Residents' Gym Introduced in Laros Library Renovation
The 2017-2018 academic year ushered in many changes at the University of Chicago, and the Laros Resident Library was no exception. In early fall 2017, a group of residents noticed that the back of the Laros Library was under-utilized and they began the task of cleaning, reorganizing, and updating the area.
Many residents over the past several years have lamented the lack of exercise facilities on the medical campus. What started as a hammer-page-induced fever dream for ortho residents to have a place to exercise and blow off some steam, finally had a small amount of square footage to become a reality.
Generous donations of old weights and gym equipment by residents, as well as crowd funding from the remainder of the residency, resulted in a rudimentary gym that became rather functional. This effort continued to improve throughout the academic year and eventually garnered some attending support as well.
Today, we are proud to boast the most functional and, arguably, best-equipped resident gym across the country. The inclusion of exercise space in the Laros Library, endearingly referred to as the Orthopaedic Strength Science Institute, has sparked additional camaraderie amongst residents while also improving our physical and mental health. We hope to expand our capabilities in the near future with additional weights and cardio equipment as more funding becomes available. If you are ever on campus, stop by and we will be happy to offer a spot.
