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Mark Anthony Smiley

Biography

In 2003, Mark Smiley witnessed his best friend's death from a gunshot wound. He grew angry, and his anger translated into a new life direction. That autumn, Mark took his first biology and chemistry courses. He excelled, and within a year he was recommended to become a tutor in general biology and chemistry.

Previously, simple survival took priority. For seven years, Mark and his seven family members shared a one-bedroom house in Kingston, Jamaica. In fear of political violence, they fled to the United States. They experienced financial difficulties, and Mark worked nights during high school, while his classmates engaged in chess clubs and study sessions. In college, Mark's abilities and drives focused on academics, and he earned money through employment as a tutor, a laboratory research assistant, and an intern. He won multiple fellowships and scholarships.

A National Institute of Health grant funded Mark's biomedical research training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He volunteered in a hospital emergency room and as a Southern Diaspora Research and Development delegate to the United Nations lobbying for sustainable development in Caribbean Islands. He also performed community service in homeless shelters, parks, and schools.

The prospect of medical school presented a daunting financial challenge-even in the application stage. Mark's family received assistance to complete eleven medical school applications. Mark garnered ten interview offers, but his family could only afford the travel expenses to attend four interviews. Mark will use his personal history in his career aspirations. "Through my clinical medicine exposure and experiences as a patient, I observed that there is an important need for medical doctors to enhance their cultural competency when practicing in underserved communities."

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