(Image via USA Today)

Staff Writer: Gwen Pichette

Email: gpichette@umassd.edu

Unbridled celebration erupted in the auditorium of Albert Einstein College of Medicine from faculty and students upon hearing the announcement that most college students could only dream of: free tuition. 

The announcement was made by 96-year-old Ruth Gottesmen, who made the staggering donation of $1 billion to the school. She is a recent widow of a successful Wall Street executive who died in September 2022. Unbeknownst to her, he was worth an estimated $3 billion at his death. 

Her late husband left her with only these cryptic instructions along with the whopping sum: “do whatever you think is right with it.”  

It’s safe to say that she fulfilled his wishes.

With such vague direction on the matter, what prompted her to make the donation to this particular university? 

For starters, Gottesman has had ties with the college for 55 years. She became a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine back in 1968, where she fostered a passionate learning environment, studying learning disabilities, creating her own adult literacy program, and even serving on the school’s board of trustees.  

More impressive still, this is not even the first of her philanthropic efforts towards the school. She and her late husband have been donating to the education facilities for years. Most prominently, the couple donated $25 million for stem and cell research in 2008. 

This most recent donation is even more reason to celebrate due to the specific area of New York where it was made–the Bronx. 

The Bronx is notoriously the most underserved and impoverished county in the United States. While donations have been made to neighboring schools in New York’s higher-income areas before, there has never been such a large donation made to this university. 

Needless to say, this contribution changes everything–specifically for underrepresented and marginalized individuals. Historically, cost would have been a barrier for these populations even considering applying to the school, as tuition for the medical program is staggering, at nearly $60,000 per academic year. This will no longer be a deterrent for talented low-income applicants. 

Instead, the university hopes to attract a diverse pool of passionate students who will go on to be scientists.

Even better still, with less debt in tow, these students will now be able to take jobs that pay less, but serve populations that are in higher need of proper medical care. In the past, many graduates from Einstein College would move out of the Bronx and into wealthier areas that offer higher pay. 

Yet this debt relief will provide an incentive for graduates to remain in the Bronx and to help the community there. 

This is the case for Trevor Barker, an Albert Einstein College of Medicine freshman. Having to juggle two jobs while enrolled in rigorous courses, he “hadn’t really been able to consider family medicine” before, but now, with the free tuition says that he “might want to.” Family medicine helps a diverse range of individuals from children to the elderly, which is particularly in high demand in this area. Career opportunities are now expanding for the better. 

The Dean of the college, Yaron Tomer, expressed similar sentiments about the opportunities the donation will afford: 

“This donation radically revolutionizes our ability to continue attracting students who are committed to our mission, not just those who can afford it. Additionally, it will free up and lift our students, enabling them to pursue projects and ideas that might otherwise be prohibitive.”

Good news is also available for fourth-semester students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. They will be reimbursed for their spring tuition, which amounts to around $31,000. This is one less anxiety that they have to carry into their careers. 

Avraham Kohanzadeh is one such fourth-year student. He recounted the beautiful camaraderie between his classmates when everyone in the auditorium was “crying, cheering, and hugging each other as they celebrated” upon hearing the news. 

Shockingly, the soon-to-be-graduate says he would not want to apply now, even though acceptance for tuition would be free for all four years. 

 Kohanzadeh worries for future students’ ability to get into the school. Because the school has more of an appeal with its free tuition, the admissions are expected to skyrocket, heightening the competition. He claims it “will be much more challenging to get an interview offer” and even harder to get “one that will turn into an acceptance.” 

Regardless, he encourages future students to apply as it isn’t “out of reach for anyone who is extremely passionate.”

One thing remains certain: without the burden of debt, Albert Einstein College of Medicine graduates will be able to advance the medical field in a way that has never been seen before, thanks to the massive donation. 

Watch the heartwarming video of Ruth Gottesman’s announcement below: