We first met Kira Mengistu on Season 26 of “The Bachelor,” and while she didn’t find love with Clayton, she stole the hearts of Bachelor Nation fans.

Kira swept Bachelor Nation fans off their feet with her impressive list of accolades, including a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, her MBA from University of Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.

After her time on the show, Kira has been continuing to share her life with her followers on social media and is still looking for love.

Now, she’s sitting down exclusively with BachelorNation.com for a conversation about everything from working as a doctor throughout the pandemic to who she’d like to meet on the beaches of “Bachelor in Paradise” this summer.

Check out our full interview with Kira below!

Bachelor Nation: Hi Kira! It’s been a few months now since you were on the show. How have you processed your experience now that you’ve had some time to step back from it?

Kira Mengistu: Going on “The Bachelor” was not something that I was ever expecting to do in my life. Going on national television and presenting my most vulnerable self is totally out of my comfort zone. So initially after finishing filming, I was very worried about how I was going to be depicted and how everything would play out on-screen. But once the show started airing, it was just super exciting to watch me and my friends. It’s definitely been super weird having people recognize me in public. It’s just a whole new experience that I’m navigating one day at a time. There’s no rule book for this.

BN: Absolutely! Looking back, do you have a favorite memory from your time on “The Bachelor?”

KM: I actually really loved my limo exit from night one! I was very nervous because it was my first time on national TV and it was going to be in my underwear. But I just hyped myself up in the hotel room beforehand and when I actually stepped out of the limo, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was mentally prepared, so it was just so fun to see how Clayton blushed when he saw me. That was a really fun memory!

BN: Yes, your entrance was epic! Was there something specific you learned about yourself during your “Bachelor” journey?

KM: Yeah, I’ve always had difficulties with being honest and vulnerable with people, and the show really helped me realize that it’s okay to be more open. It helped me see that you actually are more likely to form connections and even just friendships with people if you are your most authentic self. So since the show, I’ve been trying to embrace that philosophy a lot more, and I also try to bring it out in other people.

BN: Love to hear that. Has going on “The Bachelor” changed how you move through the dating world now post-show?

KM: Yeah, I am much better at communicating with people both my expectations and what I want out of a relationship. I’m also better at really listening to what they say rather than projecting what I want onto what they say. The show certainly gave me a lot more confidence in dating. And also, it made me really want to settle down a lot more than I did in the past. I feel like I wanted it theoretically in the past, but after spending so much time reflecting during the show, I think I just realized that it’s time for me to find that special someone.

BN: Well, speaking of finding that special someone, have you considered going on “Bachelor in Paradise” this summer, and if so, is there anyone you’d want to see there?

KM: Yeah, I am definitely interested in going to “Paradise” this summer! I actually just started watching past seasons of “Paradise” and I’d be really excited to go. I feel like it’s more like real dating than “The Bachelor” because you’re meeting more people and dating them rather than everyone focusing on dating one guy. And there isn’t one person in particular I’d like to meet. If I go, I’d be going in with a super open mind. There are a few really cute guys like Pardeep, Romeo, and Casey that I’d love to meet.And there’s one person from a past season I’d like to meet. I don’t know if he’s single right now, but I’d love to see Dr. Joe on the beach. That would be great!

BN: Love all of those guys for you, so exciting! Let’s talk about your work as a doctor. Did you always want to go into the medical field?

KM: I’ve always loved science, so I’ve always leaned in that direction. Then in college, I was thinking about what career was going to make me feel most fulfilled in the long term, and I really found that with medicine. I’m not sitting at a desk all day. I get to work with real people and actually see the fruits of my labor. For example, when a patient comes into the hospital super sick and then within a few days, they leave the hospital better, I like that I have a hand helping them do that.

BN: Yeah, that’s incredible. It’s amazing work you do! Do you have a favorite part of your job working in internal medicine?

KM: Definitely seeing a patient come in sick and leave healthy, but also my work during the pandemic was some of the most difficult but also the most rewarding. I was working in the hospital with the COVID patients. It was a difficult time for everyone, and most people were stuck at home feeling helpless while everything was going on. But I felt like I was actually making a contribution and was really able to help during the pandemic. That was really empowering. I didn’t necessarily enjoy it because it was really difficult, but it was great to be able to help in the way I could.

BN: Well, we just want to say thank you so much for all of the work you did during the pandemic and beyond. You’ve talked a bit online about being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Do you have advice for any others experiencing this (whether in medicine or elsewhere)?

KM: Yes. The first thing I would say is when people make mistakes or don’t perceive you as the role that you are, know that it’s not always coming from a place of malice. It’s coming from a place of internalized stereotypes, so I try not to react in a negative way. And the second thing is just be the best version of yourself and show people who you are. Like in my field, some people might even prefer women doctors over male doctors after interacting with you. Just put your best self out there because you can’t quickly change those stereotypes that are out there, but over time we definitely can.

BN: That’s some great advice. You share a lot of tips and info on social media. Are there any standout tips you could give for staying healthy?

KM: For sure. I started that series on clean products because I myself was not aware of what chemicals were in products and how they can accumulate in the body and have long-term effects. I’m someone who likes to try to reason out why certain things happen, and over the past few decades we’ve definitely seen trends. These trends in health care, like, for example, infertility rates going up, makes me think about the products we use and things we put into our body. These things are definitely contributing to those trends, so my advice is to try to minimize dangerous chemicals as much as possible on an individual level. Then, eventually, hopefully we can minimize it on a societal level as well. That would be really great. Prevention is the best medicine.

BN: Those are some really important tips. We love that you continue to use your platform on social media to educate people. Is there anything you wish Bachelor Nation fans knew about you that they haven’t gotten to know yet?

KM: Rather than just tell them, I still want to show Bachelor Nation fans more of who I really am. I think I was a more subdued version of myself on the show, but the experience helped me come out of my shell a little bit. So I want people to know my quirky sense of humor and I want to be able to continue to educate Bachelor Nation fans more about the things I care about in the health care space.

BN: Yes, we love that! Last but not least, what are you most looking forward to in the rest of 2022?

KM: I’m excited about potentially going to “Paradise!” Also, my birthday is coming up in a few weeks and my parents are coming to visit me in Philly for the first time, so I’m really excited about that. And I’m likely moving to L.A. in August after pushing back those plans a few times, so I’m excited to finally make that move!