Editors

Congratulations and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Ash, and I’m from upstate New York. I graduated from Cornell in 2024 with a major in Biological Sciences and concentration in Computational Biology. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball, going on runs, trying new foods with friends, and listening to music! I’m very grateful to attend medical school here at WashU Med, and I hope this guide helps you learn more about our amazing community!

Hi everyone, welcome to WashU Med! I’m Shama, and I’m from North Carolina. I graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill (go Heels!) in 2021 and took three gap years. I spent my first year at UNC working as an inpatient phlebotomist and medical scribe. For my final gap years, I moved to Maryland where I spent a year getting my master’s at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a year working as a research fellow at the FDA. I’ve really enjoyed settling into my life in St. Louis and at WashU, and the Dis-O guide will give you some insight into what makes WashU Medicine truly special. Outside of class, you can find me hunting for new places to eat, hanging out with friends, or being a homebody. Good luck on your journey to medical school and please reach out (b.shama@wustl.edu) if you want to chat!

First and foremost, congratulations on your acceptance into medical school and welcome to WashU Med! The journey to medical school is a long one, and you are finally reaching the end of it, so savor those little moments knowing you will begin your journey to becoming a doctor soon! My name is Camille Bodart and I am originally from Sète in the south of France. (Yes, I was born and raised there, and yes, I am an international student still having to deal with all the student visa nonsense, so if you are too and have questions about that, feel free to reach out!) I went to college at the University of Washington in Seattle and studied general biology, global health and dance. After taking a gap year working as a medical assistant in Seattle, I attended Emory University to pursue my Master of Public Health and graduated just before the start of medical school. I had never lived in the Midwest before, but the WashU Med community was so welcoming, it made it incredibly easy to adjust to this new lifestyle. I found the Dis-O Guide very helpful when I was trying to find housing without having ever been to St. Louis before, so I hope it is useful for you as well. I am looking forward to meeting you all in the fall and in the meantime, if you have any questions or need guidance, please feel free to reach out to me (bcamille@wustl.edu)!

Hello and welcome! My name is Payton and I am from Germantown, WI. I graduated from Vanderbilt in 2024 and have since really enjoyed my time at WashU. I love living in St. Louis and spending time exploring Forest Park, and I also enjoy trying new restaurants with friends. I live near the Forest Park Metro station, so if you are thinking of living outside CWE I would be a great person to talk to (b.payton@wustl.edu). It has not been very long since I was in your shoes, and I remember what it was like. Take a deep breath, and above all, be proud of how far you’ve come. WashU is a great place to grow as a person and as a future doctor, so I hope to see you in St. Louis this fall!

Congratulations, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Sundeep, and I’m from Redondo Beach, CA. I graduated from MIT in 2024 with a degree in biology. Having only ever lived in large, coastal cities before medical school, I was a bit nervous about the transition to the Midwest. However, I quickly discovered that both St. Louis and the WashU Med community are incredibly welcoming and full of spirit, making it easy to feel at home. The supportive and vibrant people here have made my time exciting and fulfilling. St. Louis is also packed with hidden gems, from its amazing food scene to its beautiful outdoor spaces, and I can’t wait for you to experience it all! The Dis-O Guide played a big role in my decision to come to WashU Med, and I hope it helps you feel as excited and inspired as I did.

Welcome to WashU! My name is Laura, and I’m from Concord, North Carolina. I went to University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill for undergrad where I majored in Biology and English & Comparative Literature. I then earned a master’s degree in English with a concentration in Literature, Medicine and Culture also at UNC. In my second gap year, I worked as a medical scribe in my hometown. Having never stepped foot in the Midwest prior to being accepted to WashU, I was nervous about how different it might be. After five months here, I can say that I really love it here. From the opportunities, to the people, to the city, I have been majorly impressed. I hope this guide will give you insight into what makes WashU so special. For what it’s worth, I am so glad I chose to come here.

Hey everyone, congratulations on your acceptance to WashU Med! I’m Adam, and I’m from Massachusetts. I graduated from Brown University in 2023 and worked at the National Institutes of Health in North Carolina for my gap year. My experience at WashU Med has been great so far! Everyone at WashU is so supportive and wants us all to succeed! Having only been to WashU when touring colleges, I was not familiar with the area at all. I used the Dis-O guide to look for apartments and found it super helpful in my search. There are so many options to choose from and several unique neighborhoods so it can be quite stressful without any guidance. St. Louis has pleasantly surprised me as a city, with far less traffic than I am accustomed to, cheaper but still exciting sports, and many cool restaurants. Outside of class, I play goalie for the WashU club hockey team and was a captain for our winless flag football team. I also enjoy playing pickleball, cooking, and watching sports. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out! Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Hi, welcome to WashU Med! My name is Mark and I’m from the Dallas–Fort Worth area in Texas. I recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2024 with a major in biochemistry. Although missing my time in Texas, I have really enjoyed St. Louis so far and hope you will come to, too! Forest Park, being right next to the Medical Campus, is always so pretty to walk through and look at from the sky bridges of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The people, faculty and peers alike are all so nice and make the journey one to cherish. I hope these accounts in the Dis-O Guide will give you a better peek into our lives here and serve to help you in your medical school decision. No matter what that decision becomes, I wish you best of luck and a final congratulations on starting your journey to becoming a future physician!

Welcome to the WashU Med community! I’m Tully, and I’m from Wilmington, Delaware. I graduated from WashU undergrad in 2023 with degrees in chemistry and anthropology, then moved to Philadelphia for one gap year working as a medical assistant in a dermatology clinic. My med school journey brought me back to WashU and St. Louis, and I am so happy it did! I have found amazing communities here – both within the WashU Med community and in the greater St. Louis region – that make St. Louis feel like home to me. In my free time, you can find me at the Danforth Campus gym or rock climbing at Climb So Ill, running with Achilles St. Louis, or hanging out with friends and my cat. I love how WashU Med supports and encourages its students to maintain their hobbies and relationships outside of medicine; I have not yet felt as though I had to sacrifice something I love to do well in school. As you read through this guide, know that we all are so happy to have you here and hope that this Dis-O guide can give you a snippet into our lives before you arrive for orientation.

Hi everyone, and congratulations on your acceptance to WashU Med! My name is Prerna, and I’m originally from San Jose, CA. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2021 and have had quite a few twists and turns before starting my journey here at WashU Med. I was initially drawn to WashU because of the welcoming community, innovative Gateway Curriculum, and because the Midwest has a special place in my heart. WashU truly is a unique place, and I am so grateful to be immersed in such an inclusive and enriching environment. I hope you find this guide helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, and best of luck for your medical school journey!

Hello! My name is Trevor, and I’m from Torrance, CA. I graduated from UCLA in 2022 and finished my master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in 2023. Having spent my whole life in Southern California, I was nervous about moving halfway across the country far from my friends and family, but I can certainly say that my time at WashU Med has been amazing! The people here are always welcoming and friendly, and St. Louis has so much to offer, from the delicious food scene to the variety of local events and so much more. I hope this guide is a useful resource for you in your adjustment to medical school and life in St. Louis. I hope to see you all very soon!

Hello, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Anita, and I am from Fremont, CA. I graduated from University of California San Diego with majors in biology and public health in 2023. Afterwards, I moved back to the Bay Area for my gap year where I did reproductive health research. As a lifelong Californian, I was both excited and nervous to move to St. Louis, but I quickly grew to love this city, especially the WashU Med community. In my free time, I enjoy baking/cooking, doing jigsaw puzzles, and watching football. During my own application process, the Dis-O guide was an extremely useful resource, giving me detailed insight into what the students, curriculum, and life was like at WashU Med. I hope that this year’s Dis-O guide can do the same for you. For anything that remains unanswered, please feel free to reach out to me via email at anita.n@wustl.edu!

Hello and congratulations on your admission to WashU! My name is Erin and I’m from Farmington Hills, MI. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 and spent my gap years working at Michigan Medicine. In my free time, I spend time with my furry best friend, Buttercup, playing tennis, and gaming. St Louis is a bustling city with so much personality that is a great place for young professionals. Even more, WashU Med is an incredible institution to learn and work, and I truly feel like we make a great impact on the community here. I am privileged to attend this institution, and I hope you fall in love with WashU too!

Hello and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Ananya and I am originally from the UK. As an undergraduate, I attended Johns Hopkins University studying molecular and cellular biology. After graduating in 2020, I went to Emory University to pursue my Master of Public Health before working for the American Cancer Society on population health research for two years. Though I had lived all over the east coast, the Midwest was unfamiliar territory when I decided to attend WashU Med. I have found the people here to be endlessly welcoming and supportive, and I have enjoyed exploring everything St. Louis has to offer (especially Forest Park). The Dis-O Guide was incredibly helpful when I was planning my move to St. Louis and I hope you find it helpful too! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Hi everyone! Congratulations, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Kathryn, and I am originally from Delray Beach, FL. I graduated from Duke University in 2021, and then I spent three years teaching middle school in western Massachusetts before starting medical school here at WashU Med! Having spent a significant amount of time outside of the lecture hall, I was both excited and nervous about starting school again. However, I’ve had an excellent time here so far, especially getting to know some amazing classmates and faculty! Outside of class, some of my favorite things to do in St. Louis have been running in Forest Park and Tower Grove Park and hanging out with friends in different spots around the city. I’m so glad I chose to make WashU Med and St. Louis my home for the next few years. I hope to see you soon!

Hi everyone, we are so excited that you’re considering WashU Med! My name is Kate, and I call Colorado home — I grew up as a military kid, so it’s a little more complicated in reality. I graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in biochemistry in 2023 and spent a year at main campus NIH doing research before coming to St. Louis for med school. WashU Med was a bit of a dark horse in my admissions cycle; I always knew it was a great school but I decided it was the right school for me after seeing the culture of support here. There is no lack of challenge or opportunity at a school like this, and the support from faculty, staff, and classmates makes it possible to take full advantage of all WashU Med has to offer. All of this to say, I knew I could grow into the physician I wanted to be by training here — I hope this Dis-O guide helps you figure out if WashU Med is that place for you too!

Congratulations, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Brendan, and I’m from Birdsboro, PA. I came to medical school straight from undergrad after finishing a degree in Cell Biology & Physiology at Brigham Young University in 2024. I had never been to St. Louis before this year, and I have been very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy it here. I live next door to Forest Park with my wife, and it’s really nice to have tons of green space and free activities on one side of our apartment building and a walkable neighborhood on the other. As far as school goes, I think WashU Med strikes a great balance between excellent education and promoting holistic student well-being. I hope you find the Dis-O Guide as helpful as I did during the transition to medical school! Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or just want to chat about life in St. Louis with someone. Hope to meet you soon!

Congratulations and welcome to WashU! My name is Sylvia, and I am an M1 from Atlanta, Georgia. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where I studied biochemistry, biophysics, and chemistry. Despite not knowing much about St. Louis or the midwest, the environment here, from the clinical and research experiences to classes and outside of school activities, has been fun and supportive. When I’m not studying, you can find me running, playing the piano, dancing, or trying new recipes. The Dis-O guide was a very useful tool for me in terms of learning about the city, so I hope it is as helpful for you as it was for me!

Congratulations, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Mitch, and I am from Wheaton, IL. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and psychology. I then spent an additional year working as a research technician studying breast cancer at the Cleveland Clinic before entering medical school. As a lifelong Midwest resident, I was excited about moving to St. Louis for the next eight years as a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program. The opportunities at WashU Med are endless, and I have loved getting to know the amazing students and faculty that call this institution home. Outside of class, you can find me playing beach volleyball or visiting the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park. I am grateful to be a part of the Dis-O Guide this year, and hope it helps you get to know just how special WashU Med truly is. Hope to see you on campus soon!

Hi everyone, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Joanne, and I’m originally from central New Jersey. I graduated from the University of Chicago in 2023, and I spent one gap year working in Philadelphia. I’ve loved my experiences at WashU Med and St. Louis since moving here in August. Everyone I’ve met so far — from my classmates to the attendings — has been incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and supportive. Outside of class, you can find me going for a walk in Forest Park, trying new restaurants, or reading. I really enjoyed reading the Dis-O Guide when I was making my medical school decisions, and I hope it’s just as helpful to you. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have or if you want to chat. Congratulations, and I hope to see you on campus next year!

Hello! Congratulations, and welcome to WashU Med! My name is Cassia Williams-Rogers and I’m originally from Chevy Chase, MD. I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023 and took a gap year doing genetics research at the National Institutes of Health before entering the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at WashU Med. Knowing that I was committing to eight years of intense clinical and research training, I did not take the decision of which medical school to attend lightly. Ultimately, the sense of community I got from the people I met here and the caliber of training I knew I would receive are what drew me to WashU Med, and I believe this was the best decision I could have made. In my free time I enjoy running in Forest Park, playing ultimate frisbee locally and with the undergraduate team, and spending time with friends exploring St. Louis. We are so glad you are considering WashU Med and hope that this guide helps give you a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of the WashU Med community. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!