Dr. Shi earned an MD, PhD, MBA, and Master of Occupational Health from the University of Utah. She is board-certified in occupational and preventive medicine and currently serves as a Medical Epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Dr. Shi has 10 years of coaching and admissions committee experience, including serving as an interviewer for the University of Utah School of Medicine and the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellowship.
Prior to medical school, Dr. Shi earned a BA in biological science from the University of Southern California. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society during medical school and was valedictorian for her graduating MBA class.
Dr. Shi’s academic and research career is distinguished by both depth and breadth. She has authored or co-authored more than 15 peer-reviewed publications and has led over a dozen federal investigations examining exposures such as mercury, silica, infectious diseases, and environmental contamination. She has been published in numerous journals, including the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and others. Dr. Shi’s work has directly informed policy changes and strengthened protections for workers across the US. In recognition of her impact, she has received multiple national honors, including the prestigious Alice Hamilton Award for Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health, as well as several innovation and achievement awards for leadership and research excellence.
In addition to her federal work, Dr. Shi brings extensive experience in clinical medicine, occupational health consulting, and education. She has supervised medical residents and graduate trainees, developed board-certification examination questions, and lectured nationally to audiences ranging from trainees to senior public health professionals. Across academic medicine and public health, she has accumulated 10 years of mentorship experience, supporting learners at multiple stages of training.
As an admissions counselor, Dr. Shi’s greatest strength lies in helping applicants identify and clearly articulate their unique narratives. Her coaching approach is strategic, structured, and highly individualized, with a focus on clarity of purpose, authentic storytelling, and alignment between experiences and long-term goals. She brings an insider’s perspective to the process, having reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and navigated competitive academic and professional pathways herself. Students she has coached have been accepted to multiple top medical schools at Northwestern University, Boston University, UCLA, USC, Duke University, the University of Utah, the University of North Carolina, and others.
Dr. Shi is passionate about mentorship because she believes access to thoughtful guidance can be transformative. Having benefited from strong mentorship throughout her own training, she is committed to paying that forward by helping applicants approach the admissions process with confidence, intention, and perspective. She is known for being direct yet supportive, detail-oriented, and deeply invested in helping students present the strongest possible applications.
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