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Learning Communities

The 麻豆视频下载 School of Medicine learning community program fosters meaningful connections between faculty, students, and administration by facilitating longitudinal mentorship opportunities and collaboration.

A photo collage of different students doing lesiurely activities with their learning communuity pods
 

Designed to create a supportive and inclusive environment for medical students, the learning community program prides itself on the small-scale organization of regular social events with students and faculty that encourage personal and professional growth outside of the traditional classroom. These environments allow students to gain valuable insight into the medical field and life as medical students, providing opportunities to build lasting relationships and receive personalized guidance from faculty mentors.

Additionally, the learning community program is designed to create a sense of belonging and community amongst our medical student body, helping students navigate the challenges of medical school with a tailored selection of second-year student mentors for newly first-year students. In addition, all first-year students are assigned to faculty-led 鈥減ods鈥 made up of a handful of students from each year, allowing for interaction and mentorship from third- and fourth-year students.

A group of students from their learning community participating in fun activities
 

By creating bridges between the extracurricular and the academic, the learning community program enhances the educational experience, cultivates a strong support system, and prepares students for their professional lives.

The learning community program consists of six houses:

  • Irene D. Long House
  • Michael T. Railey House
  • James Swierkosz House
  • Cindy Fairchild House
  • William Sly House
  • Edward Doisy House

Each house consists of 鈥減ods鈥 led by attending physicians or deans of the school of medicine, who serve as faculty mentors for their individual groups. Each 鈥減od鈥 consists of students from each medical school class and a third-year medical student serving as the student lead, coordinating social events three to four times per semester.

Irene D. Long House
Headshot of Irene D. Long

Irene D. Long, M.D., was the first African American female chief of the Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health Office at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and one of the highest-ranking professional women at the center. Long's career in aerospace medicine also included supporting the Johnson Space Center's collection of medical data on astronauts' conditions, such as the physiological effects of space and weightlessness.

Long attended 麻豆视频下载 School of Medicine and completed a residency in general surgery at Ohio鈥檚 General Clinic and Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland. She later earned a master鈥檚 degree in aerospace medicine from Wright State University School of Medicine. Joining NASA's Kennedy Space Center staff in Florida in 1982, Long became a member of the aerospace medical association and its Space Medicine Branch, as well as the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons. She was honored with the Society's Presidential Award in 1995 and elected as the second vice president in 1996, then served as the organization's president in 1998.


Faculty Mentors

  • Julie Sahrmann, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Jora Wang
  • Heather Eschbach, D.O.
    M3 Lead: Refat Ahsan
  • Johan Bester MBChB, Ph.D.
    M3 Lead: Luke Wegenka
  • Joshua Mayer, D.O.
    M3 Lead: Dana Alshekhlee and Nicholas Fedele
  • Paul Kunnath, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Krishny Karunanandaa
  • Katherine Mathews, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Arielle Schultz
Michael T. Railey House
Headshot of Michael T. Railey
Michael Railey, M.D., held various roles during his time at 麻豆视频下载 School of Medicine. Before assuming the position of professor emeritus, he served as the associate dean in the Office of Multicultural and Student Affairs from 2010 to 2018. A native of St. Louis, Railey graduated from the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy in 1972 and obtained his M.D. from the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Medicine in 1976. Following this, he completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Florida and then returned to St. Louis to practice for over 40 years. Railey also served as the director of the third clerkship in family medicine for seven years. He received both local and national awards for his exceptional work in teaching medical students and community service. Currently, Railey holds the position of professor emeritus in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Faculty Mentors

  • Jennifer Cash, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Tori Wittgen
  • Elizabeth Robin, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Nathan Arreola
  • Gene LaBarge, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Jimmy Fox
  • Stephanie Shieh, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Jennie Fox, Rida Khan
  • Anjani Urban, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Abigail Wuebbeling
  • Ali Jamal, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Connor Freeman
James Swierkosz House 
Headshot of James Swierkosz

James Swierkosz, Ph.D., studied concert piano at Syracuse University before pursuing his science degree at the State University of New York at Binghamton. He received his Ph.D. in immunology from Wayne State University School of Medicine. At 麻豆视频下载 he was the assistant dean of student affairs and course director for the immunology and microbiology module. He was instrumental in the institution of the white coat ceremony at 麻豆视频下载 and established the Gold Humanism Honor Society Chapter.

He was remembered for his microbiology exams, where each test question included a student's name in the scenario. These personalized vignettes were rewritten annually. A member of the pediatrics faculty recalls her question about an infection from a rose prick linked to her last name. He was deeply cherished by everyone.


Faculty Mentors

  • Timothy Havens, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Edward Garner
  • Josh Fernelius, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Nikita Kohli
  • Peter Morreale, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Blake Sparkman
  • Marilyn Maxwell, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Abigail Kohut-Jackson
  • Nora Porter, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Jenny Blasius, Brittany Patrick
  • Anne Walentik, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Lexi Stensby
Cindy Fairchild House
Headshot of Cindy Fairchild
Cindy Fairchild served as a beloved administrative assistant for over 15 years, welcoming students entering the Office of Curricular Affairs. Particularly during the initial weeks of school, she provided guidance to new medical students navigating unfamiliar territory. These learning communities aim to foster a sense of unity at 麻豆视频下载SOM, and prior to her passing, she played a significant role in shaping the school's communal identity. Known for her comforting presence, she offered words of reassurance to students before exams, and her unexpected death a few years ago profoundly impacted those who knew her. A residential house named in honor of Fairchild proudly embodies the core values of compassion, faith, and a profound love for the 麻豆视频下载SOM community.

Faculty Mentors

  • Amy Bilyeu, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Erin Talarico
  • Cory Cheatham, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Peter Guadagno
  • Tina Chen, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Matthew Braddock
  • Dave Galli, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Audrey Brecher
  • Adam Merando, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Amy Hoover, Julia Lieu and Jessica Qiu
  • Dawn Davis, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Aaron Swenson
William Sly House
Headshot of William Sly
William Sly, an internationally renowned physician and scientist, is an emeritus professor at 麻豆视频下载 who dedicated most of his academic journey to St. Louis. Having earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from 麻豆视频下载, Sly conducted research at various prestigious laboratories, including those at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, Paris, France, and Madison, Wisconsin. His career highlights include significant contributions across multiple research fields, notably leading the initial identification of a patient with Mucopolysaccharidosis VII, later recognized as "Sly syndrome." Sly has been honored with numerous awards and accolades, including induction into the National Academy of Sciences and the prestigious Passano Foundation Award.

Faculty Mentors

  • Cindy Bitter, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Zuhair Barqawi
  • Hiral Choksi, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Priya Reddy
  • Lily Dolatshahi, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Danielle Thistle
  • Awais Raza, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Brady Chrisler
  • Saida Kent, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Grace Trello
  • Jennifer Bickhaus, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Sarah Trusk
Edward Doisy House
Headshot of Edward Doisy
Edward Doisy graduated from the University of Illinois and earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1920. Joining 麻豆视频下载 School of Medicine in 1923 as a professor of biochemistry, he later assumed the role of director of the Department of Biochemistry in 1924. Throughout his career, Doisy focused extensively on the biochemistry of sex hormones, as well as vitamins K1 and K2. His most notable achievement was the successful isolation of Vitamin K and its analogs, leading to his recognition with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943 for the groundbreaking work on the discovery and synthesis of Vitamin K. Furthermore, his research contributed significantly to the advancements in isolating and identifying insulin, understanding bile acid metabolism, and enhancing knowledge of antibiotics and blood buffering systems.

Faculty Mentors

  • Austin Dalrymple, D.O. 
    M3 Lead: Loki Cortner and William Rudder
  • Chad Miller, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Mahak Juneja
  • Jamil Neme, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Poorva Sheth
  • Thomas Olsen, M.D. 
    M3 Lead: Aleiyah Jymie Dapog and Jade Samanta
  • Kelvin Pollard, II, M.D.
    M3 Lead: Karan Modi
  • Luke Weaver, D.O. 
    M3 Lead: Rylee Wagner