Health is a critical factor in creating and preserving socioeconomic stability and high levels of social welfare throughout the world, particularly in third world countries. Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and The Fletcher School (FL) created its combined MD/MA degree program with the belief that individuals who are well-educated in both medicine and international affairs will be better able to plan, gain approval for, and implement effective health and medical care programs throughout the world.
By combining clinical training with an international diplomacy, language, and business perspective, the combined MD/Fletcher School MA program bridges the fields of international relations and medicine. The program is designed to produce well-rounded physicians who understand the principles of international law, politics, economics, and business.
Mindful of our global society, physicians equipped with The Fletcher School experience are better prepared to address global health problems and strive for a future in which clinicians, researchers, and diplomats focus on public health and its link to environmental conservation, democratic participation, economic stability, and gender equity.
Students bring a wide range of international work experience to the program and enrich the student body with their backgrounds in maternal health, disability support, and humanitarian agency programs. They strive to practice medicine, formulate policy, and collaborate with researchers, physicians, and diplomats on an international stage. They also understand the synergy between peace and justice and clinical medicine that economic, political, and social factors profoundly affect the health of populations throughout the world.
Graduates of the combined MD/Fletcher School MA program can pursue jobs in organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ford Foundation, the UN, USAID, the U.S. Foreign Service, the World Bank, and other international agencies; they can also work in international companies such as ARAMCO or IBM. With their combined experience in medicine and international diplomacy, our graduates can work closely not only with other health professionals but also with diplomats, government officials, politicians, legislators, nonprofit managers, and business people who can influence and implement health related programs worldwide.
Admissions
Applicants to the MD/Fletcher School MA program should complete a Combined Degree Application on their TUSM Secondary Application. In addition, an application to the MA in International Relations program must be made separately to The Fletcher School. The final review of your candidacy to the combined MD/MA program will only be made after you have been approved for admission to the MD program by the TUSM Committee on Admissions.
Applicants are required to submit a complete The Fletcher School application with the exception of a GRE score. Your MCAT score will be accepted in its place. To obtain a copy of your MCAT score to send to Fletcher, go to https://services.aamc.org/mcatthx/. Details regarding applying to Fletcher can be found here. If you have questions regarding your application to The Fletcher School, please contact Fletcher’s Admissions Office by email or call 617-627-3040. Please be sure to identify yourself as an MD/MA applicant.