For a complete list of student groups, look here. Not seeing what you like? It’s easy to start a new group here at WUSM!
Reyan C., M1
WashU’s American Medical Association (AMA) chapter is a great way to get involved with medical and scientific policy on the regional, state, and national level! I personally wanted to learn more about how policies are enacted and be involved in the process myself, since I had no previous experience in this sector. The AMA is a great way to meet medical students and physicians that care deeply about the political context in which they practice. If you have any interest in learning and even writing your own policies, please join the AMA and attend their conferences.
Elizabeth C., M1
I knew I wanted to get involved in the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) when I heard the lunch talk given by the M2 leaders during the first few weeks of school. The scope of the organization really impressed me: AMWA raises money for the American Heart Association, organizes volunteering for community organizations that benefit women, fosters mentorship, and advocates gun violence awareness, just to name a few of AMWA’s functions. I joined the mentorship team because I had been mentored by a phenomenal female WashU physician and wanted to help other students find great women mentors at WashU. So far this year we’ve organized small group breakfasts with medical students and female faculty from different specialties. We also paired women in our class with female mentors in specialties they are interested in. Being on the AMWA mentorship committee has been a great way to connect with other women in my class and the M2 class, as well as advocate for women in the medical field.
Marina N., M1
WashU’s chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) provides opportunities for students of all backgrounds to promote health advocacy and outreach to the Asian Pacific American populations of St. Louis. APAMSA regularly hosts health screenings via Chinese Clinic or health fairs that are run together with Saint Louis University School of Medicine APAMSA. At these health screenings, students get to practice taking vitals, taking a history & physical, as well as brush up on their medical vocabulary in Chinese. Don’t know Medical Chinese? APAMSA has got you covered – Medical Chinese classes are offered all year long. Want to take a break from it all? APAMSA has you covered on that as well! APAMSA hosts Asian Pacific cultural festivals for Diwali in the fall and Lunar New Year in the winter, at which you get to watch fantastic student performances while indulging in some great free food. If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do to help the underserved Asian Pacific American community, APAMSA is definitely the place for you.
Alex K., M1
Each year, the first-year class puts together several short videos highlighting life as a medical student at WashU: the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Student directed, produced, and edited videos are debuted to the class, faculty, and administrators on Class Show night, which always proves to be a memorable event. Past videos have included WashU-versions of Mean Tweets, music video parodies, and Carpool Karaoke, starring your very own classmates and even some of your favorite faculty and staff.
Vinay P., M1
As someone who went here for undergrad and decided to come back for medical school, I’ve really enjoyed WashU and St. Louis. I think my decision to come here has been one of the best I’ve made. In light of that, I decided to become an Editor-in-Chief of the Dis-O Guide to show what the student experience is like here, with the hope of helping prospective students make this important decision. As Editor-in-Chief, I’ve gotten to learn so much more about my classmates and have gained new insights about the school from the deans themselves, while also learning valuable leadership and organizational skills. Overall, it’s been an amazing experience, and I would definitely do it again!
Ryan W., M1
Histones is WUSM’s very own a cappella group! We rehearse weekly and perform a variety of concerts every semester for patients, families, friends, and faculty. In addition to being a group to de-stress with, Histones is a hub for medical students to connect with the occupational therapy, physical therapy, and DBBS students throughout the medical school campus. It’s been exciting to continue my musical engagement in medical school, and I hope to see some new M1 faces in the fall!
Wyatt R., M1
Intramurals are a great way to get exercise and bond with your classmates. WashU has a plethora of sports ranging from soccer, flag football, and basketball to sports like badminton, cornhole, and even e-sports. Most sports are held over on the Danforth Campus, but people are always willing to carpool if getting there is ever a problem. Relax and destress with a little friendly competition with or against classmates!
Marina P., M1
LMSA is the Latino Medical Student Association chapter at WashU. There are plenty of ways to get involved, and everyone is welcome regardless of personal identity or cultural background. LMSA hosts monthly charlas where students and faculty get together to practice their Spanish over a meal and facilitates volunteering opportunities by organizing bi-monthly health screenings at El Torito (a local Latin American supermarket). Among many other things, LMSA also participates in other community-organized events, runs a class that teaches students how to successfully engage with Spanish-speaking patients, and coordinates outings to various Latinx venues, events, and celebrations. Whatever your interests are in working with and/or being a part of the Latinx community at WashU and St. Louis, we’d love for you to reach out!
Angela C., M1
I thought age 24 was too old to pick up musical theatre as a new hobby … and then I came to WashU. Each year, the med school puts on a full-length Broadway musical cast entirely of students in the MD, PhD, OT, PT, and AuD programs. The time commitment is manageable — three hours once/week — and while prior music or dance experience is helpful, everyone who auditions is guaranteed a part. You can also get involved by playing in the pit orchestra, building the set, or making costumes. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Alex K., M1 Class President
Medical Student Government (MSG) represents the students’ voice on various committees to promote student interests in medical education, admissions, student affairs and wellness, diversity, interprofessional education, alumni relations, career development, facilities and more. MSG meets regularly with the administration and faculty to support the needs of the medical student body and provide student input in decision making. Each medical school class elects a president, Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), a medical education representative (MER), a representative to the Washington University Graduate Professional Council (GPCR), an IT Liaison, and four social chairs. As Class of 2023 President, I have the opportunity to help organize various academic, social, and professional events to enrich the medical school experience, including the Anatomy Body Donor Remembrance Ceremony, the Class Show, Diversity Week, and the M1 and M4 mentorship dinner. It has been an incredible honor to advocate for my class and work with the administration to ensure we have a fulfilling medical school experience. I’d recommend getting involved with MSG if you are interested in having a say in the decisions that affect your class and building strong relationships with our administrators.
Alex C., M1
One might not initially expect St. Louis to be densely populated by Spanish speakers. However, step no further than Cherokee Street in the city or El Morelia Supermarket in the county to find a bustling Hispanic community. A great way to interact with this community is to volunteer either as a medical interpreter or community worker. Perhaps the most streamlined way to get involved with the Spanish-speaking community is to contact the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), which has a volunteer coordinator who organizes several volunteer opportunities. For example, LMSA performs health screenings at El Torito, a grocery store on Cherokee Street. Another rewarding experience is to volunteer as a medical interpreter at Casa de Salud, a medical clinic serving those who are underinsured and uninsured in the Latino community. I have been an interpreter at Casa de Salud since 2014 and have found it very rewarding to facilitate interactions between patients and their providers. Whatever your interest with the Spanish-speaking community is, reach out to other classmates or upperclassmen who are involved to see how you can get involved yourself!
Matt M., M1
I never expected St. Louis, of all places, to be fertile ground to start a new company — but now I’m doing that through Sling Health! Sling is a startup incubator funded by WashU that provides access to local mentors, the Cortex (a large hackerspace replete with whiteboards, free coffee and food, and conference rooms), and a bit of funding to get your medical startup idea off the ground. It’s a great interdisciplinary experience that lets you meet many people outside of medicine — business students, undergrads, people from the College of Pharmacy, and even Saint Louis University students! It also provides the right structure to keep you on pace and disciplined enough to keep your forward momentum. You can either lead a project or join one, depending on what you want to work on, but Sling takes you through a full cycle from ideation to demoing a product.
Even though I plan to practice clinical medicine, working in an entrepreneurial context has greatly improved my leadership, communication, and organizational skills. You will use all of those skills in leading a care team. And if you do decide to make the leap into entrepreneurial medicine, Sling is a great place to start.