When distinguished Weill Cornell alumnus Dr. Richard Cohen and his wife, Libby, established the Libby and Richard P. Cohen, M.D. ’75 Scholarship in 2003, their hope was to help medical students pursue the careers of their dreams. What Dr. Cohen didn’t know at that time was that one of his friends and patients, Barbara Slifka, would share this commitment and become his partner and champion in these efforts. Ms. Slifka, a longtime friend to Weill Cornell, has generously supported the Cohen scholarship for the past seven years, helping it become one of the most financially robust endowed scholarships at the Medical College. Ms. Slifka’s passion for promoting medical education was made further evident when she established the Richard P. Cohen, M.D. Professorship in Medical Education in 2009 and through her ongoing support for the Weill Cornell International Fellowship Program.
Dr. Cohen and Barbara Slifka recently sat down with Larry Schafer, Vice Provost for External Affairs, to speak about what inspires each of them to give.
LS: Dr. Cohen, you have been involved with the Medical College for quite some time now – as a medical student, an alumnus, a faculty member and most recently in your role as philanthropist. What is it that keeps you so connected here?
RC: Well, it’s my home. I came here as a young man, and the place has been wonderful to me and my family. It’s allowed me to pursue a dream of a career that I couldn’t even imagine. I feel very warmly towards the institution, its history and what it’s done for me. I feel that it’s appropriate for me to give back.
LS: Barbara, you and your family have also been connected to Weill Cornell for a long time – can you tell me a little about how you first became involved with the Medical College? And, how did you find Dr. Cohen?
BS: My first connection here was as a patient – I had a doctor here, many years ago, that I loved. About 14 years ago, when I was looking for a new general practitioner, my good friend Collette Kean referred me to Dr. Cohen. The first time I met him, he said “I’ll take you on one condition. I’m the captain of the ship – it all goes through me.” In other words, if I’m having a problem, I need to see him first. And I’ve stuck with that. It works.
LS: Both of you have shown, through your ongoing scholarship support, that you are committed to helping our medical students achieve great things. What is it about medical education that inspires you?
BS: I have a soft spot for supporting education. I think it’s the most important thing in this country. When I was a high school student, my school strongly promoted ethics and values, and one of my values has always been supporting education and giving back.
RC: To us, setting up a scholarship made the most sense. We wanted to build something that had the potential to help … and to grow. And, every year, we get a letter about who our scholars are and we just sit there and kvell. These are wonderful people who have the potential for truly progressive careers.
LS: Barbara, I understand that over the years, you have met a number of students who hold the Cohen scholarship. How has that experience been for you?
BS: Oh, wonderful. They’re terrific! I’m always amazed by them. It is so interesting to hear about their medical studies, but also their interests outside of medicine. These are really well-rounded students.
RC: You meet these students and you don’t worry about the future of medicine as far as quality. You don’t worry about them continuing the tradition of caring for people. It’s very reassuring.
LS: The Cohen Professorship is currently held by Dr. Yoon Kang, the Director of the Margaret and Ian Smith Clinical Skills Center. What do you think is the impact of hands-on clinical skills training for our medical students?
BS: I love Dr. Kang – and I love that whole program, where they actually simulate patient care in a hospital room. What they’re doing there is clearly important – and amazing.
RC: At first, I honestly didn’t understand the need for a clinical skills center. But, when I learned about what Dr. Kang was planning to do at the Center, I was a big convert. Helping students learn clinical skills in a controlled setting makes a lot of sense.
LS: And, Dr. Cohen, how do you feel to have a professorship named for you at the medical school?
RC: It’s very nice and very humbling. Though, it should probably be named the Slifka professorship…
BS: (laughs) I was thrilled to name the professorship after Dr. Cohen. I couldn’t think of anyone better.
LS: Barbara, your philanthropy reaches far and wide. The Joseph & Sylvia Slifka Foundation supports a variety of efforts including organizations in the social services, arts and education. How do you choose which areas to support? Would you say that you have a philosophy for giving?
BS: I try to give back to local organizations and people in the community. There are a lot of organizations, big and small, that need help. It feels nice to be able to do that.
LS: And what about you, Dr. Cohen?
RC: Libby and I feel very strongly about philanthropy. We’re not in foundation league, but we’ve been blessed with success. We also feel very comfortable with alumni giving – we give to our undergraduate schools, we give here and we give to Libby’s graduate school, because we feel that’s something alumni should do.
