Beginning this July, the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, or CCLM, will offer all incoming students full tuition scholarships.
CCLCM was formed in 2002 by a partnership between the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University. The College offers a medical school program that trains physician scientists to further medical research.
"Our nation and the world of medicine suffer from a shortage of physician scientists who are trained in the methods of science, and willing to devote their careers to the pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of medicine," said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health. "Efforts such as the full tuition scholarship initiative announced by Cleveland Clinic are vital and serve as a catalyst for attracting and retaining some of medicine's brightest talent to the vast and growing field of clinical research."
College officials say that existing students will receive additional scholarship funding to offset 50 percent of the difference between past tuition paid and the financial aid they've already received.
The clinic will support the full tuition scholarships through existing endowment income and clinical operations, with the long-term goal of funding the scholarships entirely through endowment income.
"The average debt for students graduating from private U.S. medical students, such as the Lerner College of Medicine, is more than $150,000, making many graduates less likely to pursue careers in academic medicine," said Delos M. Cosgrove, MD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic. "By providing full tuition support, we want to ensure that debt does not hinder the ability of our graduates to pursue academic careers as physician scientists."
"Offering full tuition scholarships is an investment in our future and the future of medicine," added Andrew Fishleder, MD, executive Dean of the Lerner College of Medicine. "We have been fortunate to have been able to attract outstanding students since the inception of our program."
The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine enrolls 32 students annually and drew 1,423 highly qualified applicants this past year.