Adi Goldman of Raanana, Israel, is a charming, personable young woman who dreams of attending medical school. For Goldman, however, fulfilling this dream goes beyond merely graduating from college with good grades and taking the MCATs.
Goldman, the niece of Jewish Link staff member Simon Worman, and her family lived in Los Angeles, California, until 2004, at which time her father suffered a near-fatal heart attack. Aside from the sheer terror of it all, the experience took a huge financial toll on the family, since Goldman’s father was left unable to work and with massive medical bills. To ease their burden, the family decided to move to Israel, the father’s birthplace, where they have lived ever since.
Being ripped from the only life she had ever known as a teenager was difficult for Goldman, but she eventually adjusted to, and grew to love life in Israel. She learned the language, went to school and, most importantly, watched her dad became stronger and healthier. Unfortunately, his health never returned enough for him to hold a steady job, and the family’s financial troubles continued.
In his earlier days, Netanel Goldman had been a paramedic, one of Israel’s first, and he often told Adi stories about his experiences. Her curiosity and interest in medicine already piqued, Adi’s decision to become a physician, specifically a cardiologist, was solidified after Netanel’s heart attack.
Adi was always motivated to do well in school, and she also worked hard to gain experience in her chosen field and earn as much extra money as possible, in an effort to ease her family’s financial burden. She has a dual B.A. in Government and Psychology from The Interdisciplinary Center in Herzeliya, Israel, from which she graduated with honors, but in order to attend medical school she needs certain prerequisites that she was unable to meet in college.
Johns Hopkins University offers a program specifically intended for students like Adi, who need to fulfill a specific set of core pre-med requirements before they can take the MCATs and apply to medical school. This intensive program runs for 14 months, and the next session begins in May. Adi was lucky enough to be selected as one of approximately 25 students who will be part of the 2017-2018 cohort at the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program at Johns Hopkins University. She hopes to attend this program, which includes MCAT prep, and then take the MCATs in the summer of 2018.
This sounds like a wonderful plan for an aspiring young physician; however, in Adi’s case, it is not so simple. The program, though subsidized, is quite expensive and does not offer any scholarships. Since Adi is not a U.S. resident, and already has her B.A., she is not eligible for most private scholarships and grants, and since her parents also are not U.S. residents and do not have any personal collateral, she is not eligible for private loans.
Once this program is complete, Adi will be able to receive scholarships, grants and loans for medical school, and she fully intends to work to help pay her way next year, but she is also actively seeking generous private donors who are willing to contribute to her education.
The program at Johns Hopkins, including books and room and board, will cost nearly $52,000, and Adi has been able to secure a federal loan in the amount of $12,500. As of this writing, she had raised nearly $2,000 towards the balance of her tuition, but that leaves her with a deficit of over $35,000.
Adi is strong and independent, and has taken a brave step in reaching out to the greater Jewish community for assistance. Any small amount will help, even simply sharing her web page with others. In the spirit of achieving one of the highest levels of tzedakah, helping this young woman help herself, please visit Adi’s webpage at www.gofundme.com/adigoldman.
By Jill Kirsch
