Interest Groups

The Obstetrics & Gynecology Interest Group (OGIG) organizes lunch talks, panel discussions, and other events related to all things OB/GYN. One of the most popular events is Procedure Night, where students practice a variety of OB/GYN skills, including inserting IUDs and arm implants, delivering babies, doing ultrasounds, and more. OGIG also coordinates research and networking opportunities with the OB/GYN residents and faculty.

The Oncology Interest Group connects students with networking, shadowing, and learning opportunities in oncology. Historically, we’ve organized survivorship panels, “specialty speed dating” events to connect students with potential mentors, and more. We’re working on a shadowing sign-up sheet to make oncology shadowing easy for students (stay tuned!). We hope that through our various activities and opportunities, we can foster more understanding of oncological specialties and get people interested in this field.

Ophthalmology Interest Group (OIG) fosters medical student interest and exposure to ophthalmology through lunch talks, shadowing experiences, and surgical workshops. OIG’s most popular events every year are our introductory lunch talk, suturing workshop (with pig eye corneas), and resident panel regarding the ophthalmology application, match process, and residency experience. We hope to help existing and newfound eyeball enthusiasts gain insight and mentorship in the field.

The Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG) is a student group for people interested in the musculoskeletal system and all things related to orthopedic surgery. OSIG connects students to orthopedic residents/attending physicians and offers research opportunities for members of the group. OSIG has also put on various events such as a model sawbone lab, in which students were able to simulate repair from traumatic events by placing compression plates and screws.

The Palliative Care Interest Group (PCIG) is a brand-new student group that exposes students to palliative care and hospice medicine. Palliative care spans disciplines, and even if you do not anticipate becoming a palliative care specialist, the lessons in patient quality of life, goal-concordant care, and person-centered medicine are invaluable for all physicians. Throughout the year, we hold panels with various palliative care professionals, such as chaplains, pediatric and adult palliative care physicians, and hospice physicians. We also set up shadowing opportunities and provide resources for existing volunteering opportunities.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Interest Group is an integrated, multidisciplinary specialty focused on improving quality of life and restoring function and independence in patients who have injuries, chronic diseases, and disabilities. Some describe the PM&R specialty as “ortho without the bro.” The PM&R Interest Group holds presentations from physiatrists, facilitates shadowing, and hosts procedure nights to practice skills such as ultrasound-guided injections, epidurals, EMG, and more. Since PM&R is a smaller, more niche specialty, the interest group is a great way to get to know the faculty and residents at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and get exposed to the specialty early on. They are some of the nicest people and are super excited to get students interested in learning PM&R skills that are applicable to any specialty you go into.

Our psychiatry student interest group is part of the Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network (psychSIGN), which is the medical student branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). We lead and support efforts to promote the advancement of psychiatry, mainly by promoting student interest and supporting student involvement in the field. We also support departmental and community efforts. For example, this past year, we applied to and were awarded a grant to fund and attend the APA annual meeting. We matched medical students with psychiatry resident mentor “buddies” and offered shadowing opportunities. Additionally, we organized medical student volunteers to promote and staff our psychiatry department’s first-ever public lecture series. As part of a national organization, we extend beyond the “WashU bubble” and hold mixers with Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Ponce Health Sciences University students who are also interested in psychiatry. We also attend events with the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute, and the national psychSIGN executives often put on regional events like the regional psychSIGN conference. If you’re interested in organized medicine and psychiatry, our interest group is a great first step to getting involved. I joined our psychSIGN group and then led it this past year. Now, I have a position with national psychSIGN as regional research chair. I aim to pursue a fellowship with the APA to continue to explore my interest in leadership in organized psychiatry. If you don’t know what you’re interested in, you should still join our group because nothing is required, and there may be an unexpected group event or opportunity that interests you!

The Radiology Interest Group is a student organization for medical students interested in radiology. It offers a space for students to explore the vast opportunities within radiology via panels with experienced radiologists and medical students applying to the field. We organize Interventional Radiology panels and Leading Edge of Medicine talks to introduce medical students to the field and its emerging medical technologies. We also partner with other interest groups on campus to host case-based discussions. Last November, we co-hosted a case-based discussion about neurovascular diseases with the Neurology Interest Group. The group also conducts skills-based workshops where medical students can learn to carry out ultrasound-guided procedures, such as placing a central line.

Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) is a great way to check out neurology as a specialty and connect with mentors and students interested in neurology. SIGN offers extensive shadowing opportunities in different services offered by the Department of Neurology: adult inpatient general, adult inpatient stroke, adult patient consult, pediatric inpatient, pediatric FL/Emergency Department, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). It is super easy to sign up, and the attendings and residents are super nice to shadowing medical students! SIGN also offers a series of case studies, including a recent neuro-interventional case where residents walked us through how to perform thrombolysis in the brain through the femoral artery. It was super cool! Whether you are interested in neurology or are just exploring career options, you should definitely check out SIGN!

Pathology plays a crucial role in patient care and interfaces with nearly every branch of medicine, yet medical students often have minimal exposure to this specialty over the course of their training. The Student Interest Group in Pathology (SIGP) provides students with more opportunities to learn about the role of the pathologist and to explore pathology as a potential career choice. We work collaboratively with residents and faculty to organize regular events, arrange shadowing opportunities, and connect interested students with mentors in the field who can provide career guidance throughout medical school. From open houses and tours of BJC’s facilities to faculty research panels and hands-on microscopy practice, our events give SIGP members a glimpse of all that anatomic and clinical pathology have to offer— and you’ll find that everyone involved is excited to share their enthusiasm for the field with you!