“Our time at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) set the tone for our careers,” says Nara Shin ’02 MD. Nara and her husband, Eon Shin ’01 MD, became engaged and married while students there.

“YSM does an amazing job training future clinical educators,” says Eon, an orthopedic surgeon. “As students, we learned from everyone, including attending physicians, chief residents, and resident physicians. That kind of integration is rare in medical education. It really impressed upon us the responsibility that all physicians have to train the next generation of doctors.”

“I train residents and Eon works with surgery fellows,” explains Nara, a specialist in emergency medicine. “The fact that we’re both practicing physicians and medical educators comes directly from our years at Yale.”

Together the Shins have included a bequest intention to benefit YSM in their estate plans. Their bequest is a convenient way to show support for Yale at this time in their lives. “We were surprised at all the ways you can contribute, such as gifts of stock or bequests. It never hurts to ask about the options available for showing your support,” Eon says. “For where we are in our careers and with family considerations, a bequest intention was a great way to make a donation. It allowed us to plan for a larger donation than we otherwise could provide right now.”

“Our experiences at YSM were critical to our identities as physicians and to our livelihoods,” reflects Eon. “The curriculum emphasizes respect, patient care, and a collaborative approach to medicine. It’s a real team effort.”

“Watching our attending physicians and seeing their approach to patient care gave us ideal models for grace, kindness, and empathy,” Nara says. “Those examples shaped how we practice medicine. We both cherish our time at Yale, and we made our bequest intention in thanks for that profound experience.”