James T. May and Jerry A. Grossman

Tradition draws alumni back to the VCU Medical Center

That is what drew James T. May III ’73MD and Jerry A. Grossman ’62P to the VCU Medical Center. May’s father, mother and uncle all earned medical degrees from the Medical College of Virginia while Grossman’s dad and uncle studied at the School of Pharmacy.

Now, both alumni make a yearly contribution to the Annual Fund in their schools in hopes of continuing the excellence in teaching, research and patient care exhibited over the years on the MCV Campus.

Today, Virginia Commonwealth University enrolls nearly 32,000 students in 205 certificate and degree programs in the sciences, arts and humanities. Sixty-five of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 15 schools and one college. Over the years, new buildings have sprouted up throughout the city and others have undergone significant renovations, drastically changing the landscape of the two campuses.

At a special legislative session in April, the General Assembly approved a capital outlay bond bill that includes $58 million, with an additional $12 million for equipment set for funding later, for the $158 million, 12-story School of Medicine building that is central to the ambitious plan to expand the medical student body, incorporate simulation equipment into the core of instruction and expand medical research.

Nevertheless, as the university has transformed, support from the commonwealth of Virginia has not kept pace, echoing a growing trend in higher education across the nation, says Provost Stephen D. Gottfredson, Ph.D.

“When I began my career as a university educator, about 75 percent of any public university’s budget came from its state’s general fund, and about 25 percent came from all other sources.

And by all other sources, I mean tuition and fees, I mean private gifts and endowments and I mean federal, state, or industry grants and contracts for research and services,” he says. “Today, 30 years later, that picture is just about reversed: about 25 percent of a major public university’s budget come from its state’s general fund, and about 75 percent comes from those other sources.”

That’s where alumni such as May and Grossman are making a difference.

May, an oncologist with the Virginia Cancer Institute who was a founding member of the state oncology society and a leader of the local hospice movement, says he started giving back to his alma mater because he knew that supporting the School of Medicine ultimately results in a stronger medical community.

As the baby boomer generation ages, medical schools cannot keep up with the demand for skilled physicians, he says.

“It’s important to provide a place for quality education. This next generation of physicians is going to take care of my practice and will be taking care of me,” May says. “In my 14-person group, I have seen the financial burden that people have coming out of medical school. We are seeing our young physicians coming out of school with the equivalent of a mortgage payment in debt without the house to show for it.”

Diagnosed with polio at age two, May received care at MCV with the help of a rehabilitation scholarship. He also earned scholarships to help pay for his education. Now, he sees the chance to help others in the same way.

“I know the importance of financial aid … because of the aid I received I was able to afford medical school and come out with relatively low debt,” he says.

May’s gifts to the School of Medicine Annual Fund help him accomplish his philanthropic goals. Dean Jerry Strauss has earmarked this year’s Annual Fund dollars to be allocated exclusively for scholarship support.

Long-time community pharmacist and lifetime member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU, Grossman also stresses the importance of alumni giving back to their alma mater. He gives to the School of Pharmacy Annual Fund because he likes the flexibility.

“The leaders at the school have the expertise about where the funds should go,” he says.

In fact, across the university, annual gifts support the most-pressing initiatives at a certain time, such as student scholarships, improvements in clinical and classroom facilities, faculty support, technology advancements and more.

“Every graduate should be giving back! The amount is not so important, just helping out is,” Grossman says. “I want to help the school that gave me this chance at a good life.”

For more information about making a gift to the VCU Medical Center, contact Bill Kotti, Ph.D., president of the MCV Foundation and chief development officer for the VCU Medical Center, at (804) 828-9734 or wpkotti@vcu.edu.