Friends of Renaissance School of Medicine Heed the Call for Help

Six donors have given $500,000 toward medical school scholarships in match challenge

For many aspiring physicians, medical school is only a dream. The high cost of attending medical school and the resulting debt upon graduation make it unattainable for countless highly qualified students.
More than one-third of Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine 2020 graduating class accrued over $250,000 in debt during their time in medical school, and that number is increasing each year, making need-based scholarships an essential tool for recruiting and training diverse and talented cohorts of future physicians, surgeons and others.
Recognizing the need to help these students and in celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the founding of the Renaissance School of Medicine, Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences and Dean Emeritus of the School of Medicine Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, announced a five-year match challenge to support endowed need-based scholarships for medical students. The ultimate goal: to build an endowment that will support the next generation of medical students at Stony Brook University.
“If we want to make sure the Renaissance School of Medicine remains a school of choice for the most promising students, we need to make it more affordable for them,” said Dr. Kaushansky. “Hopefully, this match program will inspire our friends to reach out in support of our students.”
Longtime friends of Stony Brook, the Guru Krupa Foundation, and several other generous donors heeded Dr. Kaushansky’s call. In total, the Guru Krupa Foundation; Krishnareddy Gujavarty, MD; School of Medicine alumnus Edward Weingarden ’79, MD ’85 and Judith Weingarden; fellow School of Medicine graduate Tara Allmen, MD ’90; Stony Brook University Hospital Budget Analyst Violet Payne; and Stony Brook University Alumni Association President Robert deBrauwere, Esq. ’87 and Caryn deBrauwere ’86 have donated $500,000 to the Renaissance School of Medicine’s 50th Anniversary Scholarship Match Program — making a total impact of $1 million and creating six endowed scholarship funds for students in need.
“We strive to provide equal access to deserving students who otherwise could not afford to pursue such opportunities,” said Mukund Padmanabhan, founder and president of the Guru Krupa Foundation. “There are few who are more deserving of that support than the hardworking students at Stony Brook University. We look forward to watching these leaders of tomorrow as they thrive in the inquisitive, compassionate, inspiring environment at the Renaissance School of Medicine.”