Every other fall, hundreds of Weill Cornell Medicine alumni fill the halls of 1300 York Avenue for their class reunion. They’re there to reconnect with friends, visit their old stomping grounds and learn about some of the latest advances in medicine from their colleagues. The energy and excitement at the Reunion events are palpable – these former students are back where it all began, where they learned the skills to become some of the finest physicians in the country and where they first joined the Weill Cornell Medicine family. The Weill Cornell Medicine alumni – 5,800 in total – are some of the most passionate advocates for the institution – and also some of its most loyal supporters.
In the past five years alone, Weill Cornell Medicine alumni have contributed nearly $10 million to the institution. Their support has been extensive and broad-based – bolstering efforts in research, clinical care and medical education.
“Our alumni are committed to staying connected and keeping this institution strong,” says Stuart Mushlin, MD ’73, president of the Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association.
One of the institutional areas that has benefited most from alumni support is the scholarship endowment. During the past few years, alumni donations toward scholarship have skyrocketed – alumni were key players in helping the institution reach and surpass the $20 million scholarship target for the Campaign for Education, launched in 2014. It is, in part, because of this ongoing alumni commitment that Weill Cornell Medicine students graduate with less debt as compared to their peers.
“As an alumnus and a scholarship donor myself, I know firsthand the power of supporting an institution that has given you so much,” says Richard Cohen, MD ’75, co-chair of the Campaign for Education. “Watching our alumni help to bring us to our scholarship goal – allowing more students to receive this solid educational foundation – has been incredibly inspiring.”
But scholarship funding is only one critical part of alumni giving. Weill Cornell Medicine alumni have given in areas across the board – often to the direct benefit of current medical students. One example of this is the Paul F. Miskovitz ’75 Stethoscope Fund for Medical Students. Started in 2009 by The Buster Foundation, this fund provides a stethoscope to every incoming student – presented at the White Coat Ceremony during the first week of school. In total, nearly 400 alumni and friends have contributed to this fund, which has raised $180,000.
“There is nothing quite like receiving your first stethoscope – it’s so empowering,” says Raul Martinez-McFaline, student representative to the Board of Overseers. “And knowing that it was given to you from someone who once stood in your shoes makes it even more meaningful.”
Whether supporting the groundbreaking research at the Belfer Research Building, the clinical expertise of the faculty or educational opportunities for the healthcare leaders of tomorrow, Weill Cornell Medicine alumni continue to make this an even stronger institution every day.
“Our alumni are a critical part of what makes this institution thrive,” says Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi, interim dean for Weill Cornell Medicine. “We are so proud of everything they have accomplished – and so grateful for their generosity.”
Many Weill Cornell Medicine graduates go on to become members of the Dean’s Circle, a group that honors alumni who have generously given $25,000 or more to the institution or established planned gifts of $50,000 or more. This giving society continues to grow and flourish as more alumni become involved. The stories of the following Dean’s Circle donors – and there are many more – capture the breadth and diversity of alumni giving at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Drs. Nan and Scott Hayworth
As students, former Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, MD ’85, and Scott Hayworth, MD ’84, knew that studying at Weill Cornell Medicine was a great privilege. During their time in medical school, they benefitted from the generosity of donor-funded scholarships and are happy to now be able to help the next generation of Weill Cornell Medicine physicians through the Henry C. and Anne Hayworth First Honor Prize, which was established Nan and Scott Hayworth in 2004 with a $5,000 gift in honor of Scott’s parents and continues to grow.
Nan and Scott Hayworth
“Our medical education was made possible in large part by the endless kindness and generosity of our parents Anne and Henry Hayworth, so we’re proud and happy to honor them with a named prize,” Scott notes.
This prize is given annually to a student who has exhibited outstanding scholastic performance during their first year of medical school. “We hope that the recipients of the Hayworth Prize are just as successful in the remaining years of their education – and in their careers – as they have proven at the outset,” says Nan.
In addition to establishing the Hayworth Prize, the Hayworths also gave $20,000 to support the renovation of the Weill Education Center.
Drs. Natasha Leibel and Harlan Levine
Natasha Leibel, MD ’98, looks back to her time at Weill Cornell Medicine with fondness – especially since that was where she met her husband, Harlan Levine, MD ’98.
When Dr. Leibel and Dr. Levine graduated from medical school, they were fortunate enough to not have to worry about paying off a tremendous amount of debt. But they knew that many aspiring doctors could not afford the same luxury, and so they decided to create the Harlan B. Levine, MD ’98 and Natasha I. Leibel, MD ’98 Scholarship.
Harlan Levine and Natasha Leibel with their children
Dr. Leibel hopes scholarship recipients enjoy being doctors as much as she and her husband do. “We don’t want someone to be deterred from making the choice of going into medicine because they fear being saddled in debt,” she says. “And the scholarship recipients at Weill Cornell Medicine are truly some of the most inspiring young people.”
Dr. Leibel and Dr. Levine also made a gift to name an investigators’ suite in the Belfer Research Building. Dr. Leibel’s father is a scientist and she has seen firsthand the struggle that scientists go through when it comes to research funding, so the cause was very close to her heart.
Dr. Connie Newman
Endocrinologist Connie Newman, MD ’78, looked up to her father, a pediatrician, who often shared stories about his time working for a contagious disease hospital during the 1940s polio epidemic. He would often make house calls to low-income neighborhoods and cared for patients who could not afford to pay him. His actions ultimately inspired her to become a physician herself.
“He taught me the importance of caring for people no matter who they are, where they live, what disease they have, or how much money they have,” says Dr. Newman, adding that her father’s actions guided her philanthropy towards organizations that improve access to healthcare.
When Dr. Newman decided to make a $25,000 gift to Weill Cornell Medicine, she was drawn to support the student-run Weill Cornell Community Clinic, which provides high-quality care to uninsured individuals. “I went on a tour of the clinic and immediately felt that my contribution would be valuable, not only in training Weill Cornell medical students but also for increasing access to care for the underserved,” Dr. Newman says.
Dr. Newman is also a mentor for female medical students who are members of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Women in Medicine group. “My main message to women in medical careers is to establish realistic, but challenging professional and personal goals,” says Dr. Newman. “I tell these students to have the courage to pursue their dreams, to maintain their optimism and sense of humor during difficult times, and to embrace change as it may lead to unexpected opportunity.”
Dr. John Zebala
For John Zebala, MD ’93, PhD ’92, the years he spent training to become a physician-scientist at Weill Cornell Medicine were some of the most enjoyable and transformative years of his life. “I had the freedom to find my life passions as an inventor and biomedical entrepreneur. All of the business and personal successes I have achieved today would never have been possible without the MD-PhD program,” Dr. Zebala says.
Dr. Zebala was inspired to make a $25,000 gift to the Olaf S. Andersen, MD, Fund for Physician-Scientist Training so that future biomedical entrepreneurs could have the same opportunity that he did. The fund was established in honor of Dr. Olaf Andersen’s 20th year as the director of the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD program.
John and Amy Zebala
“It is my hope that this fund will support the full spectrum of student creativity and innovative potential that lies at the heart of the MD-PhD program, giving those students mentorship opportunities across fields that encompass basic science, clinical service and the business of biomedicine,” says Dr. Zebala.
For more information on alumni giving at Weill Cornell Medicine, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (646) 962-9560 or alumni@med.cornell.edu or visit alumni.weill.cornell.edu.
