My name is Lydiah Mpyisi. I am originally from Nairobi, Kenya. I am the youngest of two sisters and one brother. I enjoy dancing, website building, video editing, and spending time with family and close friends. Random facts about me, I Emcee at weddings and large social events, I am an ordained elder at my local church, and I serve in the United States Army Reserve as an enlisted soldier.

I moved to the United States in 2012, after I was awarded a merit-based full-ride scholarship to pursue my higher education at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. While in college, I was intentional in maximizing the available opportunities, and it all paid off because I emerged as an all-rounded individual. I often refer to my overall undergraduate experience as one of my most meaningful experiences thus far. In 2016, I graduated with honors in Biology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Chemistry. Shortly after graduating from college, I started working as an emergency department scribe at a level one trauma center. About three years later, I moved to Richmond, Virginia, to work as a clinical research professional at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

I am here today as a success story because I recently got accepted to medical school. I will be attending the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine this summer. It has not been a smooth ride for me: I am a three-time applicant to medical school, and I have taken the MCAT four times. You may be wondering, what did I do differently this time around? Well, I subscribed to Dr. Gray’s philosophy that while your stats are important to open doors for you, your story matters in that it helps you get in through the door. Throughout the entire application cycle, I purposefully stayed true to myself and told my story. It paid off in that I received an accepted offer less than 24 hours post my first interview of the cycle. I am thankful to God for making this possible. I also want to acknowledge the writers of my letters of recommendation and my brother-in-law, Mr. Edward Massaquoi and Dr. Gray for their input and support throughout the application cycle.

Today, I feel honored and humbled to be a part of the Accepted Student Panel at the 2nd Annual National Premed Day. I will be happy to answer any questions that you have for me.