Wellness Stories
Bolstering Student Health
Students from the Tufts University Boston health sciences campus and the Office of Student Wellness director talk about the importance of promoting student wellness. Contributions like the Greenwald fund help make it possible.
Melissa Burgemeister, DPT, MEd
Melissa Burgemeister is the Co-Director of Student Affairs and Assistant Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program with the Phoenix Cohort. She has over fifteen years of clinical practice in outpatient orthopedics and sports settings. Melissa has also been teaching in higher education, including athletic training, PTA, and DPT programs, since 2006. Her research interests include effective pedagogical strategies for enhancing student learning and student learning outcomes in DPT education.
"Spending time with my family is a priority and I plan it into my schedule to make sure it happens."
Michael Chin, MD, PhD
Michael Chin is a physician-scientist, practicing cardiologist, NIH-funded research scientist, entrepreneur, educator and administrator. He has multiple roles within the Tufts community, and currently serves as the Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, Research Director for the Tufts Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and Investigator in the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute.
"One of my favorite weekend activities is to take a walk on the beach, no matter what season. I have seen so many interesting things, such as right whales, ocean sunfish, seals, a cold stunned endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtle (that we rescued), migrating seabirds, nesting piping plovers and chicks, crabs, clams, menhaden, ospreys, snails, sunsets, moonrises, entire rainbows, double rainbows, constellations, shooting stars, striped bass feeding blitzes."
Kevon Manners, DPT-Boston 25
Since starting the School of Medicine’s hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in May 2023, Kevon Manners has fully embraced the opportunities available to students in this accelerated program. In addition to describing how he reached out to OSW staff for individual guidance to help navigate the challenges of hybrid education, Kevon share show his cohort has bonded during their in-person lab immersions.
Melissa Calica, M25
Melissa has fully embraced the benefits of going to medical school at Tufts. Born and raised in California, she quickly learned to love autumn in New England, and became a regular at Office of Student Wellness events to help her balance the demands of school and her personal well-being.
Wendy Mauti, D25
Life’s challenges don’t wait for us to finish ambitious goals like dental school. In her story, Wendy shares how she applied what she learned working with staff in the Office of Student Wellness to help her achieve success and talks about her love of our Wellness Gatherings and Pet Therapy.
Christine Ganser, M23
"My main way to de-stress is by exercising. I was an athlete in college so this has always been my go-to, though now instead of basketball my main form of exercise is yoga."
Banafsheh Nazari, MBS19
"Various life experiences have taught me the value of maintaining a balance among work, academics, and my personal life."
Anthony Norman, M20
"Time management and staying organized have been critical components for balancing my academic and social responsibilities. The work-life balance isn’t even at every given moment, but there should be a balance over the long haul."
Natalie Kleeman Klapholz, M22
"In medical school, it's easy to feel like we could always be studying just a little more, but it is important to be able to know when you can call it a day and enjoy your life as well."
Carly Wareham, M20
"It will all be ok! It’s easy to get consumed with a bad grade, below average Step score, or poor feedback on a rotation, but at the end of the day, you will still be a doctor (and in the field you want). Just give it your all and do the best you can."
Patricia Gore, PA
"I found that it was best for me to take my assigned schoolwork for the week and break it up into short blocks that could be tackled every day. That way I was able to accomplish my schoolwork without feeling overwhelmed and make time for activities like working out or spending time with my family."
Mary Albertolle, M20
"It’s important to work hard and build a strong foundation of medical knowledge, but also remember that it’s important to build a strong community within medical school and have fun! I think we all wish we could tell our first-year selves to take ourselves a little less seriously."