Saying thank you to UC
Sangeetha and Manu Sethi endow College of Medicine scholarship
For Sangeetha Sethi, DMD, and Manu Sethi, MD, Med ’96, the family-focused culture that surrounded them growing up played a significant role in their decision to create an endowed scholarship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
“I like to use a metaphor of parents and children,” shares Sangeetha. “In our culture, when you get your first paycheck, you give it to your parents. As an extension of that, we were UC’s children once, and now it’s time for the children to give back to the parent.”
The Sethis decided to create the Drs. Manu & Sangeetha Sethi Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will support College of Medicine students who demonstrate financial need and achieve 3.5 or above GPA during their undergraduate studies.
An early introduction and family dates
Sangeetha Sethi, DMD, and Manu Sethi, MD, Med ’96. Photo/Provided.
Manu and Sangeetha Sethi knew each other in high school and dated toward the end of their undergraduate studies. Their families even spent time together, calling them “family dates.”
After receiving undergraduate degrees at Emory University (Manu) and the University of Pittsburgh (Sangeetha), Manu went to UC’s College of Medicine for medical school and for residency. The Sethis’ residencies aligned, and they were able to be together in Cincinnati after they got married. Sangeetha attended Cincinnati Children’s for her pediatric dentistry residency while Manu was completing his anesthesiology residency at UC Health.
While Manu was in medical school at UC, “I would sometimes sit in on class with [him] if I had free time,” remembers Sangeetha. “I remember the attention of the students and how engaging the professors were. There was such close interaction with the professors, they would even have lunch with students at times. But it was the students’ job to learn medicine, and they were as focused as you would be at work. Your mentor is there all day for you, and you made the most of the learning opportunity.”
Understanding the UC College of Medicine difference
One thing became clear to Manu after his time at UC. “It’s something you don’t realize when you’re in the process,” he explains. “You get into practice with other colleagues, and you realize in hindsight that the opportunities at UC rivaled those at the Cleveland Clinic or a New York hospital.
“Rotations, including Cincinnati Children’s, the UC Medical Center and Cincinnati’s VA Medical Center were phenomenal," Manu continued. "You assume that this must be the way it is at every school, at every residency, but it isn’t. UC’s College of Medicine is truly special that way.”
It was a terrific way to take it to the next level in giving back to UC, as well as giving back to students who have all they need to be great physicians but may have that financial barrier.
Manu Sethi MD, Med ’96
The decision to give back
Manu and Sangeetha Sethi. Photo/Provided.
The Sethis’ philosophy has always been that at every step of their educational journey they should give back to those institutions that helped them in their careers, from high school to residency programs. For them, the College of Medicine was their touchstone: the standard by which all others are measured.
“It made perfect sense to us to create our family endowed scholarship fund,” notes Manu. “It was a terrific way to take it to the next level in giving back to UC, as well as giving back to students who have all they need to be great physicians but may have that financial barrier.”
Both Sethis received scholarships and understand the financial pressure on both students and families that can be relieved through philanthropy.
“I watched people who were top notch but unable to enter the specialty they wanted because of financial barriers,” notes Sangeetha.
It was important to the Sethis to have a named scholarship fund, not for themselves, but to provide an opportunity for their children and future generations to know the impact and be proud that their name is a part of this.
“I want UC to know — we went to UC, and we are saying thank you,” shares Manu. “We are able to do this thanks to UC.”
Featured image at top: The Sethi family. Photo/Provided.
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