George Wilding, MD'80, and Helen Wilding boost scholarship with new donation

After creating an endowed scholarship for students at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine in 2022, George Wilding, MD'80, and his wife, Helen Wilding, recently deepened their commitment—and the scholarship’s impact—with an additional generous gift. Their continued investment is making a medical education more accessible for aspiring physicians today and for generations to come. 

Gratitude for an enduring legacy of opportunity 

George matriculated at UMass Chan Medical School in 1976, following a path that diverged from that of his parents. Growing up in Everett in a “blue collar, multigenerational Italian household,” George was the first in his family not only to pursue medicine but also to graduate from high school and college. 

His first visit to UMass Chan for an interview left an impression on the prospective medical student. George arrived at the developing campus—which had yet to leave its indelible mark on Central Massachusetts—after pointing a Worcester Regional Transit Authority bus driver who “wasn’t sure where it was” in the right direction, “over the bridge and up the hill.”  

He and Helen recall a sense of possibility that permeated the young institution—the commonwealth’s first and only public medical school—and extended to students, many of whom charted nontraditional paths to medicine. 

“My impression is that the Medical School was really looking to build a student body representing a variety of backgrounds,” said Helen. “That includes diversity in life experiences, such as older students who did not enroll directly from an undergraduate college.

“Giving George the chance to get a medical degree, coming from his family background, was a remarkable opportunity. That really made the Medical School special. It gave opportunities to students who otherwise just would not have had them.”  

Half a century later, the Wildings reflect on George’s long, impactful career in research and academic medicine, including nearly three decades at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where he served as head of medical oncology and later as director of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. They see an inextricable link between that career and the affordability of his medical education. 

“When I embarked on my career after medical school, I didn’t have to worry about debt,” said George. “I could pursue my professional interests without that concern, which was tremendously beneficial for me.

“That influenced our decision to establish a scholarship. We know that the costs of a medical degree are much higher today and want to do our part to lighten the financial load on students, so they have more freedom to pursue whatever path they wish.” 

George and Helen are delighted that the current recipient of their scholarship, third-year medical student Isabella Mendes Izidoro, is a graduate of Everett High School like George. They enjoyed the opportunity to meet with her over Zoom, and hear directly from Isabella about her background, experience at the Medical School, and the impact of their scholarship.  

Currently enrolled in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track at the UMass Chan-Baystate regional campus in Springfield, Isabella immigrated to the United States from Brazil with her family as a baby. Like George, neither of her parents attended college. She is grateful for the financial support she receives through the scholarship created by the Wildings. 

“This scholarship means the world to me,” said Isabella. “Coming from a low-income family, it shows that people from all backgrounds can achieve their dreams in medicine if we work hard and stay passionate. With this support, I can pursue my medical degree—and explore any field in medicine—with less financial stress.”

Distribution requirement incentivizes giving

George notes that recently entering “the world of required minimum distributions” when he turned 73 gave an impetus to add to their scholarship at this time. Under federal law, owners of IRAs must begin required minimum distributions at age 73, which can be satisfied by giving to a qualified charity such as UMass Chan (also known as qualified charitable distributions), up to a maximum of $111,000.

Today, George and Helen spend most of the year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they enjoy being near their grandchildren. After leaving the UW Carbone Cancer Center in 2015, George served in a leadership capacity at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center until 2021. Although he considers himself “retired,” he is currently involved with several biotech startups and serves as an adviser to the National Cancer Institute, among other roles.  

In this stage of life, the couple is reinforcing their commitment to strengthening the educational pipeline to careers in medicine for motivated students, regardless of personal circumstances. 

“It’s important to me that young people growing up in diverse socioeconomic environments have access to opportunities in STEM fields, including medicine,” said George. “We need to show them that not only can you go to college, but you can even go beyond that.”

Learn how you can establish a scholarship at UMass Chan Medical School.