My name is Marie Alexandra Michel; I am a physician from Haiti. Today I have been accepted into Harvard Medical School’s Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program, but I need help making that dream a reality.
Leaving Haiti in 2023 was a difficult decision, one I didn’t want to make. But after gangs attacked the hospital where I was working a night shift, I had to leave my country, my career, my dreams, and the community I had vowed to help.
I had lost everything, my career, my purpose, my place in residency, and felt like I abandoned the vulnerable people I was serving. Every day, I struggled with the same haunting question: What now?
In Florida, where I live now, I can’t work as a doctor because I don’t have a license to practice in the United States yet and have had to settle for a job as a medical assistant. I do my work with grateful heart, while searching for ways to turn loss into purpose. But this question never stopped haunting me. What now? It’s haunting me every day until it becomes a mission instead of a burden.
That purpose became clearer with this admission, and I refuse to sit and let my financial hardship prevent me from attending the program. That is why I am creating this GoFundMe.
The cost of attendance for my first year is estimated at $90,848, including $57,340 in student account charges ($50,192 for tuition and $7,148 for health insurance, registration fees) and approximately $33,290 for living expenses, including housing, food, and transportation.
Although I am deeply grateful to have received the Dean’s Scholarship, this award covers only 15% of my tuition cost ($7,529 out of $50,192). While this support is meaningful, I still need to cover the remaining educational and living expenses.
My goal is to raise $83,319 to help cover the remaining cost of my first year. This amount reflects the total estimated cost of attendance of $90,848, minus the $7,529 Dean’s Scholarship I received toward tuition.
My dream is to return my knowledge and experience to Haiti and other underserved communities. Every patient I help, every health program I improve, and every life I touch through this education will be a direct result of the generosity of those who believed in me during this difficult chapter. This is not simply an investment in my education—it is an investment in the communities I hope to serve.
Any contribution, no matter the amount, would mean more than words can express. If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser with others would also be an incredible help.
Thank you for believing in my journey.
With a grateful heart,
Alexandra
I also invite you to read two articles I published, where I share more about my journey, my passion for health equity, and my commitment to serving vulnerable communities:
[A hospital under gang fire: The reality for health workers in Haiti] and [Marie Alexandra Michel, Author at The Haitian Times].
