LTC Mark and Janice Gibbons, M.D., both class of 1996 graduates, have been faithful and consistent donors to their alma mater since 2000. Over time, they have given financial gifts in various amounts that have exceeded a total that is even hard for them to fathom.

The Gibbons’ have six children, ranging in age from 17 to four years old. Nevertheless, they make room in the family budget to give annually to the School of Medicine.

As Mark Gibbons, former Chief of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Darnall Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas says, “we just feel compelled to give to the school that has given us so much…opportunity and support.”

Just before entering medical school, the two were married. A few years later, while still in medical school, they had their first child. Janice Gibbons, a part-time pediatrician at Darnell Medical Center, remembers the support and understanding the faculty extended to them.

“Medical school is tough enough, but add a husband and a child to the mix and things can get a lot tougher,” Janice Gibbons remembers. “But for us, balancing our home life and our education was made a lot easier because of the support we received from the faculty and staff. They really helped see us through.”

When they met, Janice Gibbons was a pre-med major at Texas A&M and Mark Gibbons was an U.S. Army infantry officer. He was intrigued by her career choice and decided to pursue a dual military and medical career. Together, they pursued medical school.

“We could have attended University of Texas, Houston, but the University of South Carolina proved to be the perfect choice for us,” says Janice Gibbons. “We give because we want to help make it possible for other students to have the opportunity we had. We received excellent medical training by caring faculty members.”