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New York City medical school students to receive free tuition moving forward thanks to historic donation

NYC medical school students to receive free tuition thanks to historic donation
NYC medical school students to receive free tuition thanks to historic donation 00:37

NEW YORK -- Students at a New York City medical school will receive free tuition in perpetuity thanks to a historic donation from a longtime professor and board member.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx said the gift from Dr. Ruth L. Gottesman is the largest ever made to any medical school in the country.

Video of the announcement posted on social media showed some students jumped up and cheered, while others sat with their mouths open in disbelief.   

Current fourth-year students will be reimbursed for the spring 2024 semester. Moving forward, all students will receive free tuition starting in the fall. 

"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," Dr. Yaron Tomer, the Marilyn and Stanley Katz Dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said in a statement. "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."

Gottesman has been working at the college for more than five decades, studying children's development and learning disabilities. She is the Chair of the Einstein Board of Trustees and serves on the board for the Montefiore Health System.

According to Monday's announcement, the school focuses on medical research, education and clinical investigation. It is currently home to 1,070 students and 239 research fellows, learning from more than 2,000 full-time faculty members.

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