Meet the Editors

Hi, my name is Jenna, and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio! I graduated from the University of Alabama in 2022 with a bachelor’s in Psychology. I really love trying out new food and drink places around St. Louis, watching horror movies, playing board games and video games with friends, and hanging out with my corgi, Monty, in Forest Park. In the few months I have lived here in St. Louis, I have fallen in love with the city, and I hope you will too! The people, especially the students and faculty at Wash U, are amazing, and there are so many things to do here!

Hello and welcome to WashU! My name is Jessica and I am originally from Ohio. I graduated from WashU with degrees in Chemistry and Neuroscience in 2022. My hobbies include doing jigsaw puzzles, playing piano, running, and spending time with my cat, Siena. I loved reading through the Dis-O Guide while making my medical school decision and I hope it serves the same purpose for you!

Congratulations and welcome to Washington University! I am one of the Joeys in the M1 class. I moved around a lot when I was little, but I’ve been in St. Louis for almost eight years, so it really feels like my home. I graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2015 with a degree in Biology: Genetics & Biotechnology. Three weeks later, I started my PhD training here at WashU in the Molecular Genetics & Genomics program before transferring into the Medical Scientist Training Program this past August. My wife and I met here at WashU. We absolutely love the campus and how supportive everyone is. Melanie and I have a four-year-old dog named Eleanor. We love discovering all St. Louis has to offer. It’s been nearly eight years, and we’re still finding unexplored spaces. We love the state parks, Forest Park, board games, and hosting parties.

We cannot wait to welcome you to St. Louis and WashU!

Hello there! Congratulations and welcome to WashU. My name is Neetij, and I’m from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I graduated in 2020 from St. Olaf College (also in Minnesota) with a bachelor’s in Biology, and I worked at the National Institutes of Health and the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas before coming to WashU. Having grown up in the Midwest, I can safely say that St. Louis embodies the best the Midwest has to offer, and it’s a great place to live. WashU is home to a truly remarkable community of ambitious, hardworking, and kind people. If you (like me) are concerned about the toxically competitive atmosphere of medical school, you won’t find it here.

Outside of school, I love to play the piano, do puzzles, play chess and ping-pong, and hang out with my tuxedo cat, Lady Godiva. The Dis-O Guide from last year made my transition to WashU a lot easier, and I hope our work this year can do the same for you.

Don’t hesitate to drop me a line if I can help with your journey, either before or after you come here. Best of luck!

Welcome to WashU! My name is Amy and I am from Virginia Beach, Virginia. I graduated from UVA in 2022, so I’ve spent most of my life on the East Coast. Like some of you, I was pretty hesitant about moving to the Midwest, but now I truly cannot imagine myself anywhere else. There is so much to do and see in the city, and the best part is, you get to explore all of it with the coolest classmates ever. My favorite thing about St. Louis is Forest Park — it is truly one of a kind, and we are so lucky to be only a few steps away. Happy reading!

Congratulations and welcome to WashU! My name is Sarah and I am from Los Angeles, California. I graduated from Cal State Los Angeles in 2020 with a bachelor’s in Biochemistry. I then took two gap years conducting research at Stanford University and Genentech before coming to WashU. Coming from a coastal city, I was really apprehensive about moving to the Midwest and St. Louis in particular. I am beyond happy with my decision to come to WashU for my medical education. I don’t have to convince you that WashU is a leading institution where you will be mentored by pioneers in medicine and drowned in limitless opportunities but I hope that after reading this Dis-O Guide, you realize that a supportive culture and wonderful city awaits you here! Not only am I surrounded by some of the nicest, smartest, and most welcoming classmates and faculty, I have also really enjoyed getting to experience all the awesome cafes, eateries, and free city events that St. Louis has to offer. I love the idea of spending four years here, and I am sure you will too!

Hello! My name is Andrea and I’m originally from Palo Alto, California. I went to UCLA and studied Neuroscience for undergrad and worked in clinical research at Stanford for a year before coming to Wash U. Outside of school, climbing is the biggest part of my life. I was on the competitive team in college and love climbing outside more than almost anything else. Except for my classmates! I have found such a supportive and welcoming environment at Wash U, and am so unbelievably happy I ended up here. I hope this guide helps give you a sense of the genuine, kind, and just plain awesome place Wash U is. I hope you come rock out with us in Saint Louis!

Congratulations on your acceptance to WashU! I’m Quinn. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from UCLA in 2018 with a degree in Biochemistry. I had a whopping four years between undergrad and medical school. In that time, I volunteered at a hospital working the surgical floors, worked as a phlebotomist, patented a medical device, earned a certificate in Patient Advocacy from UCLA, took some post-bacc classes and had two kids. My husband is from Hawaii, and as an LA native myself, we were both a little apprehensive about moving to the Midwest. But life in St. Louis is far more enjoyable that I could have imagined — autumn is undeniably beautiful, it is probably the most affordable place to live as a med student, has an abundance of free things to do, great food, and most notably, it is home to the best medical school in the country! I was excited to help put this Dis-O Guide together, because I found the previous year’s guide incredibly helpful. I hope it serves the same value to you! Each day I am more grateful to call WashU my home and we are delighted to welcome you to our WashU family! Trust me, you’ll love it here.

Congratulations and welcome to WashU! I’m Arielle. Originally from the suburbs of New York City, I stayed on the East Coast for college and graduated from Yale with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology in 2021. I stayed for a post-grad research year while applying to medical school. After coming to Second Look, I knew that WashU and Saint Louis had to be my home for the next four years. I hope the Dis-O Guide helps you see what drew me here: the faculty support, innovative curriculum, caring classmates, and quality of life. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. When I’m not studying, you can find me at a spin class, reading, exploring new coffeeshops, and finding ways to add some whimsy to my classmates’ lives (also known as collaborating on wellness programming with the Office of Medical Student Affairs). Please feel free to shoot me an email (a.soldatenko@wustl.edu) or come say hi anytime; I’d love to meet you!

Welcome to St. Louis! My name is Dani and I was born and raised in Arizona. I found my way out to Wash U for undergrad where I majored in Biochemistry and received minors in both Global Health and Psychology. I took a gap year to work with a tech-ed startup and to focus on some of my biotech innovations. Outside of classes, my hobbies include making charcuterie boards, exploring Forest Park with my rescue dog, practicing yoga, and eating my way through the city. I hope that this Dis-O Guide answers all your questions and shows you all the incredible things that WUSM and St. Louis have to offer!