FROM RUBBLE TO RESILIENCE

Junior and Bestfriend were in their mid teens in January of 2010 after the Haiti earthquake when they lost their home, family and identity papers.  They were so motivated to help themselves that they ventured up a muddy hillside to a tent hospital and offered their translation services to medical staff.  As volunteers, they were inspired by the medical services that they saw international doctors and nurses provide to their country.  They were well aware of the lack of medical help available in Haiti.  It became their hope to educate themselves so that one day they could provide healing in their own country.

Getting a medical education in Haiti is very challenging so they stayed on the same island but travelled to the Dominican Republic where they learned Spanish,  their fourth language and studied there.  Junior and Eder (known to his friends as Bestfriend) faced racism, loneliness  and poverty in this new country.  They did this work with very limited resources often studying by headlamp and with hunger pains.

On October 1, 2022, in a sea of strangers, without a single personal guest in the crowd to see them do it, they both received their diplomas and have GRADUATED medical school from Universidad Catolica del Nordestano in the Dominican Republic.

What’s next you might ask?

They are ready to prepare for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) so that they will qualify for medical residency in their areas of specialization.  It is a two year preparatory course held in New York City.  Getting their student visas to get them there is a very complicated process.  Dr. Eder arrived in the U.S. in January and we are waiting for Junior’s visa to come through so he can begin as well.  In addition to tuition and fees, they will need help with rent, food, clothing, educational supplies and transportation.  It will take up to two years to complete the prep course and take the licensing exam for matching with a residency program.

The costs break down as follows for both doctors for two years;

Tuition and fees;       $  35,000

Rent and utilities;     $  50,000

Transportation;        $  15,000

Health Insurance;    $   4,800

Food and sundries; $  24,000

TOTAL;                    $128,800 (5367/month)

We are also maintaining the ongoing GAPCreate activities and support of other students which adds up to another $1000 per month.

You have already done so much to help them and we are hoping that you might be able to increase your support for this final challenge.

They have come so far and we know how hard they will work to get great scores and qualify for residencies in their areas of specialization.

If you believe in them, please increase or initiate your support!

Thank you so much for caring