On Campus

Food Trucks

Food trucks are vital to the medical student’s diet. These glorious trucks visit the medical campus every weekday.


For those seemingly rare days when you can’t get free lunch at a lunch talk, a plethora of delicious lunch options are only steps away at the food trucks outside of the FLTC. You can taste a world of flavor without having to leave campus as each day brings another smorgasbord of global cuisine. Try channeling your inner Che Guevara at Guerilla Street Food or go for the gyro glory at My Big Fat Greek Truck. Want your sushi in burrito form? Or get in the Mardi Gras spirit by grabbing a New Orleans style po’ boy at Completely Sauced. One can find any number of taco varieties throughout the week, but true food truck connoisseurs know to wait until Friday for Seoul Taco’s mind-blowing menu of Mexican-Korean fusion inspired dishes. All in all, whichever truck you choose, you can be sure that you’ll be getting your daily dose of flavor.
– Daniel F., M1

Free Food

Four valiant M1s attempted to eat free pizza every day for as long as possible. They lasted more than six weeks!
Four valiant M1s attempted to eat free pizza every day for as long as possible. They
lasted more than six weeks!


Other entries in this segment are going to offer advice on St. Louis’ best Malay/ Icelandic/Ethiopian fusion restaurant and which Farmer’s Market you should buy your locally sourced, non-GMO, fair-trade produce from; I want to use this space to provide some pragmatic insight on the art of eating for free as a medical student.
You can work in a solid 10 meals per week by attending applicant pizza parties and breakfasts which come with the opportunity to relax with your classmates and meet applicants. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to deal with crushing guilt when you realize you’ve eaten 100 slices of pizza in the past month as Dr. Linda Pike offers nutrition advice in her “Know Your Food” segments.
To round out the rest of your meals and to add some more variety/quality to your diet, you’ll want to get involved with different student groups, attend lunch talks (beat the line and leave lecture/lab early) and special lectures/symposiums, and sit-in on Grand Rounds for different specialties at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. If you’re trying to master the practice of free eating (defined as eating > 14 meals per week) you’ll to need to liberalize your definition of “interest.” You’re going to experience some mind-numbing lectures as a result, but you’ll also stumble across intriguing projects your peers are involved with, insights to the lifestyle and practice of different specialties, and opportunities that will shape the trajectory of your career. Most importantly though, you’ll have a full belly and wallet.
– Kevin G., M1

Edison Café in St. Louis Children’s Hospital

During a long evening of studying (wasting time) in the carrels, chances are you might be running low on energy. You glance at your phone only to realize it’s after 9:30 p.m., and every restaurant except for Jimmy John’s is closed at this ungodly (for St. Louis) hour. Do not fear, however, because on the ground floor of St. Louis Children’s Hospital lies your salvation: The Edison Cafe. Now, you may be thinking “why would anybody speak so glowingly about a hospital cafeteria?” Four words, my friend: 30 PERCENT STUDENT DISCOUNT. Simply flashing your student ID will give you discounts on the veritable treasure trove of food options that Children’s provides. The grill? You bet! The comfort food section? Hell yeah! The salad bar? Damn straight! The list of foodstuffs goes on and on. The discount only applies on weekdays after 4 p.m. and all weekend hours, but paying less than eight bucks for a full meal of quality food is a deal that is hard to beat. Just remember that it is a hospital setting, so behave yourselves if you do decide to dine there.
– Vivek H., M1

Shell Café

Between Shell Café and constant lunch talks, you will never go hungry during the day at WUSM!


The most convenient dining option on campus is Sea Shell Cafe, named for its proximity to the ocean. It offers breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm. The breakfast sandwiches are the perfect pick-me-up for those low-energy mornings. Lunch offers a variety of options including a fresh salad bar, various sandwiches and burgers, pizza, and two specialty made-to-order stations that rotate diverse, globally-inspired meal options. Pro-tip: Befriend the staff for special treatment and perks.
– Russell M., M1

Applicant Pizza Dinners

M1s often host pizza dinners with incoming applicants that are interviewing the next day.
M1s often host pizza dinners with incoming applicants that are interviewing the next day.


Free pizza is a staple of any medical student’s diet. Fortunately for WUSM students, you can supplement an otherwise unhealthy diet with free pizza five nights a week. There are applicant pizza parties Sunday through Thursday night of every week from September through February. After a long day of studying or sleeping there is nothing better than dining with your fellow classmates and potential future colleagues. Despite the gauntlet presented by Dr. Linda Pike’s “Know Your Food” segment and the foreboding physiology atherosclerosis lecture, I truly hope you will carry the torch of attending these most sacred happenings.
– Conor W., M1