Denisse Rojas earned a biology degree from UC Berkeley and has set her sights on medical school. But one big obstacle stands in her way.

To practice medicine in California, doctors must obtain a license from the state, and applicants are required to provide a Social Security number as proof of identity.

Rojas, 25, does not have such a number. She is in the United States illegally, having been smuggled into the country from Mexico by her parents when she was 6 months old.

But a group of legislators wants to help her — to do for doctors, dentists, nurses, barbers, security guards and many others what they did last year for attorneys: grant those in the country illegally permission to practice their occupations.

The San Francisco resident said she was able to receive financial aid from the state under California’s Dream Act for her last semester of college, so it follows that the state should allow her to use her degree.

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