Scholarship from Dan Sullivan, MD’86, MPH, and Anne Melvin incentivizes careers in primary care

Two key priorities were front of mind when Dan Sullivan, MD’86, MPH, and his wife Anne Melvin considered how they could make a meaningful philanthropic impact. One was profound concern about the growing shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) in Massachusetts. The other was gratitude to UMass Chan Medical School, the institution that made Dan’s fulfilling career in medicine possible.

The Daniel J. Sullivan, MD’86, Scholarship embodies these priorities in ways that are both deeply generous and highly strategic. The scholarship will ease the burden of tuition for third- and fourth-year students at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine who have demonstrated a firm commitment to family medicine, the specialty most directly tied to careers in primary care.

Motivated by matching funds made available by the University and guided by Anne’s professional background in philanthropy, the couple has given generously to maximize their impact. They have also included a bequest to UMass Chan in their estate plans, with the intent to fully fund annual tuition for multiple students in the future, further amplifying their already significant legacy.

A crushing PCP shortage—and too few medical students choosing primary care 

A major shortage of PCPs is dramatically impacting health care in Massachusetts, with harmful consequences for patients and communities. Although the state has the highest number of total physicians per capita, Massachusetts has the fifth lowest share of all physicians who work in primary care.

Dan experiences this crisis firsthand as a PCP at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he has served on the faculty for nearly four decades. “We need more primary care doctors,” he said. “Daily I hear people reporting that they can’t find one. We get a lot of requests now from other practices who are hoping we can take their patients, and the answer is simply no. It’s really escalated in the past couple of years.”

Amid these challenges, too few medical students are pursuing primary care, a career choice that looks different to many aspiring physicians today than it did in the past.

“I chose primary care because it was broad, interesting and challenging,” said Dan. “I liked that you aren’t confined to one organ system and need to be prepared to deal with anything. And while that’s still all true, the job is much harder than when I started in 1989.

“These days, you're heavily impacted by many of the frustrations physicians share—like dealing with insurance companies and struggling to get patients the care they need. All physicians face these challenges, but they’re often more intense in primary care than in subspecialties. The pay gap has also gotten bigger, with subspecialists earning proportionately more than when I started out.”  

At UMass Chan, a way to make an impact—and give back

When considering how to get more aspiring physicians to pursue primary care, conversations often turn to the high cost of medical school.

Dan says that he experienced some financial struggles as a medical student even back in the 1980s, when the cost of attendance was substantially less than today, so he empathizes with students who have looming educational debt on the mind when they consider which specialty to pursue during residency.

“There are financial barriers to primary care careers because you’re not going to make the same kind of money as specialists,” said Dan. “Owing a lot of money after medical school can restrict your choices. Through the scholarship, our hope is to remove some of that financial burden for students are who committed to family medicine, so they owe a little less and are thinking a little less about finances when planning their career.”

Dan also mentions another reason why giving to the Medical School is important: dismantling the misconception that UMass Chan is mostly supported by the state of Massachusetts.  

“I think alums sometimes see others supporting the school and think ‘maybe I should, too.’ But then they hesitate, figuring the school doesn’t really need their help since it’s a state institution. I think a lot of people don’t realize how little of the operating costs are covered by the commonwealth. It’s a small fraction.”

Indeed, contributions from the state of Massachusetts represent approximately 5 percent of UMass Chan’s operating budget. Philanthropy is essential to advancing the public service of the Medical School, from boosting financial aid for deserving students to enabling the pursuit of groundbreaking research.

Ultimately, Dan and Anne are hopeful that their giving can make a difference in an area that resonates deeply. The couple’s thoughtful, bold approach is a model for high impact philanthropy.  

“We have a big problem with primary care. We wanted to combine giving back to UMass Chan and supporting students who are committed to a career in primary care, while at the same time trying to meet a critical need in our society,” Dan said.  

Learn how you can establish a scholarship at UMass Chan