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 and The Fletcher School 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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.