Liz graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Biology in 1994. In 1995, she moved to Santa Barbara and earned her phlebotomy certificate. Liz began working at St. Francis Medical Center in the Physical Therapy Department and quickly transferred to the Laboratory. Perfecting her venipuncture techniques on all floors of the hospital, including post-operative patients, pregnant women going into labor, sick or premature babies, and emergency room patrons, she then improved her patient care skills working for internal medicine doctors, one of whom was the Medical Director of Hospice and won Doctor of the Year. In 1999, she started working with a group of local retinal surgeons. Liz's  primary job consisted of injecting dye into arm veins and photographing its flow through the patients retinal vessels. When patients are worried about their diagnosis or apprehensive about the procedure because of difficult veins, her quick, almost pain-free needle stick and kind but professional bed side manner would put them at ease.