Wellness, Performance, and Social

ACE Inhibitors is for tennis lovers at WashU Med. We have tennis nights for people to come out to hit and meet others who are passionate about the game. We welcome people from different skill levels and training levels (medical students, residents, attendings, etc). You can look forward to occasional friendly tournaments, coaching clinics, and grand slam watch parties. See you on the courts!

Would you like to make new friends, get a great workout, and have tons of fun all at once? If so, then ClimbRx is for you! ClimbRx is our rock climbing club that offers students significant discounts and social events at the local gym in town, Climb So iLL. Whether you are an experienced climber or have never been more than two feet off the ground, rock climbing is a great way to destress after a long day of classes. Virtually anyone can climb regardless of athletic ability, making it a popular choice amongst students across both the Danforth Campus and Medical Campus. So, if you’re in the mood for a great time and don’t mind getting a little sweaty, check out ClimbRx!

The Office of Medical Student Affairs holds the Student Life Office, which works with areas like student groups, wellness programming, the Gateway Coaching Program, and the Office of Career Counseling. Our goal is to help our student body be happy and healthy by connecting them with all the resources they need. Some of our tentpole programs that we coordinate include:

• Gateway Orientation — We introduce our new students to everything they need to start their medical school journey and help them find ways to connect to other students!
• Student Activities Fair — We provide a space for students to find out more about all the fantastic student groups we have and how to get more involved. A little free swag never hurts, either!
• White Coat Ceremony — We celebrate our new students as they take a big step on their journey to becoming doctors by receiving their white coat.
• MedBall — With a team of students, we help coordinate our spring formal, a lively night of dinner, drinks, and dancing.

We also plan other events around the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness Model, which highlights: Emotional, Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Occupational, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. Our programming is focused on helping students in their wellness journeys, and we’ve done this through events like our Mindfulness and Nutrition Workshop, Living on a Medical Student Budget session, our Career Talk Series, Match Week events, and more. Follow us @WUMSWell and contact us at MDStudentLife@wustl.edu with any questions you might have.

The Washington University School of Medicine Film Society is a community at the intersection of medicine and culture. Join us for insightful screenings and discussions, exploring medical, cultural, and ethical themes beyond the classroom. Our society provides a break from the demands of medical school, offering a space to relax, connect, and broaden your perspective through the art of cinema. We dive into thought-provoking films and engage in conversations with peers who share your passion for both medicine and storytelling. The Film Society enriches your academic journey while providing a meaningful escape from the stresses of medical education. Join us for an engaging blend of cinematic exploration and community building.

The Hippocrene is an annual print magazine that publishes works created by Washington University graduate students. Our most common published material is poetry, prose, visual art, and photography, but we encourage submissions of any work that can be displayed on the printed page. Outside of our annual print issue, we organize gatherings at local art museums and host group readings and film screenings (with free food, of course).

The Histones a Cappella group aims to provide students opportunities to perform music in a collaborative and interprofessional environment and share music with the Washington University community and beyond. We rehearse once a week for 90 minutes with several performances throughout each semester and sing a variety of music, including but not limited to pop, Disney, musical theatre, classics, and science parodies. The Histones is comprised of students from WashU Med-affiliated programs and is open to students of various experience levels who love to sing. The Histones provides students with the opportunity to connect with students of other programs, including MD, OT, PT, and PhD, and is a great creative outlet for students!

I have played on an intramural, three-versus-three basketball team for the past few weeks, and it has been a great time. Spending time with my friends in a team setting has allowed me to get to know them better and have fun in the process. It is also nice to spend time on the Danforth Campus and compete against other members of the WashU community. Outside of basketball, there are a variety of different intramural options that can be competitive or just to have fun!

Krebs Cyclers is a cycling club for graduate students at WashU Med. We organize group rides around St. Louis County, host information sessions on cycling topics such as how to change a tire, and participate as a team each year in Pedal the Cause, which is a fundraising event for cancer research. Pedal the Cause brings thousands of riders from all over Missouri to ride anywhere from 25 to 100 miles. Riders of all experience levels are welcome to join any of our events!

The Med School Musical is an annual musical theater production entirely directed, produced, designed, and performed by students in WashU Med-affiliated programs. Students with any level of previous theater experience (including none!) rehearse one day per week for several months, with show week in the mid-to-late spring. It’s an excellent opportunity to express your creativity, challenge your comfort zones, and tap into your dance, singing, acting, or design skills. It also allows students to meet and connect with others across the WashU Med-affiliated programs, including MD, PT, OT, PhD, and PACS. Recent productions include Grease, Shrek the Musical, Addams Family, Beauty & the Beast, and Legally Blonde. The 2023-2024 production will be Little Shop of Horrors!

Medical French (MedFrench) organizes lessons in Medical French as well as occasional social events focused on French culture. We welcome French speakers of all levels and backgrounds.

Writing will most definitely accompany you on your journey to become a physician, and at WashU Med, we encourage you to continue fostering your written communication skills. In the Narrative Medicine club, you can explore using language to create stories that convey meaning and emotion or just come for the goodies and snacks. Either is okay!

The Wilderness Medicine Interest Group (WMIG) is an awesome opportunity to merge interests in the outdoors and medicine, while also meeting others with a love of the outdoors. The club includes lectures on wilderness medicine topics, organized camping and backpacking trips, and MedWAR, a yearly wilderness medicine competition. During MedWAR, teams of students race to treat actors portraying different wilderness medical scenarios, ranging from snake bites to trauma-induced childbirth. If you are looking to meet like-minded outdoorsy individuals while learning more about practicing medicine in the wild, WMIG is the club for you!

WUSM Mindfulness is a collective of students from the allied professional and graduate schools united by a common goal: to create a dedicated space for weekly shared mindfulness meditation practices. Our group welcomes participants from all backgrounds and provides a supportive environment for practicing mindfulness meditation. Through regular practice, our aim is to encourage mindfulness, alleviate stress, and promote comprehensive mental and physical well-being as a part of the daily life of our participants. By fostering mindfulness and awareness through shared practice, we hope to provide valuable tools to navigate the challenges and emotions of daily life, as well as create a supportive network among graduate and professional students.