Remembering William Brandt, Jr.
Remembering William Brandt, Jr.
By Delaney Duffy & Naomi Gitlin
While William Brandt, Jr. may not be a familiar name in the world of academic medicine, his vision helped Stritch become the first medical school in the country to openly accept students with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status.
“What makes these DACA students great doctors is that they are a qualified group of applicants, who are bilingual, bicultural, resilient, and who can help diversify the U.S. physician workforce,” said Mark Kuczewski, PhD, HEC-C, professor of Medical Ethics and director, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Stritch School of Medicine.
DACA recipients came to the U.S. as children, without documentation. The 2012 federal policy allows them to apply for a driver’s license, social security number, work permit, and currently prevents them from deportation.
Brandt, who died in May 2023, chaired the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) and was a Loyola University Chicago trustee. In 2013, along with Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the IFA created a loan program for Illinois medical and dental schools to help DACA students finance their medical education. As of May 2023, 38 DACA recipients have earned a Stritch medical degree. Following residency, those DACA recipients who received IFA loans will work in an underserved area of Illinois for three years to help fulfill their loan agreement. On a related note, last month, Stritch’s Cesar Montelongo-Hernandez was the first DACA recipient in the country to earn an MD/PhD.
Brandt said creating the loan program was his proudest career achievement. And for Stritch DACA-recipient graduates, Brandt’s vision helps them begin their medical careers.
June 2023
By Delaney Duffy & Naomi Gitlin
While William Brandt, Jr. may not be a familiar name in the world of academic medicine, his vision helped Stritch become the first medical school in the country to openly accept students with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status.
“What makes these DACA students great doctors is that they are a qualified group of applicants, who are bilingual, bicultural, resilient, and who can help diversify the U.S. physician workforce,” said Mark Kuczewski, PhD, HEC-C, professor of Medical Ethics and director, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Stritch School of Medicine.
DACA recipients came to the U.S. as children, without documentation. The 2012 federal policy allows them to apply for a driver’s license, social security number, work permit, and currently prevents them from deportation.
Brandt, who died in May 2023, chaired the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) and was a Loyola University Chicago trustee. In 2013, along with Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the IFA created a loan program for Illinois medical and dental schools to help DACA students finance their medical education. As of May 2023, 38 DACA recipients have earned a Stritch medical degree. Following residency, those DACA recipients who received IFA loans will work in an underserved area of Illinois for three years to help fulfill their loan agreement. On a related note, last month, Stritch’s Cesar Montelongo-Hernandez was the first DACA recipient in the country to earn an MD/PhD.
Brandt said creating the loan program was his proudest career achievement. And for Stritch DACA-recipient graduates, Brandt’s vision helps them begin their medical careers.
June 2023