Faculty
Thomas De Fer, MD (he/him)
Professor of Medicine
Associate Dean of Medical Student Education
General Medicine Division Chief
Office of Education | Department of Medicine
As a St. Louis native and a member of the Washington University School of Medicine family for over 30 years, I think it’s pretty obvious I like it here. A lot. St. Louis may not be the most overtly progressive place in America, but I’ve never found that to be detrimental at all. Midwestern niceness is, in very large measure, quite genuine. After “escaping” all the way to Columbia, Missouri for college and medical school, I returned to St. Louis to do residency here at BJH and WUSM. I was incredibly happy (and frankly relieved) to find that our residency program was extremely welcoming and that I clearly wasn’t the only one. I have never once felt singled out, held back, not included, silenced, discriminated against, or merely tolerated as a gay man by anyone here. What has always seemed to matter the most is the quality of your character and your ability to be a good doctor. That just feels right to me. Many of my colleagues have known my husband almost as long as they have known me. Some may even like him better than me. That alone says a lot.
Mark Levine, MD, FACEP (he/him)
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
MS3 and MS4 Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Being out at WashU has never been a big deal or issue. In fact, I received more attention when I adopted a new dog. The focus has always been on being a good clinician and educator. As an educator, I enjoy the opportunity to mentor students, residents, and faculty in their personal and professional development.
Residents
Lauren East, MD (she/her)
Internal Medicine PGY-2
The LGBTQIA+ community at Washington University School of Medicine and in St. Louis has been incredibly welcoming to both me and my brother, a nurse at Barnes Jewish Hospital. The OUTmed community at WashU/BJH has provided mentorship, opportunities for professional collaboration, and a supportive group to join for fun social events. Dr. Dao, Director of the OUTmed Program, has been a welcoming mentor to me in the Internal Medicine Department. He’s always available to lend a listening ear or offer advice during the difficult transitions that occur so often during residency.
Daniel Hwang, MD (he/him)
Internal Medicine PGY-1
My experience thus far at WUSTL has been incredible. My co-residents, fellows, and attendings come from diverse and varied backgrounds. Importantly, I feel not only welcome on a day-to-day basis but also highly supported officially by the program. Simply put, there is an organic inclusive culture at the institution that is also fostered.
Nathan Neilson, MD (he/him)
Internal Medicine PGY-1
Coming from a more rural community for medical school to Washington University for residency, I feel completely refreshed and invigorated by the LGBTQ+ community here. Within weeks of moving to St. Louis, I connected with other queer folks in medicine through OUTmed. I immediately felt like I belonged; I was invited to dinner hosted by a group of queer physicians, was able to experience LGBTQ+ coffee shops, art studios, nightlife, and even found out I have affirming neighbors! The more the merrier though – WashU is always looking for more folks to grow our LGBTQ+ community!!
If you are an Internal Medicine Resident Applicant, please contact David Leander, MD, MBA – dmleander@wustl.edu and Amy Foyil – afoyil@wustl.edu (IM Residency Recruitment Coordinator) for further information about our program.
Medical Students
Caellagh Catley (she/her/hers)
MS2
President of LGBTQmed – 2020-2021
When my partner and I first considered moving to St. Louis, we received a lot of questions from family and friends about how comfortable we would be as a lesbian couple in Missouri. While well-meaning, I’ve truly found these concerns to be unfounded – at least within St. Louis itself and certainly at Washington University. The Advocate, America’s oldest running LGBT publication recently included St. Louis on its list of Queerest Cities in the United States, and the Human Rights Campaigns Municipal Equality Index, awarded the city of St. Louis a perfect score for the 9th consecutive year.
St. Louis has a very vibrant queer community with a fair number of gay bars in the Grove (walking distance from campus), a large Pride festival, and plenty of events to take advantage of! WashU itself is home to a number of active queer groups on campus advocating for greater inclusion and representation for Gender and Sexual Minority people at the hospital and beyond. Through work with OUTmed and LGBTQ+med I have found friends and mentors and am learning to be a healthcare advocate for all gender and sexual minorities. We’ve found a home in St. Louis, and hope you will too!”
Gideon Haber (he/him)
MS3
“I was hesitant to choose Wash U – or more accurately, St. Louis – when I was picking a med school. Having spent my gap year in DC where I felt surrounded by queer culture, I was nervous about what the Midwest would have to offer. After 3 years, I can say St Louis is not DC. But, if you look closely, it has plenty to offer. I’ve found queer improv shows, ballroom dancing groups, running clubs and park festivals in my time here.
Importantly, I’ve also found a community. Through its curriculum and student organizations, WashU creates a safe environment to explore medicine, find queer mentors, and – with the new curriculum – interface with the greater St Louis community. I may not be sure St. Louis is my forever home, but I am confident I made a good decision coming here.”
Lane Parmely (he/him)
MS3
“One of the many reasons I chose WashU for medical school was the visibility of LGBTQ+ students and faculty during my interview process. To my delight, that visibility has continued during my time as a student here. Moreover, most of my faculty mentors here are LGBTQ+ as well! How awesome is that?
I also can’t rave enough about how much I’m enjoying my time here in St. Louis as a gay man. My partner and I moved to St. Louis in 2019 without knowing a single person here, and in the interim, we have developed an incredibly close-knit friend group of fabulous queer people from all over the city. These wonderful people are my chosen family, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m somewhere I belong.”