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A retired ophthalmologist is celebrating the 45th anniversary of his graduation from the West Virginia University School of Medicine with a $50,000 scholarship gift to benefit future medical students from West Virginia.
Dr. Daniel Miller established the Class of 1980 Scholarship to honor his classmates who became lifelong friends.
“We had a closeness,” Miller said. “We started out with 88. We only had 13 women in our class. We didn’t want to see anybody fail. You needed help to get through. We worked together as a family.”
Dr. Norman Ferrari III, WVU vice dean for medical education, said ample scholarship support makes medical school more accessible for West Virginia students.
“We are always so thankful for scholarship support for our students,” Ferrari said. “Any relief of the financial pressures to fund their education helps them stay focused on their academic work and learning to take care of patients with skill and empathy.”
Miller grew up on Charleston’s west side.
“My dad was a truck driver,” Miller said. “We weren’t rich, but we had everything we needed.”
With no college fund, Miller did not have his sights set on WVU until an unexpected gift revealed a clear view ahead.
“I was granted a Board of Regents scholarship that paid my tuition all five years of pharmacy school,” Miller said. “It was great. It only paid tuition. But still, that was one little thing taken care of.”
Miller graduated in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. At the time, the University offered it as a five-year undergraduate program.
Reflecting on his college experience and tuition at the time, Miller said he does not take his education for granted.
“WVU has just been so good to me,” Miller said. “Anybody that says they were entitled to it, no, we got a great deal. We didn’t pay anything to go to medical school. Three hundred dollars a semester doesn’t pay the secretary to do all the paperwork for what we did.”
Miller completed medical school and married his wife, Cindy, in 1980. They spent the next four years in Ohio at the Cleveland Clinic, where Miller completed his postdoctoral degree in 1984.
Miller retired seven years ago, after 38 years at the same Florida practice. He and his partner worked with much of the same staff for more than 25 years, treating generations of patients.
“I always said I was going to be a family doctor,” Miller said. “I just specialized in eye disease. Once you found something you had in common with your patient, you lowered that barrier of communication. You took the wall down.”
Miller continues to break barriers, now through philanthropy.
“The idea is that you care and you want to show it,” Miller said. “I feel like I need to help somebody else get going.”
In addition to scholarship support, Miller has made multiple gifts over the years to WVU athletics, medicine and cancer research. He is leading by example.
He often advises former classmates to bring a checkbook to reunions and asks for their support. They are accustomed to the ask, and it works.
“Five years ago, we all pledged $1,000,” Miller said. “That’s nothing for most of these people. It’s the idea that you’ve opened the door and started something. Hopefully they will feel more generous later.”
Those interested in supporting the Class of 1980 Scholarship can make a gift directly to fund 3Z1188 at give.wvu.edu/medicine. All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
