The dream of attending Einstein is now closer to reality for aspiring physicians. Combined with the 2024 transformational gift of free tuition from Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., chair of the Board of Trustees, many medical students will now have their living expenses covered, thanks in large part to the generosity of Einstein alumni and friends.
The cost of housing, food, transportation, and personal expenses average $30,000 a year, and many Einstein students are reliant on loans to cover that expense. But a scholarship match program, set up by an anonymous donor in 2023, has proved to be a game-changer.
In the last two years, Einstein alumni and friends have taken part in a first-of-its-kind one-to-one match program and endowed dozens of need-based scholarships to pay those living expenses, totaling more than $10.6 million in value.
“It’s truly a demonstration of the dedication that Einstein alumni have to supporting students,” says Min Um-Mandhyan, executive director of alumni relations & development. “Einstein alumni are true champions of students.”
The influx of donations is largely due to a first-of-its-kind program at Einstein, funded by a $5 million gift from the anonymous donor, which specified that it be used to match the creation of new endowed scholarships.
Min Um-Mandhyan, executive director of alumni relations
“We knew from the feasibility study we conducted in 2022 that the top priority for alumni was student support, namely through scholarships,” says Suzanne M. Murphy, Ed.D., vice president of development.
From its onset, the scholarship match program was designed to reduce the debt of medical students. “When we learned about the anonymous donor’s intention to provide financial aid, we were confident alumni would welcome the opportunity to participate and establish their own scholarship funds, knowing it was imperative to remain competitive with other peer institutions,” she adds.
What happened next was an unprecedented surge of endowment funding, creating more than 70 new scholarships and exceeding the $10 million match goal.
Suzanne M. Murphy, Ed.D., vice president of development
Dr. Murphy credits the success of the match program to the accessible entry point; for the first time, a scholarship could be endowed with a gift of $50,000, which could be paid over five years, making it more attainable to donors.
“The beauty of the match program is that we were able to attract a new cohort of benefactors who have made their first endowed gift to Einstein,” says Dr. Murphy. While the campaign received gifts in amounts up to $250,000, the most common commitment from individual gifts was at the $50,000 level.
The anonymous donor strengthened the Einstein community of donors by inspiring others to establish endowed scholarships in their own names. The philosophy behind the match was that it would create a perpetual loop of generosity, inspiring alumni to support incoming Einstein medical students for generations to come. Each of the 60 alumni who individually endowed a scholarship had their own motivation in establishing a fund.
For Marcelle L. Abell-Rosen, M.D. ’01, it was a chance for her and her husband, Andrew, to pay forward the exceptional educational experience that she received at Einstein through the Marcelle and Andrew Rosen Endowed Scholarship. “We were a young married couple with a small child when I was a student at Einstein, so we know just how meaningful it will be to a student who will be relieved of the financial strains of medical school. We want students to be able to focus on making the most of their time and training at Einstein,” she says.
Andrew Rosen and Marcelle L. Abell-Rosen, M.D. ’01
Several alumni, like David A. Schreiber, M.D. ’03, say they want to ensure that Einstein students can focus their preparation in areas that are closest to their hearts instead of higher paying specialty programs that might not be as personally fulfilling. “By reducing the burden of student debt, we hope to enable graduates to make career decisions based on passion and service rather than financial limitations,” Dr. Schreiber says.
Alumni couple Sean Sukal, M.D., Ph.D. ’02, and Mintra Sukal, M.D. ’00, say they were inspired by the opportunity to make their contribution reach twice as far. “The one-to-one match is amazing,” says Dr. Mintra Sukal. “Supporting scholarships is something we’ve always thought of doing. The opportunity to double our contribution convinced us to make it happen.”
Other alumni established scholarships with similar intentions that also honored loved ones and their personal journeys.
Sean Sukal, M.D., Ph.D. '02, and Mintra Sukal, M.D. '00
Scott Suchin, M.D. ’99, established the Jerry Suchin Endowed Scholarship for Nurses in honor of his late father. The gift is providing support for nurses who would like to become physicians, a path he traveled himself. “I can’t take away the years of training or the arduous workload, but if I can take away the economic toll, then maybe more nurses who want to become physicians can do so,” Dr. Suchin says.
Although Jon Hilsenrath isn’t an alumnus, his father, Joseph, was a member of Einstein’s first graduating class. Mr. Hilsenrath and his family were moved to create the Joseph and Elaine Hilsenrath Endowed Scholarship in honor of their parents. It was also particularly important to honor their lives by providing funding for a student who is devoted to science, reason, and the preservation of human life.
Scott Suchin, M.D. ’99
Meanwhile, other Einstein alumni were galvanized by the match opportunity to launch crowd-funding scholarships. Class leaders coordinated efforts to collectively endow scholarships in tribute to their graduating cohort. The classes of 1963, 1973, 1977, and 1992 each established scholarships that remain open to receive additional gifts.
Moreover, others united to celebrate student groups or shared affinities by establishing funds such as the Einstein Alumni Association Board of Governors Student Support Fund.
“For those of us serving on the Einstein Alumni Association’s board of governors, it was especially meaningful to demonstrate our commitment to student support. We knew from our feasibility report just how strongly alumni felt about Einstein,” says Sten H. Vermund, M.D. ’77, Ph.D., co-chair of the development subcommittee. “We knew our classmates would rise to the occasion because it is what Einstein alumni do.”
By keeping those funds open, alumni were able to contribute at whatever level they could afford and support multiple funds, allowing for more participation than ever before.
Pilar Vargas, M.D. ’77, Ph.D., and Sten H. Vermund, M.D. ’77, Ph.D.
Worthy of note are the 48 donors who seized the opportunity to make their first major contribution to Einstein. Previously, alumni donors had given an average total of approximately $5,000 to the College of Medicine. Now, through substantially larger gift commitments thanks to the match program, alumni are poised to make a bigger impact on their alma mater.
“Alumni giving has really soared in recent years, and this is a pinnacle,” says Ms. Um-Mandhyan. “With an engaged alumni base, there’s so much more we can do.”
