At the start of every school year, New York University welcomes its incoming medical students with a “White Coat Ceremony,” a special event that supplies future physicians with their signature smocks. This year, however, they were given more than just garments, as it was also announced that all students would be granted free tuition—regardless of need or merit.
Effective immediately, this scheme will cover the annual fee of $55,000 for all current and future medical students. As the first top 10-ranked medical school in the country to waive tuition costs, NYU hopes to act as a “catalyst for transforming medical education nationwide.”
This surprising decision has been made in light of a shocking statistic: every year, around 62% of NYU’s School of Medicine graduates are saddled with debt. Last year, these outstanding payments totaled an average of $184,000 per person, prompting many new doctors to forego fields like family medicine and pediatrics for higher-paying positions. By offering these full-tuition scholarships, however, NYU hopes to encourage new doctors to follow their passions—and not the paycheck.
“Our full-tuition scholarships make it possible for aspiring physicians to choose a specialty based on their talent and inclinations to better serve the communities who need it most, and to more easily pursue scientific breakthroughs that improve how we care for patients. We aim to turn the best and brightest future physicians into leaders with the potential to transform healthcare.”
See the incoming NYU Langone Medical School students react to the surprising special announcement.
h/t: [The New York Times]
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