Raul Miranda has become the first person from Southern Baja California to be accepted to Harvard Medical School.
The 28-year-old was born and raised in Cabo San Lucas before moving as a teenager to his father’s hometown of Toluca, about 40 miles from Mexico City, where he attended high school. It was there that he decided to pursue a career in medicine.
After graduating, Miranda enrolled at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) in Toluca, a public university offering 85 academic programs. He earned a degree in social sciences while developing a strong academic record that led to a medical research fellowship at Boston University from 2022 to 2023. There, he focused on clinical research in metabolic disorders.
Following his fellowship, Miranda completed an unpaid internship at Mexico’s National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, dividing his time between coursework and hospital service. He said his interest in the psychology of disorders began at age 16 and deepened during his time in Boston.
While in the United States, Miranda also studied sports medicine and worked with the Boston Celtics’ medical staff as part of his academic training.
Harvard Medical School’s estimated first-year cost of attendance for 2026 ranges from about $113,750 to $123,870, including tuition, fees and living expenses.
“I do not have a scholarship at this point. I’m still applying for the ones Harvard offers,” Miranda said. “At this time, Harvard can only offer up to 30 percent if eligible.” He is scheduled to begin classes in September and expects to start a neurosurgery research position at Massachusetts General Hospital in late March or April.
To help cover expenses, his mother has launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “From Community Roots to Harvard: A Journey in Medicine.”
“As a mother, I have watched my son dedicate his life to becoming a physician and serving others,” she said. “From long nights studying to countless hours in hospitals and research, he has worked with discipline and integrity to reach this moment.”
She said the financial burden is more than the family can manage alone and hopes the community will support his goal of continuing his medical training and eventually giving back to the region.
Donations can be made at: http://www.gofundme.com/f/from-community-roots-to-harvard-a-journey-in-medicine.
