At 20 years old, I am on the verge of becoming something no one in my family has ever been before: a physician.
I am Hispanic, LGBTQ+, and a first-generation college student. Growing up, becoming a doctor felt impossible. People like me aren’t supposed to make it this far. Yet through years of hard work, sacrifice, and determination, I earned my acceptance to medical school.
I made it.
Now, a $15,000 funding gap threatens to take it all away.
Due to changes in federal financial aid eligibility, I was forced to pursue my medical education through an accredited Caribbean medical school. While this path is recognized and has produced thousands of successful physicians, it falls outside the financial aid options available to many U.S. students. I’ve applied for scholarships, grants, and every funding opportunity available through both my school and outside organizations. Despite exhausting every option, I am still short of the amount needed to continue my education.
For many people, $15,000 is a number. For me, it’s the difference between becoming a doctor and watching a lifelong dream slip away.
I don’t want to become a physician for the title. I want to become the doctor I wish more patients had. The doctor who takes the time to listen. The doctor who understands what it’s like to struggle financially. The doctor who can speak to Hispanic patients in their own language and help them navigate a healthcare system that often feels overwhelming. The doctor who advocates for LGBTQ+ patients, underserved communities, Medicaid and Medicare populations, and those whose symptoms are too often dismissed or ignored.
Medicine needs physicians from every background, not just those who can afford the journey. It needs doctors who understand the realities their patients face because they’ve lived them too. Every donation, regardless of size, brings me one step closer to the communities I hope to serve for the rest of my life. Whether you contribute financially or simply share my story, your support helps ensure that financial barriers do not prevent a future physician from reaching the patients who need him most. If you’ve ever wished for a doctor who truly understood your experience, please consider helping me become that doctor for someone else. Thank you for believing in me, my future patients, and the kind of medicine that empathy can create.
