David C. Liu, M94

“I come from a long line of doctors,” says David C. Liu, M94, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, “so I knew early on that my role in life would be in medicine.” After completing medical school at Tufts and his residency at University of Toledo, Liu returned to Boston to complete his training in cardiothoracic surgery. “The most rewarding part of my work,” he says, “are the patient relationships, which begin when I’m caring for them and often last long afterward. Many of my patients have remained part of my life, and that’s very gratifying.”

In 2020, Liu created the David C. Liu, M94, Scholarship with an outright gift, and he has also named Tufts, and his scholarship, as a beneficiary of his retirement plan. His goal, he says, was simple: “to help qualified young people who want to enter medicine for the same reason that I did—to provide great care.” The scholarship “is a way that I can help improve access for talented applicants,” given that the high cost of medical education is often a barrier, Liu says.

The scholarship is a way for Liu to honor his parents for their support of his education. “My parents have always tried to instill in us the need to make the world a better place,” says Liu. By paving the way for others through the financial support of a scholarship, Liu feels he can celebrate his parents’ values. “I wanted to create something that would continue long after I’m gone, and this gift helped me accomplish that.”