The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx is set to offer free tuition to all its students from August, thanks to a landmark $1 billion donation from philanthropist Dr. Ruth Gottesman.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, located in the Bronx—the poorest borough and the unhealthiest area in the state—has announced that it will offer free tuition to all its students starting from August. This significant development is enabled by a generous $1 billion donation from Dr. Ruth Gottesman, the 93-year-old widow of a notable Wall Street investor and a former professor at the college. Dr. Gottesman’s philanthropic gesture ranks among the largest donations ever made to a U.S. educational institution and is the most substantial contribution to a medical school to date.
With the cost of tuition nearing $59,000 annually, this initiative aims to relieve the financial burden of student debt, thereby allowing students to pursue their academic and professional goals freely. Dr. Gottesman, who started her career at the Einstein college in 1968, has been motivated by a desire to support aspiring medical professionals in service to communities in need. Over the years, she made significant contributions to medical science, particularly in diagnosing and treating children with learning disabilities and running an adult literacy program.
The donation is made possible through the stock portfolio left behind by Dr. Gottesman’s late husband, which she was given the freedom to use as she saw fit. By making medical education more accessible, especially to students from underprivileged backgrounds, the aim is to attract dedicated individuals to the medical profession regardless of their financial situation. Dr. Yaron Yomer, the university dean, and Dr. Philip Ozuah, president of Montefiore Einstein, have both expressed their gratitude for this transformative donation, emphasizing the critical role that access to education plays in achieving excellence in healthcare.
Dr. Gottesman hopes her contribution will have a profound impact on future generations of medical students, reflecting her late husband’s legacy and her lifelong dedication to improving healthcare in underserved communities.
