My name is Soleil Golden. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, raised by a single mother in a low-income household. As a Black woman pursuing a career in science and medicine, my journey has not always been straightforward, but it has been deeply shaped by resilience, community support, and a belief that healthcare should be accessible to everyone. In 2024, I graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, attending on a full need-based scholarship that made it possible for me to pursue my education despite financial barriers. Now, I have been given another life-changing opportunity: I have been offered a place to study Medicine (MBChB) at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. For me, this is more than an academic milestone; it represents the chance to build a career in a healthcare system where care is treated as a right, not a privilege.

My path to medicine has been shaped by both passion and personal loss. My mother died in December of 2024 after facing barriers to medical care in the United States. Less than 24 hours after receiving a cancer diagnosis, she was gone. My mother not having health insurance is ultimately what caused her death, and that experience fundamentally changed the way I see healthcare. It strengthened my commitment to becoming a physician who works within a system where patients are treated because they need care, not because they can afford it. That is why my goal is to train and practice in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.

The past year has been one of the most difficult and transformative periods of my life. While navigating the grief of losing my mother, I continued pursuing my goal of medical school. I studied, paid for, and sat the UCAT admissions exam and ultimately scored in the 99th percentile. I prepared for and completed multiple competitive interviews, including at the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh. At the same time, I began a new role working in mental healthcare and public service, supporting individuals with severe psychiatric conditions and helping connect vulnerable people to the care and resources they need.

Receiving an offer to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh is an incredible honor and a dream realized after years of preparation, research experience, and dedication to public health and mental health advocacy. However, there is a major obstacle: funding.

In the United Kingdom, medical school places are heavily subsidized by the government for domestic students. Because of this funding structure, international students are charged significantly higher tuition and are not eligible for most public financial aid or government-supported loans. Unfortunately, this means that even though I have earned a place in the program, there is very limited financial support available to help me attend.

I am doing everything I can to pursue scholarships, speak with university advisors, and explore every funding option available. At the same time, I am reaching out to my community for help. Every contribution, no matter the amount, will go directly toward my medical education and help make it possible for me to begin this journey.

Becoming a doctor has never been just a career goal for me. It is deeply tied to my belief that healthcare should be accessible, compassionate, and equitable. As someone who grew up in a community where access to care was not always guaranteed, and as a Black woman entering a field where representation still matters, I hope to bring empathy, advocacy, and a commitment to equity to every patient I serve. Studying medicine in the UK would allow me to train within a system aligned with those values and ultimately serve patients through the NHS.

If you are able to contribute or share this campaign, it would mean more than I can express. Your support would not only help me attend medical school; it would help me continue the work of building a career dedicated to caring for others.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

— Soleil