Students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City were recently greeted with life-altering news about their future at the institution. The atmosphere was quiet as Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., chair of the Einstein Board of Trustees, took the stage to announce a monumental change. With a donation of $1 billion from Gottesman, the college would soon be tuition-free, forever altering the trajectory of medical education.
In a video of the announcement posted to YouTube, students can be seen leaping from their seats with joy, tears streaming down their faces as reality sank in. One student captured the sentiment perfectly, expressing, “This is something significantly profound, affluence no longer dictates who can become a doctor.”
Dr. Yaron Tomer, the Marilyn and Stanley Katz Dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, emphasized the transformative nature of the donation, stating, “This donation radically revolutionizes our ability to continue attracting students who are committed to our mission, not just those who can afford it.” He added, “We will be reminded of the legacy this historic gift represents each spring as we send another diverse class of physicians out across the Bronx and around the world to provide compassionate care and transform their communities.”
Students cheer after learning they no longer have to pay tuition. Photo courtesy of Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Gottesman said that after her husband, a Wall Street financier, died in 2022 at the age of 96, she was shocked to learn that he had left her that money. “He left me, unbeknownst to me, a whole portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway stock,” she recalled.
“The instructions were simple. Do whatever you think is right with it,” she said.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Photo from Getty
First-year student Samuel Woo, who had been juggling multiple jobs to cover his tuition costs, shared his emotional reaction to the news. “I was definitely very emotional and it changes a lot,” he said, expressing his newfound freedom to pursue his dream of serving underserved communities.
Jade Andrade, another first-year student, echoed Woo’s sentiments, describing the announcement as a “big wave of relief” for herself and her peers. “Growing up in an immigrant household, there are very few life decisions that you make without thinking of the financial aspects of it,” Andrade shared.
But once you remove the financial burden: ‘Anyone can dream bigger.'”
The impact of Dr. Gottesman’s donation extends far beyond the walls of the college, offering hope to aspiring doctors who might never have had the chance to go to medical school. For a look at the life-changing announcement, watch below.
