The network of support at WashU Medicine is endless. Learn about the informal and formal resources that are available to help us be at our best in medical school.

Becker Medical Library Support/Resources

Joshua L., M2

The librarians and other library staff at Becker Medical Library are a tremendous, yet often underutilized, resource. If you have any (and I mean ANY) question about one of the many textbooks in the library, how to use any of the available computers, or want tips on how to use a research database to search a topic you found interesting after class, the library staff is readily accessible to help you get your questions answered. As WashU Med students, you have access to Clinical Key, a search engine specific for clinical findings and medical information. This massive database can sometimes be hard to navigate, but don’t fear! All the library staff have plenty of experience in using the database and are willing to help provide you tips for using it! Throughout Phase 1, you will meet many of the librarians through dedicated interactive sessions, in which the librarians lecture the class on all the resources that the library offers. Finally, if you ever need a quick snack break while studying, the Becker Medical Library regularly has small snacks and candy waiting for you at the entrance.

Class Resource Development Group

Gabriel B., M1

The Class Resource Development Group (CRDG) is a collaborative effort to bring together study resources for each class. The Google Drive is broken up into modules and contains Anki decks, study guides, and notes. Each class adds to it and helps adapt the material to keep up with curriculum changes. The CRDG is just another great way WashU Med fosters a supportive learning environment.

Clinical Research

Noah P., M1

So far, I have found that every door is open to you as an MD student. Both clinicians and basic scientists have been extremely supportive, regardless of prior experience. Upper year med students are often looking for help with clinical data collection and this is a great place to start out before developing your own novel line of inquiry.

Coaching

Kelly G., M1

The Coaching Program pairs a small cohort of students with a faculty member who coaches students throughout their time in medical school. Through this program, you receive individual coaching from your Faculty Coach, which can include general check-ins, feedback on skills/competencies, career advice, and more. Additionally, the small coaching cohorts provide a support system for students, as coaching sessions provide an inclusive space for open conversation and discussion of things both related and non-related to medical school.

 

Faculty Support

Joshua L., M2

Medical school can be intimidating, especially at a large, highly-regarded institution like WashU Med. Luckily, the faculty here are a tremendous support for helping us navigate this thing we call medical school. The amount of faculty that have dedicated time for our own development and support is beyond what I could have imagined. In fact, there are so many resources that sometimes it is actually more difficult narrowing down which faculty you want to reach out to because there are so many great options! The faculty not only make the transition to medical school incredibly smooth, but they also continue to support students throughout all the phases of the Gateway Curriculum. There are small acts of support and larger ways in which faculty extend their support. For example, Dean Colleen Wallace (assistant dean of student affairs & Module one co-lead) made it her mission to memorize every student’s name by the end of orientation, showing us that she truly cares about who we are. She even took photos of us holding “first day of medical school” signs on our first day of orientation. These small acts add up over time, making us feel included and seen. In a larger way, faculty go the extra mile to ensure our success. One example is when I was having car trouble, one of our professors offered to personally go out of their way to come pick me up so that I could attend a required class. While reaching out to some faculty does require a little more effort (e.g. if they aren’t teaching lectures during that module), all the faculty that I have met respond very quickly and are willing to meet with you even in the midst of their busy schedules.

Residency Applications – Working with Dean Diemer

JingJing Z., M4

Applying to residency can be a daunting process, but there is a lot of support at WashU Medicine to help you! Early on in medical school, besides shadowing opportunities, the Phase 1 clinical immersions allow you to have extensive exposure to several specialties of interest, and many students spend Phase 2 clerkships and Phase 3 rotations to help with their decision-making. For Phase 3, all WashU Med students meet with at least one faculty advisor to help decide their specialty and receive guidance on preparing for residency applications. I am applying into OBGYN, and the department has been incredibly supportive. There is a designated faculty advisor in charge of checking in on us frequently throughout the process and leads workshops on writing personal statements, the application itself, and interview preparation. The department also set up mock interviews with faculty to help us practice. For away rotations and interviews, there are many faculty, fellows, and residents who are eager to give advice and advocate to help you. Dean Diemer’s office is an incredible support system for residency applications. While Dean Diemer leads many workshops/webinars, you can also easily set up 1-on-1 meetings to get help with applying for away rotations, reviewing application materials, signaling strategy, couples matching, and interview assistance. Dean Diemer is remarkably responsive (considering how many students she advises) and provides candid and helpful advice. The Office of WashU Medicine electives (shoutout to Amy Miller, the electives manager) is also very helpful regarding applying to away rotations during Phase 3. All in all, I have been very happy (and honestly, pleasantly surprised) with the vast amount of support there is at WashU Med for residency applications — there are many people here who are eager to help you succeed.

Support for Each Other, as a Class

Joanne W., M1

I’ve loved the support I’ve felt from my class since the start of classes! The class is warm and collaborative, and it’s a more tight-knit and open environment than I experienced in undergrad. We have a shared Anki deck for lectures that allows anyone to contribute and use for studying. I also feel like I can strike up a conversation with anyone in my class—whether that’s about their weekend plans, how they’re studying, or just how their day is going.

The Big Sib Program

Annika A., M1 & Don N., M1

The Big Sib Program is a gem among WashU Med’s many mentorship opportunities! The summer before you matriculate, you get matched with a second-year student who shares your interests, identities, hobbies, or whatever else is important to you. My Big Sib was an invaluable resource in helping me adjust to life at WashU Med and in St. Louis. Whether it was sharing her experiences as a student of color, giving me Central West End restaurant recommendations, advising me on different student groups, or teaching me how to use Anki, she was there to answer every question and address every concern. The unique benefit of having a peer mentor in the class above you is that they know exactly what awaits you in the Gateway curriculum, and can give you advice from their experience of it firsthand as a student. In this way, it’s notably different from other forms of mentorship with faculty members and physicians. An added benefit is that for many people, your Big Sib can often become a good friend. I’m lucky to count my Big Sib in the friends I’ve made here at WUSM, and through her, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with multiple upperclassmen in the classes above us and start to build a community that crosses all four class years and numerous experiences. Now, I can’t wait to pay it forward and add a Little Sib to our Big-Little family next year!

—Annika A., M1

I’m a huge fan of the Big Sib program (shout-out to my big, Jake). I think it makes the transition to med school much easier and it’s given me a great resource to ask questions about the curriculum of WashU Med and life in St. Louis. I met my big during Second Look Weekend and knew that we had a lot in common. Plus my fellow little/brother/twin, Sean, who also has Jake as a big, is one of my best friends, so we have a nice little family going on. Obviously, since we are in different cohorts, our schedules don’t always line up, but we try to get lunch or dinner every few weeks and just talk about life. Most recently, we got BBQ and before that beers. I really cannot think of anything negative about the program. I’ve been able to meet a lot of M2s through Jake, and I think the Big Sib program is an incredible initiative for building community.

—Don N., M1

Third-Party Resources

Read S., M4 & Hannah N., M2

WashU provides us with a free subscription to UWorld for nearly three years, which is quite unique compared to other schools. Additionally, we have Amboss ambassadors in nearly every class who work with Amboss, another great Q bank and resource with excellent Anki integration, to get free trial periods, class discounts (up to 30-40% off), etc. Finally, the Class Resources Development Group has a collection of resources, including notes from previous years, Anki decks from previous years, textbooks, and various other Step 1 and Step 2 resources. Safe to say, you can choose to study from a large variety of free or greatly discounted resources provided by WashU.

—Read S., M4

I use third-party resources to consolidate lecture information and fill in knowledge gaps or areas I still find confusing. Third-party lectures are great if you’re looking for concise overviews of pertinent topics and are an efficient way to review material when studying for exams. You certainly don’t need third-party resources to succeed in the Gateway Curriculum, but I highly recommend trying them out to see what works for you!

—Hannah N., M2