Help Me Become the Doctor I Was Called to Be

Imagine being 15 years old, standing on the edge of life as you know it — and in the blink of an eye, everything changes.

One moment, I was a teenager full of energy. The next, I was lying in a hospital bed after falling from a two-story building, my ankle shattered beyond repair. The doctors told me I needed major surgery to replace the bone. I was scared. I was in pain. And I didn’t know if I would ever walk again.

But God gave me a second chance. The medical team worked tirelessly to put me back together, not just physically, but emotionally. That moment — lying there, realizing that strangers had fought for my life — planted a seed in my heart. I knew I wanted to spend my life doing for others what they had done for me. Becoming a doctor stopped being just a dream; it became my calling.

The Journey So Far

In 2023, I graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Professional Health Science. I was a nontraditional, low-income student who had to fight for every inch of progress — working while studying, paying my own way, and taking on student loans to make it through. But I didn’t give up.

Now, my journey continues at the Postbaccalaureate Pre-Health Program at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN — a rigorous 12-month program designed to prepare students for the MCAT and medical school.

I’m currently taking General Chemistry 1 & 2 with labs and Precalculus — 12 credits out of the 60 required to complete the program. These courses are demanding. They require long hours of studying, intense focus, and relentless commitment. But lately, something else has been competing for my attention: financial stress.

The Hard Truth

The program costs about $32,000 for the year. I’ve already maxed out my federal student loan eligibility from undergrad, and I refuse to bury myself under predatory private loans with crushing interest rates.

Right now, I’m facing a past-due balance of $4,845 for the Summer 2025 trimester. Without payment, I risk being dropped from the program — a setback that could derail my entire path to becoming a doctor. I’ve tried many things: working extra hours, selling personal belongings, cutting every expense possible. But it’s still not enough.

Why I’m Asking for Your Help

I’m not just asking for money — I’m asking for a lifeline. Your donation isn’t just keeping me in school; it’s keeping my dream alive. It’s ensuring that one day, I will be the doctor standing at someone’s bedside, fighting for their life, just like those doctors once fought for mine.

Every dollar counts. Whether it’s $50, $75, $100, or more, your contribution will directly pay my tuition, allowing me to stay enrolled, focus on my studies, and keep moving toward medical school.

Your Impact Will Ripple for Years to Come

When you give, you’re not just helping me — you’re helping every patient I will treat, every community I will serve, and every life I will touch. You’re investing in a future doctor who will carry forward the same compassion, care, and hope that once saved my life.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in me, for standing with me, and for helping me step into the calling I know God placed on my life.

— Emile Dargbeh