At WashU Medicine, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Our community networks, student groups and local and global partnerships provide invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth while mirroring the health, equity and justice content within our Gateway Curriculum.
By participating in these activities, students cement lifelong friendships, refine their leadership skills and translate medical insights within broader community settings.
Service learning, community engagement and advocacy
Our students are committed to making an equitable difference on campus and in St. Louis. Opportunities for improving health outcomes throughout the local community include:
- Offering community-based screenings for hypertension, diabetes and early childhood development among underserved groups
- Leading CPR training in the newborn intensive care unit for parents of high-risk children
- Providing flu vaccinations to WashU Medicine faculty, staff and students
- Coordinating volunteers for American Red Cross Blood Drives
- Providing skin cancer prevention education for middle and high school students through Sun Protection Outreach Training (SPOTS)
- Teaching St. Louis families the principles of healthy eating through the Culinary Medicine Program, a nutrition branch of Health Outreach Programs
- Fundraising for community groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and The American Heart Association
- Improving the health and well-being of young teens at the St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center through CHOICES for Youth in Detention
- Enhancing health equity in St. Louis through training and experiential service in health access, incarceration justice reform, and intimate partner violence survivor advocacy via LouHealth — a policy and public health advocacy organization begun by WashU Medicine students
- Keeping St. Louis’ rivers clean by removing trash and debris from the local natural environment through Great Rivers Greenway
Additionally, students may volunteer with a variety of organizations to fulfill the service learning component of the Gateway Curriculum. If you have questions about service learning at WashU Medicine, please contact us at mdadmissions@wustl.edu.
Mentoring local youth in STEM
Several WashU Medicine student groups engage St. Louis youth by providing educational assistance and illuminating pathways to careers in science and medicine. Examples include: