Written by Sophie Cantu, BA candidate, Washington University in St. Louis; and participant in the 2024 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program
As a junior at WashU, you would imagine that by now, I’d have experienced most of what St. Louis has to offer. Surprisingly enough, after 4 semesters here, I’ve seen more in the last six weeks during my time in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program – RADIANCE Track than I’ve seen in the last two years.
Art Hill, a Forest Park staple, is a place I have visited many times. But I never actually went inside the free museum there until my first weekend here with my IPH peers. Over the past few weeks, I have gone to two Cardinals games, St. Louis Pride, and seen the fireworks at the arch. We’ve gone out to many restaurants I’ve never tried before, and spent more time off campus than I ever have before.
It hasn’t all been fun and games; I’ve learned more about statistical analysis by working with my data than I ever did in a stat class. I’ve attended expert lectures on subjects as varied as biostatistics to rare blood disorders. I’ve delved deeper into research, using software that is new to me to create maps and statistical models. I’ve shadowed my mentor, Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, on cardiology rounds, an opportunity to see the daily activities of a practicing physician. And it’s exciting. It’s a glimpse into my future, the “what-if?” possibilities I had never even considered and the dreams I’ve been chasing for years, all in a city that has been my home since 2022.
I’ve wondered what has kept me from exploring the city before this point. Classes, clubs, and the daily workload of a premed student are convenient excuses, but I really think that living here for so long has made me forget the magic of living in a brand-new city. When a place becomes your home, you slip into complacency. Beautiful buildings like those found on WashU’s Danforth campus evolve into ordinary places where you attend lectures and take exams. The sprawl of Forest Park becomes the background to which you live your everyday life. Being here with people who have never been here before, who aren’t planning on living here for the long term, has made me remember the magic. It’s reminded me of the first time I came to St. Louis myself, and the excitement of being in a place for the very first time.