Planning for the college was initiated by Yeshiva University PresidentSamuel Belkin in 1945. PhysicistAlbert Einstein, who noted that the college would be unique as it would provide medical training to "students of all creeds and races",[2] lent his name to the institution. Due to Yeshiva's financial difficulties, Einstein was transferred to Montefiore in 2015. Following a $1 billion donation to the school byRuth Gottesman in 2024, Einstein becametuition-free for all MD students.
College namesakeAlbert Einstein (center) examines a model of the campus in 1953, and, at right, New York Attorney GeneralNathaniel Goldstein, GovernorThomas Dewey, and Yeshiva University headSamuel Belkin during the college's groundbreaking.
In 1951, physicistAlbert Einstein wrote a letter to Belkin lauding the planned school, writing that it was "of the greatest importance to American Jewry" and would "welcome students of all creeds and races". He became an honorary chairman for the medical school campaign, alongside former First LadyEleanor Roosevelt, New York GovernorThomas Dewey, andRichard Nixon.[2]
When approached, Einstein was initially reluctant to associate his name with the school—he had recently refused to lend his name toBrandeis University and had declined to become the second president ofIsrael—and instead suggested that it be named for the Jewish physicianMaimonides.[2][6][7] Two years later, at an event marking his 74th birthday, March 14, 1953, Einstein agreed to lend his name to the medical school.[2][8][note 2] At the gathering—his only public appearance in 22 years at theInstitute for Advanced Study—Einstein toldThe New York Times that "physics has favored medicine by giving civilized man confidence in the scientific method."[6][9] In 1954, the college sponsored the awarding of that year'sAlbert Einstein Award to physicistRichard Feynman and, on his 75th birthday, gifted Einstein aFestschrift with contributions from ten Nobel laureates, Israeli Prime MinisterMoshe Sharett, and PresidentHarry S. Truman, among others.[10][11] Einstein died on April 18, 1955, months prior to the institution's dedication and opening.[2]
Although affiliation withMount Sinai Hospital inManhattan was considered, a site in theBronx'sMorris Park was selected due to ample land and proximity to the adjacent Bronx Municipal Hospital then under construction.[12] Construction of the first medical school building—now the Leo Forchheimer Medical Sciences Building—began in October 1953, with a contemporary design of steel and concrete.[6][13] On September 12, 1955, Einstein welcomed its first class of 56 students in the partially completed Forchheimer Building.[3][14] Einstein was the first new medical school to open inNew York City since 1897 and the first in the United States to open under Jewish auspices.[15][16]
The Sue Golding Graduate Division was established in 1957 to offerDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees inbiomedical science. In 1963, Einstein established its Department of Genetics, the first at any at any medical school;[17] the coursework it offered was possibly the first formal medical curriculum on genetics.[18][19] The following year, theMedical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), a combinedMD/PhD program, was established.[20]
The first successfulcoronary artery bypass surgery was performed in 1960 at Einstein by a team led byRobert H. Goetz;[21][22] the procedure has been described inThe Annals of Thoracic Surgery as "one of the most significant surgical achievements of the 20th century".[22] In 1966, the school completed a 375-bed private teaching hospital—now known as the Jack D. Weiler Hospital—with New York City MayorJohn Lindsay presiding over its opening.[23][24]
The Ullmann Research Center for Health Sciences, a 12-story facility, opened in 1964.[25] The following year, theJoseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation donated $1.45 million to Einstein to establish a center to study human development and mental disabilities.[26][note 3] The center, named forRose F. Kennedy, opened with 200 staff scientists in 1970.[3][29] Also that year, the college began construction on the 15-story Charles C. and Beulah Bassine Educational Center devoted to public health.[30] Beginning in 1971, aided by a five-year, $12,157,000 federal grant, the college experimented with a 3-year MD degree pathway and increased class sizes.[31]
First LadyJill Biden (far right) at a cancer awareness event at Einstein, 2021
In 1990, following cumulative $8.5 million donations by Bronx businessman Jack Resnick, Einstein's campus was designated as the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus.[32] Six years later, Einstein built a 10-story research complex, the Samuel H. and Rachel Golding Building.[3] In 2002, the college opened the three-story Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center. Equipped with magnetic resonance equipment beyond conventional MRI, the center was one of six such facilities in the world upon opening.[33]
In 2008, Einstein opened a $225 million research complex, the Price Center.[34] This expansion doubled the size of Einstein's campus to nearly 40 acres.[35] Also that year, the college replaced its old logo—a "staid" portrait of Albert Einstein—with a stylized symbol that represents thehelical structure ofDNA, a notable spiral staircase on campus, and 'E' for Einstein.[34]
In 2024,Ruth Gottesman—a long-time professor at the medical school and head of the board of trustees—donated $1 billion to the school to make tuition free for all students in perpetuity.[36][37] The contribution also stipulated that the college never change its name. The donation was one of the largest to any educational institution, and, according toThe New York Times, likely the largest donation to any medical school.[36]
Einstein comprises 30 academic departments, spanning clinical care and bothbasic andtranslational research.[38] The college'schief academic officer is the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, a position held by Yaron Tomer since 2023.[39] The Board of Trustees consists of three officers—ChairRuth Gottesman, treasurer Nathan Gantcher, and Montefiore Einstein CEO and President Philip Ozuah as of 2025—and 28 members.[40]
Einstein first became affiliated with Montefiore in 1963, with Montefiore attending physicians serving as Einstein faculty.[14] By 1969, financial troubles led Yeshiva University to contract its Jack D. Weiler Hospital to the Montefiore Medical Center.[13][45] In 1980, the college's Department of Medicine merged with Montefiore.[23]
In the 2010s, Yeshiva University's mounting financial troubles—caused in part by Einstein's high operational costs and a $110 million loss toBernie Madoff'sPonzi scheme in 2008—led the university to transfer ownership of the medical school to Montefiore in 2015.[46][47] Although the deal's details were largely kept private, Einstein became a new entity with 51 percent ownership by Montefiore and 49 percent by Yeshiva. Montefiore assumed all operational and financial responsibilities.[46] Yeshiva continued to grant Einstein's degrees until 2019, when the medical school achieved independent degree-granting authority.[48] In 2021, Yeshiva and Montefiore launched a joint BA/BS-MD program for students entering Yeshiva.[49]
As of 2025, Einstein had 789 medical students according toU.S. News & World Report.[1] Admission to Einstein's MD program is highly selective,[51] with an acceptance rate of 1.85% in 2024. All students are awarded the full-tuition Gottesman Scholarship. The average post-scholarshipcost of attendance for all four years is $138,000. New York residents comprise 44 percent of MD students.[52]
Einstein offers housing for students and postdoctoral researchers.[53] Student housing consists of three 28-story towers built in 1970.[54][55] Living spaces include studios, three-bedroom penthouses, and one-, two-, or three-bedroom apartments.[55] The campus also hosts a recreational facility, the Falk Center, that houses a gym, pool, and courts for basketball, racquetball, and squash.[55] An underground parking garage is located on campus.[53][55]
Part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine campus
The first 16 months of the MD program, the preclerkship phase, consists of fundamental scientific and medical coursework. Multi-semester courses include bioethics and service learning.[56] This is followed by a 12-month clinical phase that includesclerkships and preparation for and completion of theUnited States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. Clerkships are followed by completion of theUSMLE Step 2 exam. The final 18 months of medical school include clinical electives, increased clinical duties, and a research capstone project.[57]
In addition to Jacobi and Montefiore hospitals, medical students can train in medical facilities such as theVA Bronx Healthcare System andBronx Psychiatric Center.[58] Students may also volunteer at the Einstein Community Health Outreach (ECHO) Free Clinic, which provides care to those without health insurance. Founded in 1999, ECHO was the first such clinic in New York City and one of the first in the United States.[59]
The first year of the program integrates medical school preclerkship curriculum with graduate school coursework andlab rotations. In the second year, trainees complete preclinical medical courses, take USMLE Step 1, and choose a PhD advisor based on lab rotations. Years three to five focus on PhD research, publication, and optional clinical activities, followed by intensive clinical clerkships in years six and seven after dissertation defense.[62] While working in the lab, students engage in both pathology case studies and clinics to maintain clinical skills.[61]
The Graduate Division of Biomedical Sciences hosts an "umbrella" PhD program that is not confined to a specific department.[63] In 2023, the program had 39 matriculants.[64] Students undertake three lab rotations before selecting a mentor.[65] A concentration in clinical investigation is offered for both PhD and MD/PhD candidates.[66] PhD students receive full tuition remission, a stipend, and subsidized housing.[67]
To provide a deeper scientific foundation for MD students, Einstein hosts the five-year Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP). The CRTP confers a Master of Science and requires an additional year of courses on clinical research methods. Students may also graduate with distinction in research for their medical degree.[68]
With Yeshiva'sBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Einstein offers both a certificate and Master of Science inBioethics.[69] The program covers clinical bioethics consultation, healthcare ethics policy, and human subject research. Einstein also offers MD students a joint Master of Public Health degree with theCity University of New York (CUNY). This Einstein-CUNY MD-MPH program lasts five years.[68]
In 2024, Einstein received $192 million in funding from the NIH.[70] The college hosts over 200 individual laboratories.[63] NIH-designated research centers include:[38]
Diabetes Research Center
Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research
Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Einstein and Montefiore
Institute for Aging Research
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research
Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
Three Einstein faculty members have been awarded theNational Medal of Science, the highest science award in the United States. Neurologist and writerOliver Sacks (right) taught at Einstein for over 40 years.
^It is unclear if someone besides Belkin first initiated the campaign for Yeshiva to build a medical school, with Jaffé noting that it was likely "multifactorial". Key individuals weregastroenterologist Elihu Katz and biologist Shelley Saphine. As early as the 1930s, attorneyMax Steuer had approached Yeshiva with plans to construct a new medical school, but nothing came of it due to Yeshiva's financial difficulties.[4]
^The exact reason for Einstein' decision is unclear. According to Yeshiva University, it may have been a reaction toantisemitic quotas in medical schools and a way to preserve his legacy amidst his declining health.[2]
^John F. Kennedy, then a US Senator, had given a speech at a Yeshiva University dinner celebrating Einstein's opening in October 1955.[27][28]
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