The cost of attending medical school saddles most students with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debts and can restrict their career choices. For students at the Albert Einstein School of ­Medicine, that all changed in late February when Ruth ­Gottesman, chair of the school’s board of trustees,  announced a $1 billion donation to the Bronx-based school. That money will be used to cover student tuition, making it free for all students beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The Indypendent spoke with students to see how they feel about this major shift.

The following interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Kush D. 
Third Year

The Indypendent: How is free tuition going to change your life?

So I’m a rising fourth year, and I kind of have to pick a specialty now. So it’s actually playing a large bearing on what I get to pick, because I’m not limited by specialties that are lower paying, or specialties that are, like, oversaturated because of concern that I had to pay off debt. It’s going to make a bigger difference for lowerclassmen. It’s definitely improved my mood, and the vibe on campus is so much better. I think I’m more excited to start my journey as a doctor now. 

Sarah J. 
Third Year

Well, I’m going into pediatrics, which is usually one of the lower-paying specialties. And I was always going to go into pediatrics because it’s what I love, but you have to also understand that you’re taking on a potentially larger financial burden, or it might take longer to pay off your debt. And so this is definitely going to take a significant amount of that future stress away.

Rachel S. 
First Year

I feel like now I have less stress on myself in terms of how I need to budget my money. I was very, very much allocating the loans I was currently taking out in a specific way to be able to survive and buy food and other essentials. But now having free tuition I can take out less loans and be less stressed out in the future about what debt I have, so I feel a little bit less financially burdened. 

Aaron H.
Second Year

I’m going to be a third-year student next year, so it’s going to cut my tuition by almost a half. So half my loans are now gone. It’s an amazing gift. Thank you Dr. Grossman for that. It’s an amazing school and if anyone wants to come here, now there’s an extra reason to do so.

Bailey C. 
First Year

Oh my God! I just think it’s going to change everything. I come from a low-income family, and so now I have the freedom to kind of do whatever I want with my career and my future, and go anywhere I want. It’s super exciting. 

What are you thinking of going into now?
I still have no idea. But, now I don’t have to worry about going into the super-competitive, high-paying specialties. I can explore more things I want to do, or careers that I think better serve people but aren’t good for debt. 

Jason J.
First Year

It’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders. I think the financial stress was something that I was thinking about constantly with every purchase I was making, whether it was just ordering food, or going out with friends. I kind of don’t have to worry about that anymore. It’s good to just focus on school and just enjoy medical school!

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