Help Paola get to Clinical Rotations

Hello, my name is Paola Morales, and I am a medical student at St. Matthew's University School of Medicine. The reason I want to become a doctor is to help alleviate people's suffering. Being a doctor is my calling, and it is something that I am incredibly passionate about.

I started my medical school journey in September 2018. While in Basic Sciences, I was a teaching assistant for two different courses, and I also won awards for my performance in 4 different classes. I just passed my comprehensive basic science examination in December, which means I am now eligible to take Step 1 and then proceed to clinical rotations. Step 1 is the first exam of three necessary to become licensed as a physician. To sit for Step 1, my school is making me take a six-and-a-half-week review course with The Institute of Medical Boards in Kansas City, Missouri, which starts February 22, 2022.

As I am not considered a full-time student, I am not eligible for Financial Aid through my school, so I have to pay my way. The cost of the course is covered by my school, but they do not cover accommodations. Accommodations for this program cost 3,255.50; this is with a discounted rate at a hotel that the program gives you. Not only do I have to pay for these accommodations, but I also have to buy a question bank called Uworld that is valued at $439.00. This Qbank is necessary for the program and is not provided by them or my school. For the program, I also need to buy practice exams from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), which cost $60.00 each, and I need 4 of them. These are all the costs for the Institute of Medical Boards program.

My school also needs me to fill out some paperwork, get some labs done, get some vaccines, get certain certifications, among other things, for me to be able to attend clinical rotations. These things have different costs, and I also need help with them. The bloodwork costs $260.00 because my health insurance does not cover it. The total cost of the vaccines I need is 327.61, which are also not covered by my insurance. I also need a tuberculosis test which costs $74.00. I also need to get CPR/BLS certified, which costs $79.95.

Another thing required is that I get HIPAA training, which costs $29.99, and an infection control certification that costs $25.00. Lastly, I need a background check and a drug test which cost 63.19 and 36.22, respectively. Another roadblock is that to take the Step 1 exam, I need to be certified by ECFMG, which costs $160.00, and I also need to pay the registration fee for the exam, which costs $985.00.

I need the funds for the class on or before February 20 because that is when I plan to fly out to Kansas City. So, as you can see, all of these costs begin to add up, and having no financial aid makes me unable to pay for all of them.

I humbly ask for your help to continue working towards my dream of becoming a doctor. Please help me fulfill my dream. Any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated and help me towards my goal. Thank you.