Spotlight on giving: Writing the next chapter for Gator Docs

McGurn scholarship supports seven first-year UF medical students

By Lauren Irizarry Galarneau

Ken and Linda McGurn Photo by Betsy Brzezinski

When Linda McGurn weighed her options in pursuing higher education, a scholarship made all the difference in her decision.

She was offered a full-tuition scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she began her undergraduate studies in 1970.

Today, she and her husband, Ken McGurn, are hoping to make that same difference in the lives of future Gator Docs at the UF College of Medicine through the McGurn Medical Scholarship Fund.

Scholarships are a cornerstone in the McGurns’ philanthropic ethos. Deeply accomplished UF alumni, they have felt the immense financial pressure of student loans. Linda McGurn holds a bachelor’s in accounting and a law degree; Ken McGurn earned a bachelor’s in management, as well as a master’s and doctorate in real estate.

“We’re trying to help students not have a financial burden,” Linda McGurn said. “They have so much pressure already in their classes, so this is our effort to help them get through. We believe in helping folks, and we’re delighted we’re able to do so.”

Launched in 2025, the McGurn scholarship supports seven first-year medical students, including two who earned full-ride scholarships for the duration of their medical education.

It was important to the McGurns to offer immediate support and to meet each student who holds their scholarship. This support allows the students to choose a specialty or area of practice based on passion — not financial pressure.

The McGurn scholarship recipients gather with the McGurns at the UF Health Medical Plaza Naming Ceremony in September at the UF Health Medical Plaza. Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography

Ultimately, the McGurns hope their scholarship makes the students’ education easier and helps UF attract the most talented medical students who may be considering other schools based on financial need.

“It also instills in them the philosophy to pay it forward in the future,” Ken McGurn said.

Class of 2029 medical student Brandon Adams is one such student who is eager to give back after establishing his career. He credits the McGurn scholarship for allowing him to pursue what will bring “personal and intellectual satisfaction” in his life.

“I share a similar goal to make the world a better place for the future,” Adams said. “I will remember this gift as I work toward that goal.”