An Endeavor in Compassion

Spotlight on Medical Education event celebrates impact of HMS financial aid

By M.R.F. BUCKLEY Education

3 min read

Photo of 4 students and former student with Dean Daley, all smiling at the camera
From left: Nereida Ramirez, Jonny Kim, Dean Daley, Leen Al Kassab, and Liz Roux. Image: Steve Lipofsky

More than 25 years ago, in rural China, the parents of an hours-old newborn left her on a street corner, hoping someone could give her a better life than they could provide.

The baby girl was taken in by an orphanage and, a year later, adopted by a single woman from Florida, a mother whom the girl came to love deeply. This was the beginning of Liz Roux’s remarkable journey to Harvard Medical School.

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“We never had much, but I always felt like we had enough, because we had each other,” Roux said of her childhood. “My mom taught me to love life and nature, to love animals and people.”

But their life together was not without its challenges. When Roux was a toddler, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, which remained in remission until it returned when Roux was 15 years old.

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For 11 months, she said, she was her mother’s caretaker, and eventually, she held her mother in her arms as she died. Once again, Liz found herself orphaned.

After her mother’s death, Roux was unofficially adopted by another family. Her joy at being part of a full, intact, and loving family was overshadowed again when their young son — whom she loved as a brother — died from a rare pediatric cancer just two years after his diagnosis.

These tragic losses, she said, are what cemented her resolve to become a doctor.

“Medicine is, above all else, an endeavor in compassion,” she said. “I hoped that my experience could produce a better experience for someone else.”

Roux was admitted to Harvard, where she was able to attend only with the support of financial aid.

“Growing up, I never dreamed of ... leaving my little Florida world,” she said. “And yet I got to go to Harvard College, and Harvard Medical School, thanks to the generous financial aid scholarships available.”

An evening of community

Roux’s narrative was just one of the powerful stories students shared at the 7th annual Spotlight on Medical Education event in October, a gathering that brings together HMS alumni, students, and donors to share their journeys and reflect on the powerful impact of financial aid on the HMS community.

Nearly 100 members of the HMS community — including current students, alumni, and supporters — had the chance to connect, share a meal, and hear the compelling reflections of past and current financial aid recipients.

The evening opened with remarks from Ed Hundert, HMS dean for medical education.

“Students are the heart of Harvard Medical School,” said Hundert. “And every contribution to the medical education mission makes a difference.”

Thanks in large part to donors — many of them HMS alumni and financial aid recipients — HMS has one of the most generous MD financial aid programs in the country. With philanthropic support, HMS is able to consistently maintain an average graduating debt of more than 40 percent lower than the national average.

Eighty percent of HMS students receive financial aid, and one in five comes from a family whose annual income is $50,000 or less. On average, students on aid receive $59,502 in scholarship funds annually.

The program continues to expand each year to provide more students like Roux with the opportunity to attend HMS and, upon graduation, to pursue career paths and opportunities without the burden of significant debt.

HMS Dean George Q. Daley closed the event with a heartfelt reflection on the evening.

“What an incredible community we have … made up of so many stories of people who bring their brilliance, their passion, and their dedication to our profession,” he said. “It reminds me why medicine is a noble calling. I have been inspired tonight.”