Ruth Gottesman, a 93-year-old woman, has made a generous donation of $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, a medical school located in the Bronx. The widow of a Wall Street financier, Mrs. Gottesman is a former professor at the school where she studied learning disabilities, developed a screening test, and ran literacy programs. Her late husband, David Gottesman, was a protégé of Warren Buffett and made an early investment in Berkshire Hathaway, which contributed to the family's fortune.
This donation is a remarkable achievement, not only in terms of its size but also because it is going to a medical institution in the Bronx, the city's poorest borough. The Bronx has a high rate of premature deaths and has been deemed the unhealthiest county in New York. In the past, many billionaires have made significant donations to better-known medical schools and hospitals in Manhattan, the city's wealthiest borough.
Mrs. Gottesman's generous donation will cover the tuition fees for all future medical students. Her intention is to help new doctors begin their careers without worrying about the financial burden of medical school debt, which often exceeds $200,000. She also hopes to widen the student body to include individuals who might not be able to afford medical school otherwise. Mrs. Gottesman is an esteemed member of Einstein's board of trustees and is currently the chair.
She developed a close friendship with Dr. Philip Ozuah, the pediatrician who oversees the medical college and its affiliated hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, as the chief executive officer of the health system.
This friendship and trust played a significant role in her decision to donate the money her husband left her.
In an interview on Friday at the Einstein campus in the Morris Park neighborhood, Dr. Ozuah and Mrs. Gottesman spoke about the donation, how it came together, and what it would mean for Einstein medical students. This act of kindness and generosity will go a long way in helping bright young minds achieve their dreams of becoming doctors and making a difference in the world.
