Professor Donates $1 Billion, Waives Off Tuition Fee For Med Students

Ruth Gottesman, a longtime professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, has made a huge donation of 1 billion dollars, waiving off tuition fees free for all medical students studying at the campus. This is reportedly the largest-ever charitable donation made by any education institute in the United States. 

Aspiring doctors at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City can now celebrate a life-changing development. The prestigious institution announced it will become completely tuition-free for all students, thanks to a historic $1 billion donation. The donation was made by a professor of the institute itself with strict instructions that the gift must be used to cover tuition for all students.

Why A Medical School In New York Waived Off Tuition Fees For Students?

This transformative gift, the largest ever made to a medical school in the United States, comes from Dr Ruth Gottesman, a longtime professor at Albert Einstein. 93-year-old Dr Gottesman's act of extraordinary generosity will immediately eliminate tuition for all current and future students, starting from August 2024.

The philanthropic donor, Dr Gottesman was a former professor at the institute and studied learning disabilities, developed a screening test, and also ran many literacy programmes. She is also the wife of the late David Gottesman known as Sandy, a protégé of Warren Buffet from whom the donations have come with his early investments in Berkshire Hathaway. 

This donation is notably remarkable not only for its staggering size or being the largest donation ever made to an educational institute but also because it is made to a Bronx medical school which is the city's poorest borough. 

Dr Gottesman, known for her lifelong dedication to education and healthcare, expressed her hope that the donation will "enable new doctors to begin their careers debt-free and serve their communities without financial constraints." This initiative is expected to not only benefit students but also address the national shortage of physicians, especially in underserved areas.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the medical community, with students expressing immense gratitude and relief. The financial burden of medical school debt is notorious, often exceeding hundreds of thousands of dollars. This donation promises to alleviate that pressure, allowing future doctors to focus on their studies and pursue their careers without the weight of crippling debt.

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine joins a growing list of institutions working towards making medical education more accessible. This landmark donation serves as a powerful example of individual philanthropy's potential to create lasting positive change within the healthcare landscape.

Watch Dr Gottesman's announcement speech here enthralling students with this sentimental gift:

We are profoundly grateful that Dr. Ruth Gottesman, Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at @EinsteinMed, has made a transformational gift to #MontefioreEinstein—the largest to any medical school in the country—that ensures no student has to pay tuition again. https://t.co/XOy9HZLbfD pic.twitter.com/1ijv02jHFk

— Montefiore Health System (@MontefioreNYC) February 26, 2024