Worcester Medical Society Honors Pioneers with New Scholarships
The Scholarship Fund of the Worcester District Medical Society has established two new scholarships to honor the legacy of Dr. Herbert Nieburgs and his wife, Suzzane Kay Nieburgs. Each scholarship, valued at $4,000, will be awarded in perpetuity to medical students specializing in oncology, reflecting Dr. Nieburgs’ lifetime commitment to advancing cancer research.
The funding for these scholarships emerged from the dissolution of the International Society for Preventive Oncology, which Dr. Nieburgs founded in 1968. Following its closure, the Worcester-based medical society received $350,000 from the organization’s remaining assets. The Worcester District Medical Society, recognized as the third-oldest medical society in the United States, distributes scholarships and book awards to medical students across all disciplines in Central Massachusetts.
Dr. Nieburgs, renowned for inventing a high-magnification microscope for research, lived in multiple European countries before relocating to the United States in the 1940s. He dedicated the latter part of his career to teaching pathology at what is now UMass Chan Medical School, where he continued to work until his death at the age of 99 in 2013.
Martha Wright, the executive director of the Worcester District Medical Society, expressed that both Nieburgs would have been delighted with the establishment of these scholarships. “Although they traveled the world, they spent 30 years living and working in Worcester,” she noted. Following Dr. Nieburgs’ passing, Suzzane Kay Nieburgs passionately continued the mission of the International Society for Preventive Oncology until her death in 2022.
The oncology society had been providing financial support to the Worcester society for approximately seven years prior to its dissolution three years after Suzzane’s passing. The remaining funds were directed to the Worcester society, ensuring that their contributions to the medical field would continue to benefit future generations of doctors.
The Nieburgs’ scholarships, along with others, will be presented at the annual fall district meeting on November 20, 2023, at the Beechwood Hotel. The need for such support is evident, as the Education Data Initiative reports that the average medical school debt upon graduation exceeds $200,000. Wright emphasized the importance of these scholarships in alleviating the financial burden on students, stating, “We’re really supporting the next generation of doctors and physicians.”
The establishment of the Nieburgs’ scholarships not only honors their significant contributions to the field of oncology but also reinforces the commitment of the Worcester District Medical Society to foster promising medical talent in the region.
