Accomplished surgeon and Charleston alumnus gives back to alma mater through scholarship

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The cost of medical school is increasing at an exponential rate, and for some students, receiving a medical education is not possible without scholarships.

William “Bill” Zerick, MD, who received his medical education as a result of scholarship support, understands the great need for assisting students who otherwise may not have the ability to pursue their dreams without financial support.

A 1988 graduate of the West Virginia University School of Medicine Charleston Campus, Dr. Zerick established the William R. Zerick Mountaineer Medical Scholarship with a $25,000 gift, capitalizing on the Mountaineer Medical Scholarship program which supports students.

“I feel blessed to be able to give back so current students may realize their own dream of helping and serving others as the next generation of physicians,” said Dr. Zerick. “I will forever be grateful for what I received there. It was indeed a privilege I will always appreciate.”

Dr. Zerick’s father left him at just one week old, and from then he was raised by his mother and grandparents. Nobody in his family attended college, and through various jobs and scholarships did college—medical school especially—become a possibility.

As scholarships continued to support Dr. Zerick financially, it was also his time spent on the Charleston campus with particular individuals that served as a pivotal time in shaping his future career.

“Spending my third and fourth year of medical school at the Charleston campus in the 1980’s shaped my life enormously. The senior surgery residents at that time, Dr. Chuck Lucente, Dr. Pat Stewart, and Dr. Sam Newman, among others, made it click for me that I wanted to be a surgeon,” Dr. Zerick mentioned. “Dr. Boland, then Chairman of the Department of Surgery, as well as Dr. Ali Aburahma, Dr. Kusminski, and others on staff at WVU/CAMC to this day are the finest surgeons I have met. But what changed everything, was meeting Dr. John Schmidt, a Charleston neurosurgeon. Meeting John and spending a month on his service changed the course of my life. Fortunately, I was too naïve to think I couldn’t become a neurosurgeon. I owe everything to him, and I think about him every day.”

Luke Roberts, a third year medical student at West Virginia University’s Charleston campus is the first recipient of the William R. Zerick Mountaineer Medical Scholarship. Roberts, a Rochester, New Hampshire native who did his undergraduate study at Boston University, is honored to receive the award and appreciates Dr. Zerick’s passion for support and mentoring of medical students.

Dr. Zerick completed a neurosurgery residency at The Ohio State University, followed by fellowship training at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. He is now an accomplished surgeon in Columbus, Ohio, and is continuously passionate about supporting the place and individuals that shaped he and his career.

“I am profoundly grateful for the kindness those people showed me, and how it shaped my life,” mentioned Dr. Zerick.

“We are extremely grateful for Dr. Zericks’s generous support,” said Dr. John Linton, dean of the School of Medicine Charleston Campus. “We are honored he chose to demonstrate his passion for Charleston in this way and invest in the success of our medical students.”

The Mountaineer Medical Scholarship program matches donor funding with School of Medicine funding, resulting in scholarships of $10,000 each year, assisting in tuition and other expenses.

To make a gift and support the School of Medicine Charleston Campus, please contact Renee Gorrell, director of development, at rcgorrell@hsc.wvu.edu or 304-347-1231.

The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the non-profit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.