Learning Communities
Saint Louis University School of Medicine learning communities offer supportive, inclusive environments that foster personal and professional growth. Join one of six houses to build meaningful connections with your students, faculty and administration.
Navigate Medical School Together
SLU SOM learning communities are designed to create a sense of belonging. Joining one is about more than social events; you'll go through medical school alongside a tailored group of faculty and student mentors who provide insight and help you walk through any challenge. Whether you're in or outside of the traditional classroom, you'll build lasting relationships that help you thrive.
Key Benefits
- Tight-knit, collaborative environment
- Dedicated faculty and student mentorship
- Cross-class student connections
- Built-in guidance and support
- Social connections
Find Your Community
Each of the learning communities is named after a prominent figure or beloved educator who helped shape the legacy of the medical school.
Irene D. Long, M.D., was a trailblazer in medicine and space exploration. Long attended SLU SOM and completed a general surgery residency before focusing on aerospace medicine.
Career Highlights
- Completed her general surgery residency at Ohio's General Clinic and Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and a master's degree in aerospace medicine from Wright State University School of Medicine.
- Supported the Johnson Space Center by collecting medical data on the physiological effects of space and weightlessness.
- Served as the first African American female chief of the Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health Office at NASA.
- Achieved status as one of the highest-ranking professional women at the Kennedy Space Center.
- Elected as vice president and present for the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons; received its prestigious Presidential Award.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Heather Eschbach, D.O.
M3 Lead: Arnav Sankaranthi - Paul Kunnath, M.D.
M3 Leads: Sophia Andreatta and Jaladhija Chalichama - Josh Mayer, D.O.
M3 Lead: Michael Regan - Danier Ong, M.D.
M3 Leads: Katherine Bieber and Samuel Cunniff - Julie Sahrmann, M.D.
M3 Leads: Marissa Poole and Meghan Unes
Michael T. Railey, M.D., is a local leader, educator and physician who spent over 40 years serving the St. Louis community. He is currently a professor emeritus in SLU SOM's Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine.
Career Highlights
- Graduated from Saint Louis College of Pharmacy in 1972 and earned an M.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine in 1976.
- Completed a family medicine residency at the University of Florida.
- Practiced medicine in St. Louis for over 40 years.
- Served as associate dean in the SLU SOM Office of Multicultural and Student Affairs from 2010-2018.
- Served as SLU SOM's family medicine clerkship director for seven years.
- Received local and national awards for his exceptional work teaching medical students and serving the community.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Uchenna Agbim, M.D.
M3 Leads: Michael Del Mundo and Carter McCormick - Kish Bhalla, M.D.
M3 Lead: Noah Prudlo - Elizabeth Robin, M.D.
M3 Lead: Avi Bhavsar - Rachael Ryan, M.D.
M3 Lead: Peter Danis - Stephanie Shieh, M.D.
M3 Leads: Katherine Lagoni and Emily Patula - Anjani Urban, M.D.
M3 Lead: Sydney Bissland
James Swierkosz, Ph.D., was an immunologist and deeply cherished member of the SLU SOM community.
Career Highlights
- Studied concert piano at Syracuse University.
- Earned his science degree from State University of New York and his Ph.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine.
- Served as SLU SOM assistant dean of student affairs and course director for the immunology and microbiology module.
- Helped institute the SLU SOM White Coat Ceremony, an annual tradition.
- Established the Gold Humanism Honor Society Chapter.
- Remembered for his personalized microbiology exams on which each test question included the name of a current student in the scenario.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Lydia Archuleta, M.D.
M3 Leads: Victoria Barbero and Ananya Singh - James Duffy, M.D.
M3 Leads: Sonja Gurbani and Iqbal Khan - Marilyn Maxwell, M.D.
M3 Leads: Liliana D'Alesio and Ella Geise - Nora Porter, M.D.
M3 Lead: Priyanka Kaushal - Luke Stephens, M.D.
M3 Lead: Tracy Si - Anne Corinne Walentik, M.D.
M3 Lead: Dashiell Wuller
Cindy Fairchild was a beloved administrative assistant in SLU SOM's Office of Curricular Affairs who spent more than 15 years welcoming each student who walked through its doors.
Career Highlights
- Provided guidance to new medical students.
- Played a significant role in shaping the school's communal identity.
- Offered comfort and reassurance to students before exams.
- Embodied the University's core values of compassion, faith and profound love.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Amy Bilyeu, M.D.
M3 Lead: Caroline Barron - Cory Cheatham, M.D.
M3 Lead: Nikhila Paleti - Tina Chen, M.D.
M3 Lead: Luke Nelson - Dave Galli, M.D.
M3 Lead: Adam Chen - Mehr Majeed, M.D.
M3 Lead: Grace Johnson - Adam Merando, M.D.
M3 Leads: Tess Korte and Abigail Salanski
William Sly, M.D., is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and SLU SOM professor emeritus whose research changed global medicine.
Career Highlights
- Earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Saint Louis University.
- Conducted research at prestigious laboratories, including those at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland; Paris, France; and Madison, Wisconsin.
- Led the initial identification of a patient with Mucopolysaccharidosis VII, later recognized as "Sly syndrome."
- Honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Passano Foundation Award.
- Inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Jennifer Bickhaus, M.D.
M3 Lead: Megan Kearns - Cindy Bitter, M.D.
M3 Lead: Cameron Crews and Jatin Dhamrait - Lily Dolatshahi, M.D.
M3 Lead: Jasmine Lee - Jonathan Henke, M.D.
M3 Leads: Noor Alyasiry and Meghan Gibbons - Saida Kent, M.D.
M3 Lead: Spencer Schmid - Awais Raza, M.D.
M3 Lead: Charles Minerd
Edward Doisy, Ph.D., was a Nobel Prize winner, celebrated SLU SOM professor and researcher, and namesake of the University's Edward A. Doisy Research Center.
Career Highlights
- Graduated from the University of Illinois and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1920.
- Served as professor of biochemistry and chair of the Department of Biochemistry at SLU SOM.
- Focused extensively on the biochemistry of sex hormones, as well as vitamins K1 and K2.
- Isolated Vitamin K and its analogs, which led to a 1943 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- Contributed significantly to advancements in isolating and identifying insulin, understanding bile acid metabolism, and enhancing knowledge of antibiotics and blood buffering systems.
Your Faculty Mentors and Student Leads
- Austin Dalrymple, D.O.
M3 Leads: Titash Biswas and Maximilian Schmidt-Bailey - Rohini Krishnan, M.D.
M3 Lead: Shreya Bhansali - Chad Miller, M.D.
M3 Leads: Andrew Dugaesescu and McKenna Smith - Adam Streicher, D.O.
M3 Leads: Kellie Bushe and Amrit Subbarao - Luke Weaver, D.O.
M3 Leads: Benjamin Nelson and Joseph Castleman