In Phase 1, you’ll typically spend your mornings in class (a variety of in-person, online, small group and lecture-based) and your afternoons in activities such as clinical skills training, standardized patient sessions and coaching programs.
Phase 1 kicks off with an orientation, where you’ll get to know your classmates as well as the WashU Medicine and St. Louis communities. Throughout the remainder of Phase 1, you’ll complete seven foundational science modules incorporating basic, clinical, social and systems science; three clinical immersions in ambulatory/emergency department, inpatient and procedural clinical environments; an EXPLORE immersion in which you can pursue your interests in research, advocacy & global health, education or innovation; and a capstone course.
Total Phase 1 length: 16 months
“Overall, Phase 1 of the curriculum does a great job of teaching us the clinical and scientific fundamentals to enter the wards, while still allowing flexibility and encouraging students to pursue their interests.”
Nadia A., M3
Doug Hall
Welcome to a Day in the Life of a medical student in the preclinical years. I am originally from St. Louis and was ecstatic to be returning for my medical education after spending four years in Nashville. Washington University is an amazing school with outstanding faculty, students, research and clinical opportunities. 
8:30 am: Classes for first years normally start at 8:30 in Moore Auditorium and are recorded. Here I am sitting in my normal spot alongside Julia Kolodziej, Rachel Goldberg and Abby Rosenberg. This auditorium is also where things like the Super Bowl party and Class Show take place. 
Noon: Food trucks offer some of the best options for lunch, depending on the day. Seoul Taco (pictured here) and Guerrilla are my personal favorites. Shell Café is also an option if you don’t remember to bring your own lunch. Ian Ferguson and I are almost certainly talking about climbing later. 
12:30 pm: Also be sure to grab a cup of coffee to recharge for the rest of the day. The student affairs office has free coffee every day. 
12:40 pm: The lounge in the student carrels is a common place for people to get together and hang out during lunch time. Here I am eating with Alec Wright, Abby Rosenberg and Radhika Jain. Apart from the microwaves and fridge, there’s also a TV for some midday Gamecube. 
1:30 pm: The early afternoon is usually a good time to review course material or watch lectures in the carrels. I prefer to study with other people around (such as Caroline Robb and Ellie Christenson pictured here) rather than in the library, so it’s a great environment for me. Courses are pass/fail so there’s no need to study too hard or stress, but there’s still quite a bit to get through. 
2 pm: Here is a clinical mentoring session with my fellow phase one students Elaine Otchere (right) and phase three mentor Shelley Forbes (center). These sessions are a great opportunity to practice your patient history and physical exam skills while interacting with real patients. The first session makes everyone nervous, but after that the fourth-years make it an informative and enjoyable experience. 
3:15 pm: Getting to interact with and learn from patients in the hospital is a great way to learn practical lessons and skills. This time has also helped me remind myself of what I’m aiming for in the long term after a particularly tough set of lectures or tests. 
4 pm: Helpful hint: If you show up a little late for something in a white coat or scrubs, odds are no one will give you trouble. I had to get back to school at 4 pm for a small group session with Julia Kolodziej among others. These small groups are normally centered on medical ethical or political issues we will be confronted with in practice. Topics are variable but have included medical errors and public policies. 
6:30 pm: After dinner I go climbing around three times a week. The downtown Upper Limits gym is the cheapest and most convenient option, and most of the medical-student climbers get memberships there. There are also a few great places to climb outdoors in Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky when I have free weekends. As all of the upperclassmen will tell you, it’s important to dedicate time for fun in your first year!
Lindsay Burton
Hi! I’m Lindsay Burton. I am originally from Northern California, went to college in Boston, moved to Chicago and worked there for two years, decided I wanted to go to medical school, moved back to California, worked as a medical assistant, did a post-bacc, and had a very easy decision to make when I was accepted here. I am astounded at how much I have learned at the Washington University School of Medicine. I am 95% sure that I will go into ob/gyn, but who knows what will happen! 
8:30 am: I am one of two student leaders of the WUSM Sustainability Club. This year we focused our efforts on reducing waste and promoting recycling. I am very proud of our most recent initiative: providing reusable containers for student use during lunch talks. We have already instituted compost collection and use only compostable plates and cutlery. With these new “Eco-to-Go” containers, we are able to eliminate the use of plates entirely! 
9:00 am: The first lecture of the morning is at 9 am. I don’t always attend lecture (I’m a California girl, and sometimes it’s just too cold to make the trudge into school!), but attending lecture most days of the week keeps me from falling too far behind. Plus, it’s nice to see my classmates! 
11:30 am: After completing the Hematology and Oncology course, I am proud to say that I am confident in examining a blood smear! I’m doing that here in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (FLTC) with my classmate Jordan Jacquez. Much of Heme/Onc is about learning to recognize the blood smears of various hematological diseases. We have two lab sessions each week, and in addition to viewing slides under the microscope, we also work through extensive cases under the leadership of faculty. 
12:15 pm: Lunch with my classmate Jordan Jacquez, who has kept me laughing for two years. For my own sanity, I need to find time to get outside and to step away from my laptop. This lunch spot, which I like to call The Courtyard, is absolutely perfect for my daily dose of fresh air. 
1:25 pm: The ethics small group sessions are very interesting because they provide needed insight into the complicated decision-making processes that will occur once we’re on the hospital wards. On this day, we are discussing whether it is appropriate for a physician to pay for a patient’s medication if the patient cannot afford it. Another memorable session focuses on the ethics of treating family members and friends. 
4:30 pm: It’s always nice to have an afternoon coffee break with my friend Sarah Wondmeneh. Plus, Kaldi’s has some delicious pastries. My favorite is the biscotti! 
5:15 pm: At the end of the day, I head up to my carrel to study. Today, however, is a special day because we are ranking our selections for our clinical year schedules. As you can see, there’s not much studying getting done as my carrel mates and I strategize how to make sure we get the best schedules for next year. My classmates, left to right, are Jordan Jacquez, Sarah Wondmeneh, Christelle Samen and Rukayat Taiwo.