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The School of Medicine has a rich, 117-year history of success in research, education and patient care. It pioneered bedside teaching and led in the transformation of empirical knowledge into scientific medicine. From the earliest days, there has been an understanding that "investigation and practice are one in spirit, method and object."

The School of Medicine selects applicants who, in addition to possessing keen minds, demonstrate an ability to perceive and serve their patients' best interests. U.S. News & World Report ranks Washington University School of Medicine one of the top five in the nation. An outstanding education from Washington University School of Medicine provides graduates with solid opportunities for highly sought-after residencies and fellowships, engaging and challenging research endeavors, and successful, rewarding medical careers.

At A Glance

Department and Department Heads

Anatomy and Neurobiology, David C. Van Essen, PhD
Anesthesiology, Alex S. Evers, MD
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Thomas E. Ellenberger, DVM, PhD
Cell Biology and Physiology, Philip D. Stahl, PhD
James S. McDonnell Dept. of Genetics, Susan K. Dutcher, PhD (interim)
John T. Milliken Dept. of Medicine, Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD
Edward Mallinckrodt Dept. of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, David M. Ornitz, MD, PhD (interim)
Molecular Microbiology, Stephen M. Beverley, PhD
Neurological Surgery, Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD
Neurology, David M. Holtzman, MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology, George A. Macones, MD, MSCE
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Michael A. Kass, MD
Orthopaedic Surgery, Richard H. Gelberman, MD
Otolaryngology, Richard A. Chole, MD, PhD
Pathology and Immunology, Herbert W. "Skip" Virgin, MD, PhD
Edward Mallinckrodt Dept. of Pediatrics, Alan L. Schwartz, PhD, MD
Psychiatry, Charles F. Zorumski, MD
Radiation Oncology, Simon N. Powell, MD, PhD
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, R. Gilbert Jost, MD
Mary Culver Dept. of Surgery, Timothy J. Eberlein, MD

Graduate, Teaching and Research Programs

• Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences
• Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences
• Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Division of Biostatistics
• Master of Science in Clinical Investigation
• Genetic Epidemiology Master of Science
• Health Care Services Program
• Program in Medical Humanities
• Program in Occupational Therapy
• Program in Physical Therapy
• Master of Psychiatric Epidemiology Program
• School of Medicine/St. Louis College of Pharmacy Student Research Training Program

History

In 1891, responding to a national concern for improving doctors' training, the Washington University administration established a medical department. In 1909, Robert Brookings, a successful businessman turned philanthropist, set about transforming the department into a modern medical school with full-time faculty, adequate endowment, modern laboratories and associated teaching hospitals.

Brookings' dream of modern excellence centered on creating an outstanding faculty for teaching, research and patient care. Among the first four department heads recruited in 1910 was Joseph Erlanger, who went on to win the 1944 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

In 1919, Evarts Graham was appointed the first full-time head of surgery. Fourteen years later, he performed the first successful lung removal. In 1910, George Dock established a tradition of distinguished clinical research in the Department of Medicine. Carl and Gerty Cori arrived at the School of Medicine in 1931 to join the Department of Pharmacology. In 1947, they won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research on the catalytic conversion of glycogen. Six other Nobelists received training under their auspices.

Women first gained admission to the student body in 1918; today, they make up half of each incoming class. African-American graduates of the medical school now number more than 275. Scholarship support for all students, including special fellowships for those entering the Medical Scientist Training Program, is a high priority.

The transmission of excellence from one generation to the next is a hallmark of this school. Dean Robert Moore's 1951 comment remains true today: "An institution is only as great as the individual men and women who compose it."

Faculty

Outstanding faculty achievements include:

• 17 Nobel laureates have been associated with the School of Medicine.
• 14 faculty members are fellows of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences; 26 faculty members belong to its Institute of Medicine.
• 100 faculty members hold individual career development awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• 58 faculty members hold career development awards from non-federal agencies.
• 17 faculty members have MERIT status, a special recognition given by the National Institutes of Health that provides long-term, uninterrupted financial support to investigators.
• 6 faculty members are Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.

Students

First-Year Class

The School of Medicine received 4,058 applications for admission to the 2008–09 first-year class. The School enrolled 122 students, resulting in a ratio of more than 33 applicants per position.

Graduates

In 2008, the School conferred the MD degree on 87 individuals. An additional 2 students earned the MA and MD degrees, and another 28 students graduated with the MD and PhD degrees.

Graduating seniors are highly successful in obtaining competitive residency training positions through national matching programs. Thirty-five percent of the graduating class of 2008 selected a primary care field (pediatrics or internal medicine) for residency training; 24 percent matched into highly competitive specialty fields such as dermatology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, radiation oncology and urology.

Degree Programs

The School of Medicine offers four programs leading to the MD degree: a regular four-year program, a five-year program, the MA/MD degrees program, and the MD/PhD degrees program.

The MD/PhD degree program, known as the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), is the largest in the country. It is designed for students interested in academic careers at major medical schools and research institutions.

Community Service

School of Medicine students participate in student organizations such as the American Medical Student Association, the American Medical Women's Association and the Student National Medical Association. Highlights of other activities:

• The Perinatal Project matches medical students with high-risk expectant mothers to improve prenatal care.
• The Student-Organized Clinics, established by medical students and staffed by students and faculty, provide free medical care to needy people in the St. Louis community.
• Students Teaching AIDS to Students puts medical students in junior high schools to teach AIDS awareness.
• The Forum for International Health and Tropical Medicine includes students and faculty interested in international health concerns.
• The Young Scientist Program promotes science and scientific careers to high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds through exposure to hands-on research projects and contact with graduate students.

Graduate Medical Education Consortium

Washington University School of Medicine, with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital, sponsors a consortium for graduate medical education. The group has 76 training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and approximately 25 non-accredited specialties that continue the institutions' long histories of successfully training outstanding residents and clinical fellows in medical education, research and patient care. Both the GME Consortium and all of its sponsored training programs are in good standing with the ACGME and are fully committed to providing a quality educational experience to the residents and clinical fellows training in these programs. To learn more, visit the group's web site at medicine.wustl.edu/gme.

Office of Sponsored Research Services — Medical School

Grants and contracts totaling more than $471.9* million supported faculty research efforts at the School of Medicine during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Substantial additional support was provided directly to faculty investigators by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Gifts and grants from private sources, including alumni, individuals, foundations, corporations and other organizations totaled $98.8 million from 10,536 entities.†

During the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007, the School of Medicine received $346 million from the National Institutes of Health, coming in 715 separate grants.

* Number includes federal work study.
† Corrects print version of Facts 2009.

Research Highlights

The many medical firsts at the School of Medicine include:

• Developed the first safe way to monitor production and clearance of the substance that forms brain plaques in Alzheimer's disease patients.
• Served as a major contributor on the international team that produced the finished human genome sequence.
• Generated cells that, when injected into the spinal cords of rats, reinsulate nerve axons and improve mobility.
• Developed a genetic test that detects whether an individual will develop a form of thyroid cancer and would benefit from thyroid removal — the first surgical prevention of cancer based on genetic test results.
• Developed a rating scale used worldwide to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.
• Created the first positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, a device that images the brain at work.
• Helped pioneer the use of insulin to treat diabetes.
• Helped develop a blood test for early diagnosis of prostate cancer.
• Proposed the now-common practice of taking aspirin to help prevent heart attacks.
• Performed the first non-surgical procedure in the United States that restricts the size of the stomach to treat obesity.
• Assembled a novel online atlas of the folds of the human cerebral cortex and the role they play in brain function.
• Developed a cure for hepatitis B in cases diagnosed early.
• Created a surgical cure for atrial fibrillation.
• Performed the world's first nerve transplant using nerve tissue from a cadaver donor.
• Developed a blood test that quickly and safely identifies whether a heart attack patient will require invasive treatment.
• Performed innovative larynx restoration surgery for the first time in the United States.
• Helped pioneer cochlear implant technology.
• Performed the world's first double-lung transplant.
• Pioneered the use of surgery and medication to lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients to prevent further vision loss.
• Grew embryonic animal tissue transplants into fully functional kidneys in an animal host.

Ongoing research includes:

• Leading a regional consortium in translating basic science discoveries into treatments for patients more quickly.
• Participating in the National Children's Study, the largest U.S. study of child and human health ever conducted.
• Identifying genetic variants that modify a person's cancer risk and response to cancer therapies.
• Leading efforts to identify the role of infectious agents on many conditions prevalent in women.
• Addressing how the metabolic changes of diabetes lead to heart disease.
• Studying the link between protein misfolding and neurodegenerative disorders.
• Leading an international research collaboration to study inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease.
• Developing and using nanoparticles for molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery for cancer and clogged arteries.
• Imaging language areas in adult and pediatric brains during recovery from stroke to observe natural rehabilitation patterns.
• Studying the genetics of smoking and alcohol addiction.
• Developing and using new imaging tools to study how nervous system cells form connections.
• Determining the mechanism by which antidepressant medications work in the brain.
• Exploring potential links between the tendency to be thin or overweight and the composition of microbes in the gut.
• Identifying anatomical and genetic markers of schizophrenia.
• Developing treatments to compensate for individual genetic traits that interfere with drug performance.

BioMed 21

To meet the challenge posed by advances in biomedical sciences, the School of Medicine has devised a strategy called BioMed 21 to spur multidisciplinary and translational research. Three units — the Center for Genome Sciences, the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and the Center for Biological Imaging — will catalyze and support emerging forms of bioresearch and rapidly convert the knowledge of the genetic blueprint into individualized medical treatments. BioMed 21 developments include expansion of the Center for Genome Sciences and construction of a data center to accommodate next-generation DNA sequencing technology; construction of a 9,000-square-foot Center for Clinical Imaging Research; and the creation of five interdisciplinary research centers to be housed in the BJC Institute of Health at Washington University, currently under construction. Additionally, the School will lead a regional group of institutions under a $50 million, five-year grant from the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards program. See biomed21.wustl.edu to learn more.

The Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences

Organized in 1973, the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) is a graduate educational consortium of faculty affiliated with 29 basic science and clinical departments in the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences. Programs in the DBBS are designed to provide a broad, interdisciplinary approach to graduate education, emphasizing investigation into many of the most important questions in biology.

Graduate study in the DBBS is highly individualized and focuses on the needs and interests of students, each of whom is free to choose a mentor for laboratory and dissertation research from among more than 400 faculty members in the division.

Currently, 685 students are enrolled in the DBBS, 178 of whom are pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree under the auspices of the Medical Scientist Training Program. Nearly 85 percent of those graduates who have completed their residencies are actively involved in research programs at leading institutions.

Alumni

Washington University Medical Center

Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and Central Institute for the Deaf compose Washington University Medical Center.

The medical center generates an annual financial impact of nearly $2.6 billion for the St. Louis area, according to an economic model maintained by the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association. With more than 20,000 employees, the combined medical center institutions are among the largest employers in the metropolitan area.

The 155-acre Washington University Medical Center, spread over portions of 15 city blocks, is located along the eastern edge of Forest Park in St. Louis. At the western boundary of the park is the 169-acre Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Washington University Medical Center Institutions:

• Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• Central Institute for the Deaf
• St. Louis Children's Hospital
• Washington University School of Medicine

Beds: 1,478
Employees: 20,274 (approximate for all medical center institutions)

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PHYSICIANS CLINICAL ACTIVITIES (FY 2008)

• Physician Outpatient Visits: 753,363
• Hospital Admissions (BJH/SLCH): 68,681
• Patient Services Revenues, WUSM: $550,000,000

Facilities

New facilities that have opened recently include:

• Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital (2008)
• Genome Data Center (2008)
• Orthopedic outpatient center (2007)
• Northwest Tower, faculty office space (2006)

The 302,000-square-foot Southwest Tower houses the Charles F. Knight Emergency and Trauma Center on the street level; 28 operating rooms and a cardiothoracic intensive care unit opened in 2005. The School of Medicine occupies 75,000 square feet of research space in this building. The Southwest Tower and the 650,000-square-foot Center for Advanced Medicine completed the medical center's $350 million campus integration project that began in 1996. Most outpatient, diagnostic and testing services, as well as cancer services, are now located on the north side of the campus. All high-intensity, complex surgical cases and related care are delivered on its south end.

Also in 2005, construction was completed on the 110,000-square-foot Farrell Learning and Teaching Center at Scott and Euclid avenues. The six-story building houses all of the medical school's teaching spaces and individual student study areas, as well as two lecture halls and a cafe.

In the aggregate, the School of Medicine occupies more than 4.5 million gross square feet on campus. Research and instructional endeavors occupy more than 2.1 million gross square feet.

Faculty Physicians

Washington University Physicians are full-time faculty at the School of Medicine. The clinical practice group & one of the top three largest academic clinical practices in the nation & is made up of nearly 1,000 physicians representing more than 50 specialties and subspecialties in medicine and surgery. Washington University Physicians provide comprehensive care at more than 35 clinical office sites throughout the St. Louis area. In fiscal year 2008, they performed 560,412 outpatient procedures and provided care at 753,363 outpatient visits.

Hospitals/Affiliates

Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1,228-bed facility, is the largest hospital in Missouri. With a premier reputation in patient care, medical education, research and community service, the hospital has been ranked among an elite group of the nation's best academic hospitals on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll since 1993, ranking #12 in the nation in 2008. It is the first adult hospital in Missouri to be awarded Magnet status, nursing's highest honor for clinical excellence. Barnes-Jewish Hospital provides clinical experience for medical students in all clinical departments except pediatrics. The medical staff is composed exclusively of Washington University full-time or voluntary School of Medicine faculty physicians.

St. Louis Children's Hospital, also staffed exclusively by Washington University faculty physicians, is ranked among the best children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. It provides a full range of services for children and their families across a 300-mile service area and beyond. The school's comprehensive pediatric specialty services at Children's Hospital include newborn medicine, cardiology and the world's leading pediatric lung transplant program. St. Louis Children's Hospital provides extensive community outreach services, including home care services, pediatric mobile intensive care units, affiliations with regional hospitals and physicians, patient and parent support groups, educational programs for parents and children, and a free child health information line staffed by pediatric registered nurses.

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital is an 84-bed facility with a medical staff of over 550 physicians, offering a unique model that is a mix of both community and academic physicians. Washington University physicians have expanded their practices at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, with 172 adult and pediatric faculty. In 2008-09, more than $17 million will be invested in Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital for advances such as a 64-slice CT scanner, a new cardiac monitoring unit and an additional location for the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, with more treatment space and a linear accelerator for advanced radiation treatment.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital are members of BJC HealthCare, a regional, nonprofit health care organization that provides community-based and academic health care services through 13 hospitals and more than 100 inpatient and ambulatory care sites throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. BJC, in partnership with its physicians, provides a full continuum of health care services including wellness and health promotion; primary, acute and ambulatory care; skilled nursing; long-term care; home health care and hospice care.

The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital is an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, education and community outreach. It is the only cancer center in Missouri and within a 240-mile radius of St. Louis to hold the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute and membership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Siteman offers the expertise of more than 350 Washington University research scientists and physicians who provide care for more than 7,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. These scientists and physicians currently hold nearly $150 million in grants. Siteman is ranked among the top cancer centers in the country each year by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to a main campus, satellite facilities are located at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Charles County.

Some Washington University faculty physicians provide services at other area hospitals, including Christian Hospital (cardiothoracic surgery), Missouri Baptist Medical Center (anesthesiology, obstetrics/gynecology), Shriners Hospital for Children (orthopaedics, anesthesiology, select pediatric subspecialties), Progress West HealthCare (colo-rectal surgery, obstetrics/gynecology subspecialties) and Veterans Administration Medical Center (comprehensive).

Telephone Numbers (Area Code 314)

Washington University School of Medicine
    362-5000
    660 S. Euclid Ave. , St. Louis , MO 63110-1010
    medschool.wustl.edu

Admissions, Medical Student
    362-6858
    Fax: 362-4658
    e-mail: wumscoa@wustl.edu

Alumni and Development
    935-9690

Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
    747-7222 or (800) 600-3606
    www.siteman.wustl.edu

Continuing Medical Education
    362-6891

Dean's Office
    362-6827

Doctors' Access Line
    (800) 252-DOCS (252-3627)
    (24-hour access for referring physicians)

EPNEC ( Eric P. Newman Education Center )
    747-6338
    320 S. Euclid Ave. , 63110-1024

Financial Aid, Medical Student
    362-6845 or (888) 840-3239
    Fax: 362-3045
    e-mail: money@wustl.edu

Human Resources
    362-7196

Physician Referral (for patients)
    Adult: TOP-DOCS (867-3627)
    Pediatrics: 454- KIDS (454-5437)
    WUPhysicians.wustl.edu

Protective Services
    362-HELP (362-4357)

Public Affairs and Media Relations
    286-0100

Barnes-Jewish Hospital
    747-3000
    One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, 63110-1003
    www.BarnesJewish.org

St. Louis Children's Hospital
    454-6000
    One Children's Place, 63110
    stlouischildrens.org

BJC HealthCare
    286-2000

CID - Central Institute for the Deaf
    977-0132     4560 Clayton Ave. , 63110-1502
    www.cid.edu

Washington University encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The University does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or disability. Present Department of Defense policy governing all ROTC programs discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation; such discrimination is inconsistent with Washington University policy. Inquiries about compliance should be addressed to the University's Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Washington University, Campus Box 1184, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, (314) 935-5990. The School of Medicine is committed to recruiting, enrolling and educating a diverse student body.