Members of the HMS Class of 2026 celebrated with their classmates, family members, friends, and teachers at the Veritas Science Center on Friday, March 20, when they learned where they had matched for their residencies. Image: Steve Lipofsky
Three recent gifts to Harvard Medical School are strengthening financial aid and helping to ensure that talented, mission-driven students can choose HMS without being constrained by cost.
Two of these commitments provide substantial support for REACH Scholarships—four-year, need-based awards that reduce the loan burden for students who demonstrate Resilience, Excellence, Achievement, Compassion, and a commitment to Helping the underserved.
“This is exactly the type of individual we need in medicine for the future,” says Mark C. Fishman, MD ’76, a professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at HMS and the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. He and his wife, Martha P. Fishman, MD ’88, an HMS assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, are longtime supporters of the School and have made another significant investment in the REACH Program, enabling more students from disadvantaged backgrounds to accept HMS admission offers.
The couple learned about REACH from Andrea Reid, MD ’88, MPH ’01, associate dean for students in the Program in Medical Education at HMS and Martha’s friend and former classmate. “We hope that financial considerations do not determine who attends HMS,” Martha says.
The Fishmans’ decision to deepen their support for financial aid is rooted in gratitude for the education and community they found at HMS, in their ongoing engagement as faculty members and mentors, and in the inspiration they draw from today’s students.
“The opportunities we enjoyed at HMS set our life trajectories in many ways, in clinical medicine, research, and teaching,” Mark reflects. “Since we both continue to work within the Harvard Medical School system, we continue to marvel at the excellence of the HMS education.”
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The Chi-Li Pao Foundation USA has also made a significant new commitment to REACH, extending a record of support that reflects the foundation’s belief in education as a transformative force. Trustee Gloria S. Kim, MD, says that the contributions of talented students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives are part of what makes a Harvard education so great.
“We live in challenging times with global problems that need to be addressed by leaders with a broad worldview and compassion,” Kim says. “That’s why we consider our support of REACH an investment in the future of humankind.”
Together, these gifts to REACH help students focus fully on their studies and pursue careers that reflect their passions, values, and dedication to advancing health equity.
In addition to the REACH gifts, the Lillian P. Barlow Trust has made a significant contribution to the HMS Scholarship Fund in memory of Lillian Pothier, MD ’54, MPH ’59, who died in 2023 at the age of 101. She was predeceased by her husband, Joseph Barlow Pothier, MD. The trust’s support of the HMS Scholarship Fund honors Dr. Pothier’s long career in medicine and her enduring connection to the School, while expanding need-based aid for future students.
Collectively, these philanthropic commitments advance a central goal articulated by HMS Dean George Q. Daley, AB ’82, MD ’91, PhD: that no student admitted to Harvard Medical School should have to choose which medical school to attend based on cost.