Growing up in a family of modest means, Ellen Pan, MD, had the ambition, intelligence, and dedication required for a successful career in medicine—as well as the foresight to understand the economic challenge presented by medical school. This is why she clearly remembers the promise made by the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) when she enrolled in 1973: the financial aspects of medical education are daunting, but we’ll make sure you get through this.

VP&S kept its promise. After Dr. Pan graduated as a member of the Class of 1977, she established a thriving ophthalmology practice. Her success allowed her to pay off her student loans quickly while raising two children, who are now in college. Like so many of her fellow VP&S alumni, Dr. Pan knows how crucial a medical education from Columbia has been to her life and career.

Now, Dr. Pan is helping VP&S extend the same promise of an affordable medical education to other talented young people. By establishing a planned gift to support scholarships at VP&S, Dr. Pan is using smart estate planning to provide for future generations of Columbia students—giving them the same opportunities that made her success possible. Moreover, by taking advantage of the P&S Legacy Challenge that was offered at the time, she was able to greatly amplify the impact of her gift.