My 2023-2024 Medical School App Results

[@kat-gz5ki]

Girl this is sooo impressive, you're clearly a fabulous writer and interviewee considering how many of your interviews turned into acceptances! Would love a video specifically about interviewing tips/how to prepare, and personal statement advice!

[@lilizzy428]

@@kat-gz5ki thank you so much! I’d be happy to make a video about interview tips and preparing :) hoping to film it very soon!!

[@GoodTimesWithHO]

goddam 23 acceptances is crazy impressive. Tryna get like you in the future lol

[@lilizzy428]

Haha, it was definitely a crazy cycle! I'll be honest and say that, at the end of the day, I agree with the old saying that you just need one to get where you need to go! Good luck on your journey - you got this!! :D

[@cosplaymistake]

I'm glad you mentioned where you grew up and how that affected where you applied cause that's something I was thinking about when picking out where I may apply :D

[@lilizzy428]

@@cosplaymistake Yes! I can’t say it’s going to help every applicant depending on their activities/state of residence, but considering most of my activities were based in Florida, there’s a lot of schools in Florida, and my app was community-oriented, it definitely helped!!🫶🏼

[@edene7354]

Wow! I can tell how much work you've put into your journey to medical school. Awesome video!

[@lilizzy428]

@@edene7354 thank you SO much for your kind words 🫶🏼❤️🥹

[@FirstLast-iv2tc]

I'm so excited for you. Woohoo!!! Sounds like the right decision got made. You are very level headed and logical. You'll make a brilliant doctor.☕

[@lilizzy428]

@@FirstLast-iv2tc awww thank you so much!! Excited to take you guys on the journey with me!

[@seanmmc333]

Crazy that I came upon this video but I remember meeting you at the Weill visit weekend! So glad to see someone so cool have such phenomenal results in this process- even tho we would've loved to have you in NYC

[@lilizzy428]

@@seanmmc333 Yes!! It was so nice meeting you and that weekend was so much fun!! I was also so torn for the longest time with my decision after such a great visit there. I know you’re going to do such amazing things in your journey and NYC/Weill is lucky to have YOU! :)

[@hopewestt]

congratulations for your hard work paying off!! very happy for you

[@lilizzy428]

Thank you so much!! Your kind words mean so much!

[@akajol]

Congrats! I live right near WFU so glad to hear you liked Winston Salem.

[@lilizzy428]

What a small world! Yes, I was so torn for a while cause Winston-Salem was so charming! Maybe I'll be back for future trainings one day :)

[@JohannGoindoo]

Congratulations to you. You did very well, ❤

[@lilizzy428]

@@JohannGoindoo thank you so much!!!

[@MichaelsMornings]

Thank you! Congrats! Apply this next cycle 🤞

[@lilizzy428]

@@MichaelsMornings thank you!! Also, congrats on deciding to apply next cycle and good luck on your journey! 🎉

[@JohannGoindoo]

Congratulations to you. You did very well, ❤ thank you for sharing

[@MsHanks123]

Congratulations on your medical school journey!

[@lilizzy428]

@@MsHanks123 awww thank you so much! Your kind words made my whole day 🥹❤️

[@josephgjonaj5069]

Congratulations on an amazing application cycle! As a current applicant and somebody that is now getting and waiting on interviews for medical school, I think it would be really helpful. If you posted a to interviewing seeing as you had so much success in the process!

[@lilizzy428]

@@josephgjonaj5069 thank you! I’m actually hoping to post a mini interview tips video in the next few days so stay tuned! :)

[@momos_wife]

Congratulations!!! 🥳🥳🥳

[@lilizzy428]

@@momos_wife awww thank you❤️🥹

[@pestal5213]

id love to learn more about how how you created your personal statement and how you were able to tie all of your experiences together! i am struggling with doing this right now

[@lilizzy428]

@@pestal5213 You are in very good company! I’ll say overall that there was no shortcut to reflecting, drafting, and having other people look over it a bunch before submitting. With that, it’s great that you’re starting somewhere! I am by no means an expert in this process, but I’m happy to meet with you via Zoom to chat about yours if you find yourself wanting some more specific advice (it’s free of charge don’t worry, haha!) calendly.com/izadi-lillee

[@MckayT2k0]

Excited to go on this journey with you! WashU definitely made the right decision with you!❤ Go Bears🐻

[@lilizzy428]

@@MckayT2k0 awww thank you love!🥹❤️

[@jenimar13]

Congratulations! ❤

[@lilizzy428]

@@jenimar13 thank you so much!!🫶🏼

[@umang1737]

thats nuts. good work bro

[@lilizzy428]

@@umang1737 thank you! Good luck on your journey too!!

[@juliedoiron632]

Congrats! 😊

[@lilizzy428]

@@juliedoiron632 thank you so much! So excited (and nervous ofc haha) for this next chapter 😁

[@samkeino6810]

Excellent blog. Congratulations! I notice that various schools have strikingly different “required” or “recommended” premed courses such as “org chem”, “biochem”, “genetics” etc. If I completed all, I would have wait until my after I finished my junior year to sit for the MCAT or to apply. Do you have any suggestions on how to navigate this maze of “conflicting” requirements?

[@lilizzy428]

@@samkeino6810 You are definitely not alone in this! The rule of thumb I have heard is that you need to have all of the required prerequisites by the time you matriculate, meaning you can apply while amidst taking a course which is required and still get in, as long as you finish it by about June before starting med school and send your final transcript in after. (Please don’t be afraid to talk to your premed advisor or reach out to a trusted admissions counselor to double check this). In my case, I was able to fit in all my prereqs by the end of my junior year, and took some recommended courses either sprinkled into that year or during my senior year (cell biology, immunology, biochemistry, etc.) but it’s important to emphasize that these courses are just that - recommended. The recommended ones ~might~ help in some way with competitiveness, but regardless, it will definitely help in studying for the MCAT and in understanding topics in your foundational courses in med school. With that though, I would focus on prioritizing the scheduling and completing of the required courses of the schools you might be interested in applying to. As for the MCAT, you definitely don’t need to have finished all the required prereqs to sit for it, but it depends on how much self-teaching of those concepts you want. The MCAT was a hard exam for me personally, so I would have not felt comfortable taking it unless I had a first pass of most if not all of the content through my courses. However, not everyone shares that same experience! Unfortunately, the MCAT portion might require you, an advisor, and/or some trial and error to navigate!

[@acd1168]

Wow! Good job

[@lilizzy428]

@@acd1168 thank you so much!❤️🥹

[@keionjackson13]

you really can't beat a full ride scholarship

[@lilizzy428]

@@keionjackson13 agreed! It was truly a blessing!!

[@hidude177]

privledge is certainly important for getting into medical school

[@lilizzy428]

@@hidude177 Absolutely! Everyone who gets in has had the luxury of some type of privilege along the way, and it’s important to acknowledge it!

[@bing-m7m]

Huge Congrats on your acceptances! Just as a quick question, is Albert Einstein Med School free for all future students? I thought the 1 billion dollar donation they got made tuition free but based on your thought process in this video, it doesn't look like it is. Once again, congrats and best of luck at WashU!!

[@lilizzy428]

@@bing-m7m that’s a great question! I believe students who joined this upcoming year’s class are benefiting from the donation in the form of full tuition! I don’t 100% know for sure though so maybe someone can jump in…unfortunately I went through the process of narrowing down acceptances throughout the cycle/a little before some other applicants might have. So, I actually rescinded my acceptance to Einstein a few days before their donation announcement came out! (I know right…just my luck haha!) but this means I did not get a financial aid package from them and do not know 100% what that would have looked like for me!

[@tla091]

You mentioned your learning style didn’t fit with some schools. What is your learning style and what were the schools lacking that didn’t fit for you?

[@lilizzy428]

@@tla091 Great question! As I explored some schools during accepted student weekends, Zoom prospective student sessions, and interview days, I noticed some schools have only written lecture exams, while others do a combo of written and multiple choice, and others do only multiple choice during pre-clinical. Additionally, some have more interactive components to their pre-club curriculum (I.e., some schools do Team-based and case-based learning a few times a week v. lecture learning, while others do case-based/team-based learning less frequently). Lastly, some schools may test/quiz more frequently or have shorter pre-clinical timeframes, or are even more or less flexible with attendance. I evaluated what I wanted in a curriculum and chose accordingly, but everyone is very different!

[@lilizzy428]

@@tla091 as for my learning style, I really like written exams in undergrad for content understanding, but found that I struggled on standardized exams like the MCAT. So I wanted a school that does both, and will allow me some more flexibility to do independent as well as group based learning. I’m not gonna say each school keeps the same things in each block (cause sometimes certain blocks may yield more or less tema based learning, etc.) but it’s nice to evaluate before choosing!

[@JohannGoindoo]

Please share the post bacc program and schools you applied to. Thank you

[@lilizzy428]

@@JohannGoindoo Hello! The post-bacc program I did was a research program for underrepresented/socio economically disadvantaged students called the doctoral diversity program! The 39 schools I sent my primary and secondary applications to are in the video :)

[@lillyrunna2674]

@@lilizzy428sorry ! how long was this post bacc program ?

[@lilizzy428]

@@lillyrunna2674 Hello! There wasn’t set programming outside getting matched with a lab and working in said lab, so a couple people spent one year there, others three, but most people spent two years there :)

[@JoseRodriguez-p4o3k]

Question how did you do work on research I have no clue I'm just starting from 0 in community college.

[@lilizzy428]

@@JoseRodriguez-p4o3k hi! Unfortunately, this is kind of context-specific depending on your possible interests. So apologies, as this is a little long, and I can only speak from my experience personally. I did a mixture of things, some of which was reaching out to professors who were doing research projects or work I found interesting. The way I learned what projects they are working on varied, but maybe they would mention it in class itself or while talking to them during office hours. Additionally, some colleges/universities will have department websites where faculty and their contact info/research interests/recent research work is listed, so you might need to go digging on the internet to find that. Even if your school doesn’t have certain opportunities, there may be local universities or colleges in your area, so check on their websites too - you can always reach out and see if there are any opportunities to help with their project between classes or over the summer, especially at a university you plan to transfer for after you finish at the college your at! Lastly, a big way I found opportunities was applying for undergraduate summer research programs and attending events on campus and in my community. To find undergraduate summer research programs, you can type that phrase into your search engine and see what universities offer programs like this that you can apply for (these are often big institutes that may or may not be local to you, but you would spend 8-12 weeks over the summer doing research with a faculty member you’re paired with based on expressed interest after being accepted to the program. They usually pay you a stipend and cover travel as well!) they do require a formal application, and often start accepting applications around the holidays - now would be the time to look for some and see if you’re interest in applying for some! If those don’t interest you, sometimes campuses will hold research-related events, you’ll see flyers posted around your school for open lab positions, or there are health fairs/health-related events that bring different people from the community who may or may not be doing community research or work that interests you. Networking in these settings can be helpful! Hopefully this makes sense - my biggest piece of advice when trying to get any opportunity is to be humble and kind about asking people, but be persistent and advocate for yourself :) you got this!

[@jessiewilson5322]

How did you get so much research experience??? Imagine struggling to even find an opportunity.

[@lilizzy428]

@@jessiewilson5322 I found it’s VERY hard to get research experience, especially when you did not go to a large or multicenter academic institute, which I did not. Much of my research experience came from emailing physicians in the area, applying to summer research programs at those larger centers (they’ll pay you too, which helps certain populations get access too!) and doing a two-year research program for my gap year (so I did take a couple years off before going to med school to get most of my hours listed).

[@greensoul3747]

Could you go over your AMCAS application!

[@lilizzy428]

@@greensoul3747 definitely!❤️

[@anh-thonguyen9737]

🎉🎉

[@lilizzy428]

@@anh-thonguyen9737 thank you! I’m SO excited for your journey too!!❤️😁

[@anh-thonguyen9737]

@@lilizzy428 thank you!!!

[@naimakhan7762]

Can you please share what was your major in undergrad?

[@lilizzy428]

@@naimakhan7762 I was a Biology major!

[@SunshineKane1]

Would you be willing to do an interview help/tips vido for applicants this cycle?

[@lilizzy428]

@@SunshineKane1 I’d be happy to share some tips! I know everyone interviews at different times, so if you find the video I post releases a little late, I’m happy to meet to talk or do a mock interview using the link in the video description! Congrats on applying and best of luck on your journey 🎉🫶🏼

[@kidsfashionexpert]

can you talk a little bit about what your personal statement looked like?

[@lilizzy428]

@@kidsfashionexpert Yes! I’m looking forward to going over my app in the future! Generally, I would say mine was very personal regarding my lived experiences because they were a big part of me pursuing the career path. However, instead of focusing on it, or any negatives from those experiences, I talked more about what I learned from them and used anecdotes to show how I’ve grown and demonstrated these skills from those lived experiences in a healthcare setting (and how I hope to use it in the field later!)

[@rare-akaayt]

Can you add the spreadsheet

[@lilizzy428]

@@rare-akaaytThank you for reminding me! I just added it to the description (the first link is the original spreadsheet that I found off a forum, the other is the one I customized for myself. If you’re in secondary grind mode rn, I left my school list and links to the secondary prompts on it for prewriting if wanted!)

[@blackflower6635]

If you are an Asian American or white, do not have your hopes so up seeing her outcomes. Consider yourself very lucky if you get one acceptance with similar profile

[@lilizzy428]

@@blackflower6635 Hello! I would encourage you and the others watching the video to not assume someone’s racial or ethnic identity based on how they look, as I actually fall under one of the categories you mentioned in your comment. Thank you!

[@blackflower6635]

@@lilizzy428 I don’t mean to disrespect you or undermine your outcome but there must be some X factor not revealed by you. It will help future applicants if you are forthcoming. I have reviewed 1000s of profiles, it is impossible for a normal Asian American or white applicants to achieve similar outcomes with a similar profile. It’s just impossible. May be one or two acceptances from low and mid tier schools. That’s it. We shouldn’t give false hopes to potential applicants

[@lilizzy428]

@@blackflower6635 It’s important to state that getting 23 acceptances in general - regardless of someone’s race, stats, “x factor”, or activities - is not the normal whatsoever. No one of those factors alone is going to be the reason a person gets accepted. It is only through a demonstration of various competencies. This is exactly why students reflect on their lived and healthcare-related experiences through their personal statement, work & activities, secondary essays, and interviews. So you are correct - there is more to my application, because there is more to me as an individual. However, this video touches upon what many others on this platform do - stats, hours, places applied, and outcomes. Any current or potential applicants who have/had questions about that have and can contact me for free advice, as I am not an expert in this process. By doing that, I’m hoping my situation is not as abnormal in the future, and that people with similar experiences can feel comfortable sharing their own wisdom gained from the process.