Personal Statement: The applicant must include a one-page essay detailing his or her reasons for pursuing a career in medicine.

I have always wanted to help change the world . As a child , I believed that if everyone did their own little part in taking that extra step to help others , the world would be a much better place for everyone . The stark reality of it all hit me not long after that but it did not lessen my resolve . I figured that if so many people I knew did not want to do their part in changing the world then I would probably have to do their share . This is where my motivation to

pursue medicine comes from the drive to go the extra mile just to make a difference in this world

I believe that my experience of arriving from a raft to enter the United States from Cuba is a unique experience that is undoubtedly also my advantage in the medical profession . Figuratively and literally clinging on to my dream and my life , I see things in a different light and am grateful for all the opportunities that I have been granted . I did not receive these same opportunities in my home country and was forced to leave due to several reasons . As such , I resolved that if granted the opportunity I would not only strive to become the best that I could become but also give back to the community

My initial career goal is to become a doctor like my father . I did four years of nursing in a medical school in Cuba after being denied...