As a college student I received a significant sum of financial aid, because my familys income is below

45,000 dollars. I have always worked part-time while being a student to cover my personal expenses, and
other tuition balances that loans and scholarships did not cover. Now that I have graduated from college, I
am employed at Lurie Childrens Hospital as a Point of Service Representative with a salary of $13.25/hr.
and a $19,000 in school loan debt.
I wish to obtain the need-based Tuition Award because my father is not able to help me pay for school,
due to his low income and personal debt. I am unable to cover the costs of a post-baccalaureate program
because I have a number of expenses that require the majority of my current income, and if I attend
school full time, I will not be able to be employed. With my monthly salary, I pay $500 dollars in rent, $90
dollars in utilities, an average of $250 dollars in groceries and personal items, in addition to $200 in
student loan payments. If I am considered for the post- baccalaureate program, and I obtain the tuition
award, I would focus solely on my academics.
It would be of tremendous help to obtain financial assistance, because I have a desire to improve my
academic skills, but neither my family nor I have the necessary funds. I am a dedicated student, and I
would take advantage of this opportunity to the fullest.

Personal Statement-

1.

Have you had to overcome particular disadvantages that affected your previous academic
performance, such as financial difficulty, educational deprivations, or other obstacles?
2.
How do you think the Post-baccalaureate Admissions Program can help you prepare for medical
school?
3.
Have you thought about the area in which you would like to specialize? If so, please indicate.
4.
Describe your demonstrated commitment to improve the health of the underserved and
disadvantaged populations, for example:

Personal life experiences with underserved and disadvantaged health issues, and how these have

stimulated you to pursue training in medicine.

Significant volunteer or other work for a clinic or agency serving the underserved or disadvantaged

(local, national or international).

Other experiences (e.g. specific courses taken) which have prompted you to focus on improving
the health of underserved and disadvantaged populations

When I was 16 years old I moved to Chicago from Guadalajara, Mexico to pursue a
quality education. Not having any relatives with a professional education, I was
determined to build a path of my own. At the beginning of my college career, I
found myself struggling because my English reading skills were poor, and the large
class size was not conducive to my adaptation. I was constantly learning material on
my own, because I was not able to fully comprehend my professors due to a
language barrier, and limited vocabulary. By sophomore year, I started to get
involved in research, student organizations and pre-med programs that would
strengthen my medical school application. In addition, I was working part-time to
cover personal costs, and tuition balances. The result of taking on too many
activities was not what I expected, and my grades suffered because of it. I learned
from this experience, and I worked to improve my time management skills. By
senior year, I was able to balance a heavy course load, work 20-25 hours per week,
and volunteer as a research assistant at two different laboratories. My perseverance
paid off, and for the first time in undergrad I was in the Deans List for obtaining a
4.0.
The Post-Baccalaureate Admissions program will allow me to further develop my
skills as a student, and adapt to the rigorous curriculum of medical school. I will get
the opportunity to test my abilities, and assess areas of improvement. This will
contribute to my overall success and readiness to pursue a career in the Medical
field. I am committed to perform at my best, and take full advantage of this
program.
My personal experiences with healthcare have led me to become interested in
disease prevention and early intervention. I have been involved in research studies
committed to improve the health of Latinos at risk of diabetes and cognitive
diseases through a health education course, and dance program. Witnessing the
improvement of participants has become a major motivation to focus in areas of
medicine such as internal medicine and pediatrics. Upon college graduation, I
became employed by Lurie Childrens Hospital in the Physical and Occupational
Therapy Department. My position has allowed me to better understand the many
barriers between healthcare and patients. Low income families whose therapy
coverage depends on Medicaid are currently being turned away until they receive
therapy approval from the state. During this time, not only is the patients condition
worsening, but previous therapy accomplishments become null due to treatment
inconsistency. It has become my duty to explain parents, primarily among Spanish
speaking families, how the process for approval works to avoid miscommunication. I
contact patients Primary Care Physician to insure orders and referrals are up to
date, and treatment is not delayed due to missing paperwork. By obtaining a
medical education reinforced by the Post-Baccalaureate Admissions Program, I will
be able to connect the current problems in our society with solutions that can
improve the distribution of healthcare.