Academics

As one of the Anatomy course liaisons this year, I obviously had an immediate investment in the course, but I was still surprised that it became my favorite class. I came to med school dreading Anatomy, since I was a guy who hated classes that primarily depended on rote memorization, and Anatomy seemed like the worst culprit among our first classes. However, after a few weeks, I began to find a lot more enjoyment in the course. Anatomy is a subject that you can see and sometimes apply in your day-to-day life, which for me made it more bearable than other classes which are smaller scale. It also helps that you form tight bonds with your Anatomy group and can socialize with friends at different tables under the guise of “seeing the anatomical variation of their donor.” There are definitely times where you’ll swear you never want to see fat or fascia ever again in your life, but I’m sure I’ll miss dissection once it’s gone.

Every day, those blessed to follow our lord and savior Anki choose to further themselves along the path to irreparable thumb damage. This path, founded on the principles of “spaced repetition” and the infamous “high–yield,” is not for the faint of heart; no, doing that same damn flashcard for the 15^th time in two days — because you just can’t remember if it’s TOM22 or TIM23 that imports proteins into the mitochondrial matrix — takes a special type of masochism.

In all seriousness, Anki truly has been a lifesaver for me. It helps both in memorization of those obscure facts medical school loves to test and in their retention, through the spaced repetition algorithm, past the test date and *fingers crossed* until Step 1 (and not a minute after). Previous years have done us a huge favor in consolidating flashcard decks within Anki that are class– and lecture–specific, so you don’t even have to spend time making a single flashcard of your own. In addition to the class decks, there are decks for Step preparation (notably the Deng deck, made by a WUSM alum, and Zanki, which can be found online), which students use to augment their class studies.

There are many ways to succeed in medical school and Anki is only one of them, but if you’re like me and need multiple rounds of repetition to get those nitty gritty facts to stick, it might be worth trying Anki out. Who knows, you might just learn something.

Histology is all about microscopic anatomy, so it involves identifying different cell types (many of which, at a surface-level glance, unfortunately look the same) and learning how they interact at a cellular- and systems-based level. Having taken histology in undergrad, the course was not new to me, which was why I was excited to be one of the course liaisons. What surprised me was how challenging it was the second time around. There was a collective feeling of confusion in almost every lab, which suddenly dissipated with practice and the professors’ guidance, and I found that I quite liked the eventual feeling of understanding. The group setting of the labs allowed me to become close with my partners as we worked through problems during team competitions and scoured through microscope and online slides looking for the elusive basophil. I am looking forward to the next block and the new challenges we will face, as well as to hopefully becoming more competitive for the team competition. Is it too much to hope that our team will win?

Even though starting medical school can be like stepping into a scary new world, WashU has amazing and accessible mentorship that can help you find your feet during M1. Everyone is matched with an M2 Big Sibling (the first upperclass student you get to bond with) who will give you honest advice on how to survive in med school — not just the work part, but the fun part too. All M1s also get an M4 clinical mentor, who guides us through some of our first patient interactions and gives great advice on medical school and applying to residency programs. Furthermore, the administration, your society dean, and your professors are proactive and available, whether you need help right now or are uneasy about the future.

Outside of class, you can easily reach out to any one of the amazing speakers involved in all the different aspects of health care who give lunch talks (with free food!) throughout the year. There are regular specialty interest group dinners during which physicians come in to chat and connect with students — some physicians even host dinners at their own homes! In short, you have a LOT of different ways to be mentored, and it’s super easy to reach out and get in touch with opportunities for guidance, mentorship, and advice at any point during med school.

Molecular Foundations of Medicine (MFM) is an incredibly well-run course designed to teach all the biochemistry you need to know to establish a solid basis for your future medical studies. Dr. Pike is an amazing course director and lecturer who has been running this class for decades and has it down to a science. Even though one block of biochemistry may not seem like much, Dr. Pike masterfully organizes the course to educate you thoroughly on everything from protein structure and function, to metabolism, GPCRs, cancer, and more. Between lectures, the coursepack, small group sessions, and the textbook, there are more than enough resources suited for any type of learning style. The clinical correlations woven throughout the course material also provide an essential connection from the basic sciences to clinical medicine. Dr. Pike also includes short segments in every lecture called “Know-Your-Food,” which are truly gems. She takes everyday guilty pleasures, like pizza and ice cream sundaes, and recommends small modifications that make for delicious and healthy alternatives.

The perks of attending a pass/fail medical school where students aren’t ranked according to grades can’t be overstated! In med school, there’s always something else to be studied or another Anki card to be done, so not having to worry about memorizing every single detail in classes like Physiology or Anatomy is a huge benefit. Percentages to pass range from 65% to 70% depending on the class, and no record of your class rank is tracked besides the fact that you passed. Your greatest motivator is you, and the unranked pass/fail curriculum is instrumental in building our supportive environment here at WUSM where collaboration and sharing of resources are the norm.

There’s so much to be done with the extra free time: napping, enjoying Addie’s Thai, running errands, going out with friends, trying food from cuisines all over the world in South Grand, doing research, getting involved in the St. Louis community through WashU-affiliated and non-affiliated organizations, and even interacting with interviewees at pizza parties. Pass/fail is just one of several factors that make WUSM a place where we maintain and build upon our hobbies and interests while enjoying the study of medicine.

If you’ve ever wondered how our bodies control blood pressure, how our cells respond to hypoxia, or how our kidneys filter blood – this is your class! In physiology, you’ll be learning all about how the human body works, from the cellular to the systemic levels. Taken over blocks 1 and 2, the course is split into sub-blocks that focus on the physiology of each major organ system: heart, lungs, kidneys, GI, and endocrine. There is a good mixture of basic science lectures, clinical lectures, and small groups scattered in each block.

The small group style is where we get to work in groups of 4 – 6 to problem-solve through case presentations and apply concepts learned in class to clinical scenarios. Small groups were a bit rocky at the beginning of the year, but after seeking and listening to all M1s’ feedback, the course directors were quite proactive in changing the small group styles to better meet our class’s needs. In general, I personally appreciate small groups because it’s a chance for non-lecture-goers like myself to take a break from napping / procrastinating / Ankiing and socialize with other members of the class, ensuring that we all continue to see each other and remain a tight-knit community.

Practice of Medicine (POM), our clinical skills course, is our first dive into patient care. After years of dreaming about becoming a physician, it is so exciting to start learning the hands-on techniques necessary to deliver care to those in need. Under the guidance of some fantastic faculty and specialists here at WUSM, we learn most aspects of the patient interview and physical exam by the end of block 1. Along with clinical skills, we also have discussions about health care policy, life as a practicing physician, and socioeconomic, cultural, and historical factors (to name a few) that affect how people interact with medical professionals and the healthcare system.

Personally, my favorite part of POM has been the opportunity to learn from a fourth-year clinical mentor. Two M1s are paired with one M4 who takes us into the hospital to practice interviewing and examining real patients several times throughout M1 year. Our mentors are an incredible resource, since they were in our shoes just a few years ago, and have so much insight into the WUSM experience, from preclinical courses to Step 1 to residency applications. I am grateful that as first-years, POM allows us to begin developing the skills and confidence we will use to take care of patients throughout our careers.

A private website jam-packed with resources for WashU Medical Students (WUMS), WUMSweb is a fantastic resource that is an instrumental part of student success and happiness at WashU. Files found on WUMSweb include:

• old exams dating back 15 years
• premade Anki decks for each class
• an M1 class guide called “P = MD”
• a 120-page WashU-specific “clerkship survival guide” written for M3s
• Step 1 study resources
• and so much more!

Overwhelmed by the first couple days transitioning into med school? You can read “P = MD,” a guide written by M2s for newly minted M1s on study strategies and resources to use for each M1 class. Want to hit the ground running and save time by not having to worry about making your own flashcards? WUMSweb has tried-and-trusted Anki decks for every class you will take as a preclinical medical student. And there’s no better way to study than by taking old exams for all your classes. The WashU-specific resources on WUMSweb undoubtedly play a huge part in students’ success in class and, thus, our overall satisfaction and happiness.