Help Me Seek Justice After Dell Medical School Broke Its Promise

For the vast majority of my life, I’ve wanted to be a doctor - to have an impact on others the way I was helped through illness and injury in my own life. In my senior year of college I suffered a lumbar spine fracture. Later, I underwent spinal fusion - a surgery only performed after all other options fail due to the high risk of potential complications. When I was accepted to Dell Medical School at UT Austin, it felt like my dream had come true: I could pursue my life passion at my top school. One of Dell Medical School’s core missions is “to revolutionize how people get and stay healthy” by “embracing novel, collaborative solutions to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.” Dell makes it known that they support their students, and I truly believed they had my back (pun intended).

Halfway into my third year of medical school, the condition of my back deteriorated rapidly. The physical demands of 12-hour clinical rotations were too much. Taking a permitted leave of absence was my only choice, as my body needed time to recover.

A year into my leave, while still enrolled, Dell canceled my student health insurance coverage due to a clerical error. When the time came for me to return to school, Dell refused to provide any accommodations for my remaining year and a half of rotations. The Vice Dean of Education gave me an ultimatum, return immediately as a full-time student with no accommodations for my back or do not return at all. I was forced to leave my dream behind and withdraw from medical school. The following year was a painful pivot, but I worked to adapt and pull myself together.

The Promise That Changed Everything

To my great surprise, in April 2025, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs reached out to me, offering to resurrect my dream: Dell Medical School offered me readmission to finish my degree. In the weeks following, Dell walked me through the process. They sent a list of graduation requirements, a course schedule, and a readmittance contract. I realized my dream was no longer a fantasy. The long and winding road of the past few years would lead me to my career as a doctor after all.

With all this in motion, I began making arrangements immediately. I let my contract with my current employer expire and ended discussions on a career advancement opportunity. I renewed my lease in Austin for school. Eager to jump back into the med school fold, I invested in study materials, began daily preparation for my medical board exams, and worked directly with Dell Med’s financial aid and academic services to confirm that my insurance and aid would be reinstated. I did everything right to prepare for my return to school in January.

Promises Made, Promises Broken

With Dell’s proposed start date quickly approaching, something didn’t seem right. Dell stopped responding to my emails, my texts, and my calls. When I finally got in touch with the Dean again, my world crumbled in a matter of seconds. After months of planning and reshaping my entire life, Dell rescinded their offer of readmittance without warning. They merely left me with, “We sincerely regret any inconvenience or misunderstanding that may have arisen from this situation, and we wish Mr. Cooke the best in his future endeavors.” My dream was once again shattered.

Dell’s decision didn’t just hurt my finances - it devastated my mental health and derailed my life’s purpose. Again. After years of fighting through pain and recovery to pursue medicine, then to stay in medicine, then to return to medicine, the institution that had reached out to me to re-open the door to my dreams yet again slammed the door in my face.

Why I’m Asking for Help

I want to finish my education and become a doctor. But due to the financial position Dell has put me in, the only way forward requires legal action. I have a great attorney and a very strong promissory estoppel case, and I am asking for your help so I can hold Dell responsible and make them honor their promise.

I’m raising funds to cover legal fees so that I can seek justice — not just for myself, but to make sure Dell knows that it can’t treat its students this way. The sad truth is that higher education administrators wield immense power over students' futures, but that doesn't mean they should treat anyone as if they don’t matter. My story isn’t unique; many students find themselves unable to fight back against such injustices. However, in my case, Dell’s broken promise is a breach that warrants legal action. Your donation will help cover:

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps me move a step closer on my path of becoming a physician. I’ve spent years of my life trying to become a doctor to help people. As my experience will attest, the pathway to any dream is long and complex. Now, I need your help to get there.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for believing in accountability, fairness, and second chances.

- Zane