Dr. Richard and Elizabeth Grossman (Photo courtesy of University of Hawaii Foundation)

MEDIA RELEASE

A couple who live part-time in Kailua, Oahu are funding the tuition for a full-time medical student, from start to finish, through the newly established Elizabeth and Richard Grossman Scholarship at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). This four-year scholarship, established with their $120,000 pledge, will support a Hawaii resident who intends to practice medicine in Hawaii upon completion of medical training.

“Four-year scholarships play a key role in helping JABSOM attract and retain the most promising future physicians for Hawaii,” said Jerris R. Hedges, Dean and Professor of Medicine, Barry and Virginia Weinman Endowed Chair. “Given the heavy debt load, typically $75,000, which is carried by our medical students, some of our new graduates choose to leave Hawaii to start their careers in states with a lower cost of living or higher physician reimbursement rates. Given the physician shortage we face, we are very grateful for this scholarship that effectively gives Hawaii another physician.”

Dr. A. Richard Grossman is an internationally recognized plastic surgeon and the founder of the Grossman Burn Centers. He created a world-class, comprehensive burn treatment facility, dedicated to providing the best burn care available. His goals are two-fold: ensuring survival and restoring patients to as close to their pre-injury condition as possible.

Elizabeth Rice Grossman retired as a managing director with Soros Fund Management Company in New York. She is active in her adopted Hawaiian community and serves on the board of trustees for The Contemporary Museum of Hawaii. She spent many summers and Christmas vacations visiting her grandmother on Maui. Three years ago, the Grossmans moved to Hawaii part-time.

“We hope our gift will encourage others to provide scholarship opportunities at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and we are proud to support the important efforts of the medical school in addressing the physician shortage in our state,” Elizabeth Grossman said.

John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), UH Manoa, named for a visionary governor, was established in 1965 and has trained more than 4,500 medical doctors through its MD or residency program. Half of Hawaii’s practicing physicians are faculty members or graduates of JABSOM or the Hawaii Residency Programs.

JABSOM also trains Public Health professionals. More than 3,500 MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD degrees have been awarded from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 2010, JABSOM’s programs in Geriatric and Rural Medicine ranked in the United State’s Top 25 medical programs, according to US News & World Report.

— Find out more:
John A. Burns School of Medicine: http://jabsom.hawaii.edu