Trainees in the Department of Surgery are encouraged to enjoy the city of Boston and the opportunities for exploration throughout New England. There are frequent outings for residents—from spontaneous bowling get-togethers, to going paintballing and holiday parties. They meet at restaurants, gather for softball games and even go to each others’ weddings. Our residents, fellows and attendings form true, lasting friendships.
Living in Boston
Boston is a vibrant city that is full of history. From the Boston Tea Party to the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, our city has seen some of the pinnacle times in our nation's growth. Walking along the streets of Boston (we recommend the Duck Boat Tour or a walk along the Freedom Trail), you can still visit many of the city's famous landmarks.
Boston is also home to many universities and major healthcare institutions. In fact, the city has the nation's highest concentration of colleges, with many alumni who stay after graduation to work and live in the city. This large population of young adults creates an atmosphere of people who are eager to network, get to know one another and have fun.
One of the things Boston is best known for is its sports teams and fanatical fans. The Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and Red Sox all call Boston home. While we root for all of the local teams, Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) has a major relationship with the Boston Bruins.
We host a number of events with the Bruins, including Cuts for a Cause (fans shave the heads of Bruins players with proceeds going to Tufts MC), which raised nearly $60,000 in 2012.
Bruins president, Cam Neely, and the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care have donated over $25 million to help build up our cancer programs, hematology/oncology research, the Neely House and the Neely Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
Our neighborhood
Boston is the largest city in New England, but it's easy to find your way around quickly. Tufts MC is located in downtown Boston, next to Chinatown and the Theater District and within walking distance of the South End, Back Bay, Boston Common, Downtown Crossing and Faneuil Hall neighborhoods.
We share the Tufts MC campus with several Tufts University science and professional schools, including Tufts University School of Medicine. The campus is close to many historical sites, fitness facilities, hotels and restaurants.
The Tufts MC Orange Line stop is located across from the main hospital entrance on Washington Street. Other nearby MBTA stops are Downtown Crossing (Red Line, Orange Line) and Boylston (Green Line). Tufts Medical Center is a 15-to-20-minute cab ride from Logan Airport and within walking distance of South Station. View our campus map and directions.
Because Tufts MC is located in the heart of Chinatown, we have a strong focus on working with this community and its residents. We created the Asian Health Initiative to identify public health issues of particular prevalence or concern in the Asian community and to work collaboratively with neighborhood organizations to address health issues in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way.
Our history
Along with its history of rooting for Boston sports teams, Tufts MC has had a number of medical firsts. More than 200 years ago, several compassionate Bostonians planted our medical center's roots, including American patriots Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
In 1796, these public-minded individuals founded the Boston Dispensary, a facility dedicated to caring for the poor. Between 1856 and 1899, the dispensary established the first medical clinic, the first dental clinic and the first lung clinic in the United States. By 1918, the dispensary had created the first evening pay clinic, a well-child clinic, a preventative health clinic and the first food clinic.
Tufts MC began as a hospital ship, sailing the Boston Harbor for the first time in 1894. The ship's mission was to take ill urban children out onto the harbor to experience the healing qualities of fresh sea air and sunshine. In the late 1920s, Tufts MC left the harbor waters and moved its facilities on land.
In 1929, the Boston Dispensary entered into an arrangement with the Boston Tufts Medical Center and Tufts College Medical School, to form the New England Medical Center (which we know today as Tufts MC). Since then, Tufts MC has been at the forefront of medical innovation with advances like establishing the world's first pediatric trauma center, inventing artificial milk (later called Similac) and discovering the modern syphilis test.