Social Events

WashU Med’s annual MedBall channels classiness, buffoonery, and carousing in all the best ways. The event is our version of Hogwarts’ Yule Ball with a sprinkle of high school prom. A truly unforgettable experience, MedBall has been described by some as “the most fun I’ve had since neuroanatomy lab” and “the most compelling reason to attend WashU Med.” A completely student-planned event, MedBall offers students and faculty a night full of a delectable multi-course dinner, flavorful libations, a live swing band, and a DJ that will have you dancing the night away. If you’ve ever wanted to see a dean do the Dougie or show off your Stanky Legg to your surgical attending, this is your chance!

This wonderful tradition goes back decades and has long been promoting more informal interactions between faculty and medical students. It is a great opportunity for students to get involved in school programming and to provide lifelong memories for you, your classmates, and your professors.

Red Dress is a silent auction gala hosted by the American Medical Women’s Association to support women’s heart health! Attendees are encouraged to wear their nicest red attire, and gather in the beautiful historic Holmes Lounge on WashU’s Danforth Campus for a night of glamour. While munching on catered food and chatting with friends, students try to outbid their peers to win auction items like massages, theater tickets, cooking classes, etc. The event culminates with a speech from one of WashU Medicine’s cardio-obstetricians about the cardiovascular challenges that women face in pregnancy.

As new students, you will be randomly assigned into one of three societies: Erlanger Graham, Cori, or Lowry Moore. While each society has their own events, every year the three societies compete in our “Society Cup.” This is a field day where each team/society competes in outdoor games, like tug of war, in Forest Park. It was a really fun event and a great bonding opportunity early on in the year.

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 coats.

• • 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 Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Eight Dimensions of Wellness model, which highlights eight categories: 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.