Ahead of their 45th reunion, we celebrate the spirit of giving back within the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 1978

1978. That year, a historic February blizzard pounded Massachusetts, the Red Sox succumbed to the Yankees in an infamous one-game playoff, and the Bee Gees dominated the music charts. UMass Chan Medical School was still in its first decade but growing exponentially. The “new” medical science building and “teaching hospital” had both opened, anchoring the Worcester campus. Sixty-five students in the Class of '78 earned a medical degree, the fifth class to graduate and four times the size of the school’s inaugural class.

Much has changed in 45 years. UMass Chan awarded over 300 degrees in 2022 between three graduate schools dedicated to medicine, nursing and biomedical sciences, while clinical partner UMass Memorial Health includes four hospitals and a network of home health and hospice programs, behavioral health services and community-based physician practices. The Medical School is a national leader in primary care education, and our Nobel Prize-winning $300 million research enterprise is driving life-changing scientific discovery. Meanwhile, the Blizzard of ’78 was surpassed by a President’s Day snowstorm in 2003, the Red Sox finally broke their 86-year championship drought, and the Bee Gees have largely faded into pop music obscurity.

Undoubtedly, the Class of ’78 has left its mark on the world, improving the lives of countless people by providing healing, comfort and hope through medicine. Many stay connected to UMass Chan through our alumni association, class reunions and as donors to the Medical School. In a collective effort, the Class of ’78’s reunion fund brings important financial assistance to UMass Chan students; the class earned the participation award at their last reunion in 2018, with 44.6 percent of class members donating.

The fund has supported three students to date, including current scholarship recipient Emily Chin, who is in her final year at UMass Chan with plans to become an OB-GYN physician. Past recipient Bryanne Macdonald, MD’19, completed her residency in emergency medicine at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate and is currently a fellow in emergency medicine education at UMass Chan-Baystate, while also completing a master's in health professions education at Boston University.

In addition, several members of the Class of ’78 have endowed their own scholarship funds. This includes Rachel Bergeson, MD’78, and her husband Brian Margolis, MD; Stephen Gorfine, MD’78, and his wife Laurie; and Susanna Woo Lee, MD’78, who has established two scholarships.

On creating an endowed scholarship fund, Dr. Bergeson commented, "We're both physicians, so we understand how challenging it is to graduate with a medical degree and how expensive it is now. We also know that UMass Chan offers an exceptional medical education. Creating a scholarship fund at the Medical School made perfect sense to us.”

Said Dr. Gorfine, “I had a great experience at UMass Chan. I’ll always be grateful to the Medical School for enabling me to become a physician. I think it’s extremely important to give back and support future students as they pursue their own goals in the medical field.”

Dr. Lee said, “My first endowed scholarship was established in 2018 in memory of my husband Bob who was an alumnus from the Class of 1976 and an exceptional physician. In early 2021, I set up a second endowed scholarship as a reaction to all the negativities resulting from many months of COVID, as well as to rising anti-Asian racism. My hope is that these funds will help students in a positive and meaningful way—the way that kindness and generosity of others have helped me.”

In addition, class member Randy Hudson, MD’78 and his wife Doranne established an endowed fund to support a lecture symposium for medical students. Said Dr. Hudson, “I felt UMass Chan Medical School did an extraordinary job while I was there. It was a formative experience that helped me make the right choices. The state of Massachusetts invested in me, and I wanted to give back.”

With their 45th reunion coming up in May, the Class of ’78 will have the opportunity to come together, reminisce and renew their commitment to UMass Chan and the future generations of medical students who will follow in their footsteps.

Make your gift

Reunion is the perfect opportunity for UMass Chan alumni to establish an endowed scholarship in celebration of the milestone, but any donor can create a scholarship at any time. For more information, please contact Meg Lansing, director of individual giving, at Margaret.Lansing@umassmed.edu or 508-856-1967 or Vanessa DeMichele, director of individual giving for alumni, parents and special initiatives at Vanessa.Demichele@umassmed.edu or 508-856-6530.