Dr. Judy Shan, Med School Admissions Consultant at Inspira Advantage

Dr. Shan graduated with an MD from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where she served as an admissions interviewer for two years. She completed her internal medicine internship at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, where she was honored as Intern of the Year for her clinical excellence, patient care, and leadership, and is a soon-to-be dermatology resident. Dr. Shan has years of coaching experience and has mentored over 250 students.

Before attending UCSF, Dr. Shan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a BS in nutritional science and earned the UC Berkeley Leadership Award. After completing her undergraduate degree, she spent two years as a research assistant with the Clinical Research on Emergency Services and Treatments (CREST) Network at Kaiser Permanente, contributing to studies in emergency medicine and pediatrics that laid the foundation for her extensive publication record.

During medical school, Dr. Shan served as an admissions interviewer at UCSF, where she evaluated applicants and gained direct insight into how admissions committees assess candidates. She also mentored high school, college, and pre-medical students through programs at UCSF, UC Berkeley, and community organizations, leading workshops on college and medical school admissions, interviewing, and career exploration. She has also served in leadership roles focused on community engagement, health equity, and service, reflecting her commitment to supporting both patients and future healthcare professionals. Dr. Shan’s leadership in community engagement was recognized with the UCSF Student Organization Community Engagement Award, and she also received the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) Community Outreach Grant.

In addition to mentoring, Dr. Shan has an extensive research background with more than 35 peer-reviewed publications in emergency medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, and medical education. Her work has been published in leading journals, including JAMA Network Open, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, JAAD International, the Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, and other publications. She has also presented her work at multiple conferences, including the American College of Emergency Physicians Scientific Assembly, the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting, the Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, and others. Dr. Shan was awarded the UCSF Summer Explore Fellowship, the UCSF Deep Explore Grant, and the UCSF Inquiry Travel Grant in support of her research, and was named a Dean's Prize Finalist for short-term research at UCSF.

Dr. Shan is passionate about helping aspiring physicians navigate the medical school admissions process with confidence. She combines her experience as an admissions interviewer with her own journey of earning admission to a top medical school and successfully matching into the highly competitive field of dermatology to help students build authentic, compelling applications that highlight their strengths. Whether working with applicants on school selection, personal statements, activity descriptions, secondary essays, or interview preparation, Judy is committed to providing thoughtful guidance that helps each student present the strongest version of themselves. She believes every applicant has a unique story worth telling and finds great fulfillment in helping students achieve their dream of becoming physicians.

Get Started With a Free Consultation

Your first conversation will be with an Enrollment Specialist who will take the time to understand your background, goals, and timeline. They’ll help assess where you are in the prep process, answer initial questions, and determine which type of support and which expert would be the best fit for your personal needs.