APMA News - September/October 2017 - 59

Worthy of Note

Because I have no children, and
therefore did not have the expense
of educating a family, it is my hope
this endowment will allow deserving
students to receive an education
and pursue a career that might
otherwise be out of their reach.

to make a difference. A great way to make a meaningful impact on the future of our profession is by supporting podiatric medical education. In addition, I hope my gift will inspire
younger physicians to become involved, as well as encourage established podiatrists to give back to our profession.
That is what a legacy is all about.
There are many ways to support the APMA Educational
Foundation. I typically give a $250 annual contribution,
which goes into the general fund.
You can also create a named endowment in honor of an
organization or person, which must be fully funded over a
five-year period. The minimum amount to establish a named
endowment is $25,000. This sizable gift can generate annual
investment income sufficient to fully fund one new student
scholarship in perpetuity.

ishing one's education without having large debts to repay
removes a very heavy burden for anyone entering practice. Because I have no children, and therefore did not have
the expense of educating a family, it is my hope this endowment will allow deserving students to receive an education and pursue a career that might otherwise be out of
their reach. If my parents were alive today, I know they
would support my decision to will the entirety of my estate to this endowment.

When the time comes to step
away from practice and from the
leadership spotlight, I hope to
continue to be able to make a
difference. A great way to make a
meaningful impact on the future
of our profession is by supporting
podiatric medical education.

Worthy of Note continued from page 58

had served as president. It has happened only one other
time since then.
My parents always felt the time I spent pursuing my
education should be my full-time job. I was very fortunate
that I did not have to work while attending classes. Fin-

Dr. Rubenstein
The term "legacy" implies a future
vision. To understand my motivation
in establishing a legacy endowment,
you first need to understand my past.
I've enjoyed a very fulfilling professional life as a podiatrist-providing
care for my patients, being involved
in the medical community, and volSeth A.
unteering in service of my profession
Rubenstein, DPM
at the state and national level.
These experiences have been both challenging and personally rewarding. Most of all, they provided an opportunity to meet many inspiring individuals. The one common
attribute each person shared was a passion for giving back
to the profession.
When the time comes to step away from practice and
from the leadership spotlight, I hope to continue to be able

I chose to create a legacy endowment, which will be
funded through my estate. There are several ways to set up
this arrangement, including purchase of a whole life insurance policy or directly from funds in the estate. My wife and
I recently set up a revocable trust with the help of an estate
attorney. The documents include a section on disposition of
tangible personal property. Within that section, we define
our intent to "provide upon my death an amount equal to
$25,000, less any amount contributed to the legacy endowment during my lifetime, to be distributed to the Seth and
Caroline Rubenstein Fund."
The amount of scholarship awards distributed to students annually varies depending upon investment returns
and the amount collected through an annual fund drive
supported by APMA members, staff, local and state associations, and others. The APMA Educational Foundation
Student Scholarship Fund typically distributes between
$200,000-$300,000 in scholarship grants to eligible student applicants every year. No other organization in our
profession supports our students at that level.
n

APMA News September/October 2017

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