Elif is the first in her family to come to the United States to receive her undergraduate degree. After graduating from an international high school in Tirana, Albania, she came to the U.S. in 2014 to attend Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. She received her B.S. in Biology with concentration in Pre-Medical studies and graduated as an Honors Scholar. During her undergraduate education, she served on the executive board of the International Student Association and taught three-credit hour Turkish language class. Additionally, she worked as a Biology Laboratory Assistant for three years and trained many students. Elif also conducted two neuroscience related research projects at her home institution and Georgia State University Neuroscience Institute. 
After graduating in 2018, she took two years gap and worked in healthcare as a medical assistant before applying to D.O. schools. In 2020, she joined the class of 2024 at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. As a first-year medical student, Elif has been selected to be a Student Ambassador and help KCU during medical school admissions interviews.