Indiana University School of Medicine-Fort Wayne is located on the campus of Indiana University-Fort Wayne and Purdue University Fort Wayne, offering a rich campus life in a small-town atmosphere with large city amenities. The campus community includes about 13,000 students, and Fort Wayne has repeatedly been named an All-America City. With a population of approximately 250,000, it is the second largest metropolitan area in Indiana.
The campus offers many athletic, academic and performing arts events throughout the school year. The community offers a range of dining options, including restaurants and several wineries and microbreweries, and great shopping at Glenbrook Mall or Jefferson Pointe. During the summer, outdoor concerts are abound, at parks, malls and even the Allen County Library (which is also nationally renowned for its massive genealogy section). Fort Wayne also offers many festivals, most of which take place in the heart of the city at Headwaters Park.
History and Culture
Cultural and historical attractions include the Old Fort which offers regular, ongoing re-enactments of early life in northeast Indiana, many Fort Wayne Philharmonic concerts, performances by the Fort Wayne Ballet and Civic Theater. Numerous professional plays and concerts also come regularly to the city. Fort Wayne is also home to Johnny Appleseed, for whom they celebrate an annual fall festival in Johnny Appleseed Park. The Botanical Gardens, award-winning Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Art Museum, Philharmonic, Performing Arts Center, and historical attractions provide residents with additional cultural activities. Medical students enjoy full access to Purdue Fort Wayne’s Music Department, cultural events, and graduate and undergraduate courses.
Sports
Sports enthusiasts can find many opportunities to cheer on their favorite teams in Fort Wayne. The many sports teams offer family fun no matter what time of year. Fort Wayne has professional hockey (the Komets), basketball (Mad Ants) and baseball teams (Tin Caps).
Personal Recreation
Medical students at the Fort Wayne campus can access Purdue Fort Wayne’s fitness center, the Hilliard Gates Sports Center, located next to the Medical Education Building. This is a popular place for medical students to workout—for free, as it offers an indoor track, basketball courts, workout equipment and fitness classes. Students only need to acquire a Mastodon card (at Walb Student Union Information Desk) to access the sports center.
Located adjacent to the St. Joseph River, the IU School of Medicine-Fort Wayne campus also offers scenic River Greenway trails to walk, run and ride for miles throughout the city. For additional personal recreation, the Fort Wayne community offers 87 parks and playgrounds, covering more than 2,000 acres of public parkland as well as miles of walking, running and riding trails—most of which are part of the River Greenway. Nearby state parks offer hiking trails and other recreational activities for outdoor enthusiasts.
Several health clubs are in Fort Wayne, including American Health Fitness Center, Summit City Fitness, Cardinal Fitness, Anytime Fitness, and various YMCAs. Shoaff Park is located a short distance north of campus, and is a safe place for outdoor running, biking, Frisbee golf, golf and more.
Extracurricular Activities
The nation’s most competitive residency programs seek well-rounded medical students who demonstrate an ability to balance work with recreation. Recreation activities, including athletics, student mentoring, civic engagement and hobbies, help students relieve stress and return refreshed to academic work. Students can volunteer at a local organizations while studying at IU School of Medicine in Fort Wayne, and the campus offers a variety of student-focused participation opportunities as well, including Medical Student Council, Student Interest Groups and Committees.
Find more information about the Fort Wayne campus, visit the Purdue Fort Wayne Campus Life page and at IU Fort Wayne. Details about the Fort Wayne community are available at Visit Fort Wayne.