From One Healer to the Next: Dr. Schairer’s Commitment to Medical Students
May 01, 2025
Janet Schairer, M.D., a longtime Hackensack Meridian Health pediatrician, believes in giving back, now and in the future.
From her earliest days on the faculty at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Dr. Schairer has worked very closely with her students, guiding them as they navigate the many challenges of medical school. When she became site director in 2016, her commitment grew even stronger.
To help them succeed, she organizes clerkships, introduces them to mentors and facilitates special clinical opportunities. Dr. Schairer’s dedication to medical students’ education extends well beyond today. In 2024, she established a bequest provision in her will, which will directly support students at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine for many years to come.
“My main reason is to provide some financial help for young medical students who are struggling. Often they give up a lot to attend medical school. Many go into significant debt or are unable to afford the professional opportunities that can have a profound impact on their future careers.”
Dr. Schairer knows personally what a great difference philanthropic funds can make on the long and difficult journey through medical school. When she was a student, she received a scholarship that was instrumental in helping her become the doctor she is today.
“It was such a gift to not have so much debt when I graduated,” she says.
In establishing her bequest, Dr. Schairer is generously ‘paying it forward’ for future generations of doctors. Further, she hopes her gift will encourage others.
“My students are like family to me. I would like some of my colleagues, and even some of my patients, to be inspired to get the same idea.”
The process, she said, was simple.
“All it took was one email and within an hour I had a response from the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation team. And we just went from there.”
“It was a privilege to work with Dr. Schairer in bringing her generous gift to fruition,” says Jacqueline Bartley, J.D, vice president of Gift Planning at Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “Countless students at our school of medicine and the communities they will ultimately serve will benefit from the legacy she has created.”
Through her work as teacher and clinician, Dr. Schairer puts her ideals into action every day. And through her bequest, she is ensuring that those ideals will continue to flourish for the benefit of future generations. In considering its impact, Dr. Schairer simply says, “I feel privileged to be able to do it.”
We thank Dr. Schairer for her generosity and for thinking of our students in their journeys to become doctors. To learn more about how you can make a bequest and support Hackensack Meridian Health, please contact giftplanning@hmhn.org.
