Issue 102, October 2026

Our Many Callings: The Ceremonies that Welcome Our Students to the Profession
Believe it or not, until the late 1800s, American physicians wore black formal wear, much like a modern tuxedo. That began to change in the late nineteenth century, as germ theory and Joseph Lister's discoveries in antiseptic surgery reshaped medical practice. Physicians started adopting white lab coats as white came to symbolize purity of purpose and scientific legitimacy. Within a few decades, the white coat had become inseparable from the image of the physician and, more recently, healthcare practitioners broadly. | Full Excerpt

We are pleased to share that the WashU Medicine/BJH/SLCH GME Consortium has received continued accreditation with no citations as a Sponsoring Institution from the ACGME following our March 2026 institutional 10-year site visit. The ACGME also moved the GME Consortium's Non-Standard Training status from initial accreditation to continued accreditation with no citations. These important achievements reflect the dedication, professionalism, and collaborative efforts of our GME community in maintaining the highest standards of excellence in graduate medical education.

Matthew Shew, MD

The EXPLORE program is delighted to announce Dr. Matthew Shew as the new Research Pathway Co-Lead, joining Dr. Dorina Kallogjeri. Dr. Shew is currently an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He earned his MD from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate training at the University of Kansas and Washington University. Dr. Shew has already mentored several medical students and other trainees while running a successful research group focused on machine learning and AI approaches to improving the implantation and performance of cochlear implants. We are excited for him to bring this expertise to student advising and teaching more broadly through EXPLORE. Dr. Shew succeeds Dr. Lauren Roland, who we thank for her contributions. Welcome to the EXPLORE team, Dr. Shew! Contact Dr. Shew at explore@wustl.edu with EXPLORE specific questions.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 is Midterm Election Day in Missouri.
Polls will be open from 6AM to 7PM, and registered voters may cast their ballot at their nearest polling place. Any voter registered in St. Louis County may cast their ballot in the Varsity Gym (Athletic Complex) or any other County polling place, and any voter registered in St. Louis City may cast their ballot in McDonnell Medical Sciences Building’s Shell Café (Medical Campus) or any other City polling place. To vote in Missouri, you will need a Missouri or federally issued photo ID (e.g., Missouri driver’s license or passport). For more information, visit vote.washu.edu or contact h.pignataro@wustl.edu.

Application Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026
We are pleased to announce the opening of an internal application process for the role of Assistant Dean for Student Success within the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). Student success and well-being are foundational to the mission of DBBS. As our PhD training environment continues to evolve, establishing dedicated faculty leadership focused on proactive support and holistic student development is vital. Key responsibilities will include coaching and academic support, student progress and advocacy, and community & engagement. We invite interested faculty members to apply directly using Qualtrics. Please note: We are seeking direct applications from WashU candidates only rather than nominations. If you know of a colleague within your network who would be an excellent fit, we strongly encourage you to reach out and urge them to apply. | Full Details

Application Deadline: Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Apply to LEAP
The Leadership in Education (LEAP) Program aims to provide knowledge and applied skills to support leadership development focused on health professions education contexts. The LEAP curriculum will focus on a variety of topics that will have value to faculty who currently are, or desire to be, leaders in health professions education.

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026
The Academy of Educators in collaboration with the Medical Education Research and Evaluation (MERE) unit of the WashU Medicine are pleased to announce the call for proposals for grant funding for education research and scholarship projects. Projects must be focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning, rather than biomedical discovery or application. Proposals may originate from any unit within the School of Medicine. The principal investigator must be a WUSM faculty member. Any questions about the appropriateness of a proposal can be directed to MERE. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded based on a competitive review process. Please reference the requirements and submit your application here.

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 10:45AM–6PM | Register for Ready, Set, Mentor! & Ed Day '26
Location: Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid Ave.
Get ready for Education Day 2026, an energizing day of connection, collaboration, and fresh ideas for WashU Medicine educators and trainees. This year’s theme, Teaching in Times of Uncertainty: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Ideas, will feature a keynote address by Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, along with interactive breakout sessions, mentoring opportunities, awards, and networking. Join colleagues from across WashU Medicine to explore new approaches to teaching and celebrate excellence in education.

Felicia Wang, M4, explains her poster to Christine Auberle, MD during the 2025 EXPLORE Symposium.

Open October
Enjoy a month of presentations and educational events highlighting trends in open science, open data and open access, including a keynote presentation by Meagan Phelan, Communications Director, Science Journals & Publishing at American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Presented by Becker Medical Library and WashU Libraries. | All Open October Events
Archives and Rare Books Open House
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 3-6PM
Location: Bernard Becker Medical Library, Glaser Gallery and Schwartz Reading Room | Register for Becker's Open House
Come explore highlights from Becker Library’s archival and rare books collections! Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. 

Date/Time: Monday, October 26, 2026, 10-11AM 
Location: Medical Campus | Register & Learn More
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Academy of Educators (AOE) invite you to join a journal club on AI in education for monthly discussions about genAI in the teaching and learning space. Meetings will rotate between the Medical and Danforth campuses. Discussion article suggestions are welcome, as well as volunteers to guide the discussion. Brown-bag lunches are welcome.

View details & register for all AOE events here. 

Educational Building Blocks

Education Scholarship Series

Working Across Generations

View details & register for all CIPE events here. 

Interprofessional Perspective Integration: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 12-1PM, faculty and practicing clinicians welcome. Virtual.

Foundations of IPE: Saturday, November 7 or Friday, November 13, 2026, 8:45AM-3:30PM. The first workshop kicks off the Master Interprofessional Educator certificate program.

Enrollment is open for the National Board of Medical Examiners' fall assessment workshops. NBME workshops teach skills and strategies to create assessments that more effectively measure student knowledge. Open to all faculty. | Register for NBME Assessment Workshops

View details and register for all Becker Library events here.

Introduction to Python
Location: Erlanger Interactive Classroom or via Zoom
Data Exploration and Manipulation: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 10-11:30AM | Register for Data Exploration & Manipulation

Data Visualization: Thursday, October 22, 2026, 10-11:30AM | Register for Data Visualization

Submitting a K Grant: What to Know When You Apply 
Date: Oct. 13, 2026, 3:30-5PM
Location: Moore Auditorium, 4580 Scott Ave
Join us for an informative and inspiring discussion that will empower you to submit your K Grant application with confidence and competence! | More info
Addressing Fraud in Medical Literature with Joe Simmons, PhD 
Date: Oct. 29, 2026, 12-1PM
Location: Eric P. Newman Auditorium, 320 S. Euclid Ave
The University of Pennsylvania's Joe Simmons, PhD, co-founder of Data Colada and the Wharton Credibility Lab, will lead two sessions addressing how to critically evaluate medical literature: “Trusting the Literature? P-Hacking, Fraud, and How to Read Research Safely” and “Identifying Fraud in the Medical Literature: Behind the Scenes.” These seminars count toward RCR credit. | More info
Tips in Real-World Clinical Study Implementation
Date: Dec. 8, 2026, 3:30-5PM
Location: Farrell Learning and Teaching Center, 520 S. Euclid Ave
Suresh Vedantham, MD, Assistant Dean for Clinical Research and Medical Director of the Center for Clinical Studies, will share insights on real-world clinical study implementation. | More info

Jeramia Ory, PhD

Sha Neice Hinton, MSW

Suki Lammers

Jessica Pittman, MD, MPH

Beyond the Binary
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 12:00–1:00PM
Location: FLTC, Room 303 | Register for Beyond the Binary
Participants will examine binary thinking, consider how assumptions shape our understanding of identity, and engage with perspectives that challenge commonly held ideas about sex and gender. Facilitated by Jeramia Ory, PhD.
Bias Mitigation Skills Practice Workshop
Date: Friday, November 13, 2026, 9-10:30AM or 11-12PM
Location: McDonnell Medical Sciences Building, Erlanger Interactive Classroom | Register for Bias Mitigation Skills
Build your skills for recognizing bias and mitigating bias in the workplace through this interactive, hands-on skills practice offered in partnership with the Standardized Patient Center. Facilitated by Sha Neice Hinton & Suki Lammers.
Mitigating Bias to Maximize Belonging
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 12:00–1:00PM
Location: Virtual via Zoom | Register for Mitigating Bias to Maximize Belonging
Explore how bias operates in clinical and professional settings and gain practical strategies for responding intentionally. Facilitated by Jessica Pittman, MD, MPH. Meets the Illinois Licensing Education Requirements for 1 hour of Implicit Bias Education.

The WashU Medicine Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC) supports emerging researchers and physician-scientists through flexible training and career development opportunities. Applications are open through November 1 for the Mentored Training Program in Clinical Investigation and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation. Through didactic coursework and structured mentorship, you’ll learn how to design effective research projects, analyze data, and write competitive grants and manuscripts. Enrollment for courses begins November 11, 2026. 

Audiology White Coat Ceremony

MD White Coat Ceremony

Occupational Therapy Pinning Ceremony

Physical Therapy White Coat Ceremony

Fall marks a milestone for students across WashU Medicine as they begin their journeys in health professions and science. White coat and pinning ceremonies celebrate these new beginnings, symbolizing students’ commitment to their professions, patients and communities and welcoming them into a community of faculty mentors who will support them throughout their training. Last week, 124 MD and MD/PhD students received their white coats, marking the beginning of their journey toward careers in medicine. In September, 90 members of the Physical Therapy Class of 2029 received their white coats at EPNEC and recited a collaboratively written oath reflecting their commitment to the profession and the communities they will serve and 18 first-year Doctor of Audiology students gathered with loved ones and continuing AuD students for their white coat ceremony. In August, 30 Occupational Therapy learners participated in a pinning ceremony, pledging their commitment to their future patients, profession and themselves.| Full Story

Carolyn Dufault, PhD

Carolyn Dufault, PhD, Associate Dean for Education Digital Transformation and Data Strategy and Associate Professor of Medicine, has been recognized with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Curriculum Leader Award for exemplary service advancing medical education. The award recognizes Dr. Dufault’s contributions through the AAMC Curriculum Committee and related efforts, including collaboration, idea development and recommendations that support curriculum advancement at the national level. This honor highlights the impact of Dr. Dufault’s leadership and professional service on medical educators and health professions institutions across the country. | AAMC Curriculum Committee & Awards

WashU Medicine students and members of SPOTS at Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park.

SPOTS (Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students) tabled at the 2026 Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park, joining organizations from across St. Louis at the region’s largest multicultural celebration. SPOTS volunteers connected with festival attendees to promote sun safety and skin cancer prevention, sharing sunscreen samples while educating community members about everyday sun protection and the ABCDEs of melanoma. The event was a great opportunity to engage with people from across the St. Louis community and spread awareness about protecting your skin. 

Amanda Emke, MD, Adam TM Wyatt, PhD, Kaytlin Reedy-Rogier, MSW, Eve Colson, MD, MHPE, and Deborah Engle, EdD, MS at the AMEE Conference in August 2026.

Drs. Eve Colson, Amanda Emke, Deborah Engle, Adam TM Wyatt and Kaytlin Reedy-Rogier represented Washington University School of Medicine at the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE) Conference in Vienna, Austria on August 22-26, 2026. The conference consisted of presentations, posters, short communications on demand and professional networking opportunities. The following are the contributions of the OE Team; thank you for showcasing WashU Medicine’s medical education scholarship contributions internationally. | Full list of WashU AMEE Presentations

Congratulations to Leslie Blaylock, MEd, on her selection to the AAMC Student Surveys Advisory Committee (SSAC)! Over her three-year term on the Curriculum Assessment, Instruction, and Research subcommittee, Leslie will advise on key national student surveys like the Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). We are excited to have her expertise representing WashU Medicine at the national level. | More About the Student Surveys Advisory Committee Role

The WashU Medicine Community Engagement Hub announces its “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” – The Practice of Service series featuring faculty giving back to community! The initial offerings spotlighted Eva Aagaard, MD, and Will Ross, MD, MPH, and the October post will spotlight Tom De Fer, MD, MACP. A new health professional will be featured each month. If you know someone doing good work in the community, please submit their information HERE. If you are a faculty member looking to get involved in the community contact us HERE.

Alena Wadzinske

DBBS Students Selected for Olin-Chancellor’s Fellowship
Anna Gunelson, Marjori Russo, Elise Turner, Alena Wadzinske and Phuc Nguyen have been invited to join the Olin-Chancellor’s Fellowship (OCF). The OCF's mission is to empower future scholars and leaders who will contribute to advancing knowledge and addressing challenges in our global society through innovation, integrity, and intellectual endeavor. As part of a pilot initiative, a small number of rising second-year PhD students have been invited to join OCF after a rigorous nomination process. The students demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, research excellence and leadership potential during their first year. Congratulations Anna, Marjori, Elisa, Alena, and Phuc! | More About the Fellowship
DBBS Releases 2026 Annual Report
The 2026 DBBS Annual Report highlights a year of progress, collaboration, and community across DBBS, and we invite you to read it and celebrate all that has been accomplished. | Read the 2026 DBBS Annual Report

The Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee has recommended a university-wide framework centered on four core commitments: perspectives, connections, opportunity and culture. The recommendations are designed to provide schools, departments and units with shared language and practical guidance for strengthening community, supporting individual success and creating welcoming learning and work environments. The committee also recommends establishing a standing Advisory Board on Advancing Community Excellence to provide resources, consultation and coordination across the university. | Full Article

A recent New York Times opinion piece, “A.I. Has Made Me a Better Doctor. It’s Made Med Students Worse,” explores how generative AI is changing the way physicians and medical students learn and practice medicine. The author argues that while AI can help experienced physicians navigate an increasingly vast body of medical knowledge, its ease of use may reduce opportunities for students to develop foundational knowledge and clinical reasoning skills. The piece raises important questions for medical educators about how curricula can incorporate AI while ensuring trainees continue to build the knowledge and judgment essential to effective patient care. | Full Article

Scholarly Spotlights features scholarly work from members of our community, including faculty, staff, students and alumni. 

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