Learning Communities
The Saint Louis University School of Medicine learning community program fosters meaningful connections between faculty, students, and administration by facilitating longitudinal mentorship opportunities and collaboration.
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 pods made up of a handful of students from each year, allowing for interaction and mentorship from third- and fourth-year students.
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 pods led by attending physicians or deans of the school of medicine, who serve as faculty mentors for their individual groups. Each pod 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, 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 Saint Louis University School of Medicine and completed a residency in general surgery at Ohios General Clinic and Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland. She later earned a masters 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
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, 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 SLU 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 SLU 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
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
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
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