lab was initiated by a $15 million gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation and is named for Jaharis family patriarch Michael Jaharis. Jaharis, who passed away in 2016, was the longstanding chairman of the School of Medicine’s Board of Advisors and a university trustee. The Jaharis family has been a deep-rooted supporter of education at Tufts, providing the foundational gift for the Jaharis Family Center for Biomedical and Nutrition Sciences and endowing the School of Medicine’s Jaharis Family Chair in Family Medicine. Two million of the family’s $15 million gift to the school goes toward assisting middle- to low-income fourth-year medical students who pursue careers in family medicine, typically among the lowest-paid specialties in medicine.
At the event, Berman presented members of the family with Dean’s Medals. This is the highest honor bestowed by the dean of a school at Tufts University and awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to a school and the greater community.
The event also marked the start of the school’s year-long celebration for its 125th anniversary in 2018.