April Lewis, MD

April Lewis, MD

Resident

Education

Undergraduate School: Spelman College
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
PubMed name(s): April Lewis

Residency

Why did you choose WashU for your residency?
“Being from an underserved and underprivileged area of St. Louis, I am extremely passionate about serving and advocating for diverse and multicultural patient populations. Additionally, I know I will receive robust training while simultaneously gaining exposure to various subspecialties and research opportunities. I also did summer programs at WashU in high school and research during undergrad in the peds gastroenterology division, and the lab I worked in was very instrumental in helping me become a doctor! Most importantly, I am dedicated to my hometown and showing those from this community what is possible and what they can achieve!!”

What are you looking forward to the most by being a resident here at WashU?
“I’m looking forward to continuing to learn how to be a culturally competent physician, getting great surgical training, working in a continuity clinic, and of course working with patients from various backgrounds and locations. Also, time permitting, I want to keep serving this city and showing up for causes that are important- like working with the local youth and highlighting reproductive health locally. I’m also excited about gaining new friends and colleagues while I’m here!”

What goals do you hope to accomplish during your residency?
“One of the goals I have is to help patients in this area understand the importance of seeing a physician regularly. I hope that some of them can see someone who looks like them in this field and can trust that we have their best interest. Another goal is to network within this field and meet other amazing physicians.”

What are your research interests?
“Currently, my interests are disparities in prevention, screening, and guideline based treatment in gyn onc, as well as pre-eclampsia, and cultivating safe birthing environments for Black patients.”

Awards & Honors

  • Gold Humanism Honor Society
  • Distinction in Medical Education
  • The Jackie Robinson Foundation Extra Innings Fellow
  • The Dr. Daniel L. Blash Humanitarian Award
  • Dr. Martin Patrick Schutte Memorial Award
  • John Berry Meachum Memorial Award
  • Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Spouses Education Award
  • Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society

Personal

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

What do you do outside of work?    
“I like to sing, cook, coach volleyball, and hang out with friends and family!”

What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
“I love making people laugh. I also was born on my mom’s birthday :)”

We know it’s early, but do you have any fellowship plans for after residency?
“Currently, I’m thinking about Maternal Fetal Medicine and Gyn Onc. These two subspecialties have a lot of opportunities to work with patients affected by health disparities, which is also a passion of mine!”

What advice would you give medical students applying for a residency in OBGYN?

“I would advise to be yourself on your journey! Becoming a physician is hard work, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice who you are to become one. Let people see you for you, and rest assured that everything will fall into place how it is intended to!”