Ramsey pays it forward with scholarship

T. Alan Ramsey, M.D., MD ‘67, knows the importance of paying it forward.

Without the generosity of others, Ramsey might not have attended Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and in turn impacted the lives of countless patients throughout his career. Now partially retired, he has decided to help future physicians by funding the T. Alan Ramsey Scholarship.

“I was given assistance while attending Vanderbilt – a full tuition scholarship,” he says. “There wasn’t anything in writing, but there was an understanding that you should reciprocate when and if you could. This was an obligation that should be taken seriously,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges facing medical students today is the high cost, according to Ramsey. “It is a tragedy if medical education is not available to capable and interested students because financial resources are limited. That is why I decided to fund the scholarship. Making money available will increase the options for some students.”

Ramsey valued his education at Vanderbilt and supports the educational mission of the school. “Vanderbilt is a relatively small medical school with a high faculty-to-student ratio,” he said. “There is a lot more personal contact between instructors and students. It is an excellent medical school.”

After graduating from Vanderbilt, Ramsey completed an internship in medicine at George Washington University Hospital and his residency in psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He was chief resident for psychiatric consultation and a psychopharmacology research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

From 1971 to 1974 Ramsey served in the military at the U.S. Public Health Service at the Center for Studies of Narcotic and Drug Abuse at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has held faculty positions at Georgetown University School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Washington School of Psychiatry.

Ramsey has maintained a private practice in psychiatry in Washington D.C. for many years. He and his wife enjoy cycling and with his recent retirement can enjoy this activity more. He estimates he has ridden more than 25,000 miles through Canada, Europe and the United States.

He recalls a time in the Scottish Highlands ascending a mountain in the blowing rain. A tour bus passed, and he briefly thought how comfortable the bus riders must be, but quickly realized he was experiencing the region much more intimately. “Riding is extremely enjoyable and a wonderful way to tour.”

Ramsey’s stepson and wife recently had their first child (the Ramseys’ first grandchild), and Ramsey’s wife wanted to spend more time with her granddaughter, so he took this opportunity to return to work part time. He sees patients at a Medicaid clinic in Southeast Washington that treats a large underserved population that is struggling with substance abuse problems, mental health issues and multiple medical ailments.

Ramsey is a strong proponent of universal health care. “We need to reform the medical delivery system in this country,” he says. “There is no excuse that in our modern society, 47 million people have no health insurance.”

He remembers a lifelong lesson from VUSM’s Thomas Brittingham, M.D.

“He taught us that correct diagnoses usually are achieved by getting more and better quality information about the patient’s problems,” he said. “Getting detailed and relevant information up front from the patient takes time and effort, but it results in better care for the patients and increases provider efficiency. This should be a basic principle incorporated into our medical care system.”
- JON COOMER