Illinois Styles

Hey,

Definitely hit a lull. My interest in posting on SDN has definitely waned for a variety of reasons so I don't post much anymore. I just lurk at work nowadays but I'll come out for my Illinois peeps.

I generally agree with you on what you say about getting in but remember that the difficulty depends on what state you are applying from for a variety of reasons. In general though it's hard if only due to the fact that to be a good applicant there are several difficult hoops you have to jump through. That's the whole difficulty in it. Applying can take a lot out of you from prepping for the MCAT to taking extra classes and balancing out your ECs. Granted many of us, ~50% of applicants, make it but it sure as heck wasn't easy. So I would say that preparing to get into medical school is what is so difficult. Think about the MCAT, that eliminates a lot of applicants from even bothering to apply. Anyway, I'm in and as a 2nd timer I appreciate it all the more.

I agree with you that you need to be the complete package OR you need to have something in your app that makes you really standout. At certain institutions you need both.

As for IL schools, Loyola's class filled up the quickest but that's normal. They were full in December. Many will get in off the alternate list and you can count me amongst those on that list right now as I interviewed only a few weeks ago when the class was already full.

UIC, at least the Chicago campus, should be full by now but I think there may still be spots at some of the other campuses. With no other acceptances for myself though, I am holding on to this one very, very tightly and am very thankful for it.

Finch I think is behind as I believe they are just peaking in terms of interviews. I just got an invite a few weeks ago but I declined it. They seem to always interview late anyway.

NW, well, they just to told me to go jump in the lake a few weeks ago. It's funny though, my interest there kept dropping throughout the application process before they rejected me. Getting rejected by them was rather anti-climactic. The more I think about it, I just don't think it would have been a good fit for me anyway. Shows how feelings about schools change as you go through this process. I started a thread back in July about "Top Choice Med Schools" and guess who was #1?

As for the other IL schools, I don't really have much to say about them right now.

chicago yall--

just in case anyones interested about illinois residency--moved to chicago after one unsuccessfull try at this med school stuff. applied again after living here less than a year. could have been a disaster. uic requires you to be a resident of illinios for an entire year BEFORE you submit your AMCAS to be consitered an instate applicant (which is different than for tuition--you just gotta be a resident for a year prior to entering school). got in anyway, but freaked when i read this on the application. not sure how the other schools view illinios residency, i think rush and loyola are a bit more liberal.

no thoughts on where everyone is as far as waitlists/interviews go. alls i know is that NW rejected me but i couldnt be more content. that and loyola is on my third or fourth round of pre-interview review. everytime i call (about every other month or so) they say "um, its up for another review in a week or two". but yea, they're interviewing for the waitlist anyway.

as far as thoughts about getting in, for me it was all about experience. my grades were ok (with a few bad apples), my scores were decent, and my extracurrics were good (as far as i thought), but i didnt have the clinical experience (plus i the adcoms probably thought my essays were written by third graders). so, got a job in a hospital, reapplied, put a bit more thought into my pers statement and essays and got in. couldnt be more thrilled, esp since most of my pre-med friends got in their first time.

gums- hope you got some interviews. my first time i only got one (an automatic interview at my state school) and didnt even get a waitlist spot.

gotta run, its like 40 outside. enjoy it while it lasts...

123456

Gumshoe, please keep your hopes up...I've spoken to you before through im, so you know what I've done and my stats. I really am not anything extraordinary. Nothing hugely stands out in my application. My MCAT is below the magical 30. I haven't been published, the psych research that I helped with and did for credit didn't even get to the point where it was running subjects while I was working on it.

On a side note as to what's going on with me to my IL buddies, I recently shadowed a Loyola student for a day, and it was great- if you have any questions about it feel free. I'm going to go back for a day at Rush too. Anyone else going back for second day looks?

Howdy Gum,
My opinion on Loyola is pretty long...I don't remember if you have aim im, pm me if you do with your screenname. To shorten it, I love the facilities, the students are happy and friendly, I like the community format and the integrated curriculum, the staff is supportive, etc...I didn't get a total impression from Rush, I'll know more probably when I spend another day there.

Hey guys - I would love to get some input on what you thought of Rush, UIC, and Loyola. Right now I'm waiting to see which campus I got for UIC, but I'm in a state of complete indecision right now. I know I want to go to one of them, I just don't know what I think anymore. My first interview was at Loyola, and from that impression I didn't really click with it. I loved the building, but I didn't really like Maywood. Also, aside from my Finch interview, I had my worst interview experience there. Well, one of my interviews. I was so nervous that I just couldn't put together much of a coherent answer to a question about healthcare, and my interviewer totally called me on it and gave me a 20-minute lecture about what I should have said. He was still very nice, but I think I was so shaken by it that my impression of Loyola sank a little. As for UIC, I've not heard the most wonderful things, but it's cheap for residents. And Rush, well, I really liked it. I've also been to it the most, though -- trying to find it on my own, then going with friends who applied to grad programs there -- so I guess I'm more comfortable with it. But so many people have posted wonderful things about Loyola that I'm beginning to think that I need to rethink things. If you were in my situation, which would you pick and why?

If you're wondering my stats and stuff, I had a 3.7 and a 27S (April), then a 33S (August), with pretty good ECs and research. And I wrote an essay about a teddy bear. ;-)

have the same feelings about UIC, but everyone i talk to say if you can get past the administration problems and lack of organization its a good school. good for self-motivators, at least (which is probably a good skill to pick up, since i dont have it) plus, for me the variety of clinical rotations make up for the other stuff. that, and the match list seems to be good, although im not exactly sure i know the difference between a good match list and a not so good one. dont know about the other schools cause i either didnt apply or interview there.

just my two cents.


go bucky!

Originally posted by PluckyDuk8
On a side note as to what's going on with me to my IL buddies, I recently shadowed a Loyola student for a day, and it was great- if you have any questions about it feel free.

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Hi Plucky,

Who did you contact to set up the shadowing? Is it a student on clerkships right now? I would love to be able to shadow a 3rd or 4th year student and learn more about their clerkship experiences.

I just got an interview for Loyola, and I realize that I'm interviewing for the alternate list. I need some opinions about Loyola and the atmosphere there...likes/dislikes etc. (I'm from Cali) I don't mind interviewing for the wait list as long as I would consider the school over ones I've been accepted to already. I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks.

I too am from Cali, and am willing to brave the winters to go to Loyola. I've been accepted, and am definitely going to attend. The interview totally made up my mind and made the school my number one choice. As everyone else has stated, the students are amazingly happy, the facilities are BEAUTIFUL, and the med school has a very supportive atmosphere. Though it is in Maywood (not the coolest) there are fun places near by, and the city really isn?t too far away. Loyola seemed very focused on treating the whole patient, not just the problem...some of that Jesuit influence coming through. Anyways....I heard that their waitlist moves pretty quickly, so I'd make the trek and go interview...I loved it!!

Originally posted by 123456
have the same feelings about UIC, but everyone i talk to say if you can get past the administration problems and lack of organization its a good school. good for self-motivators, at least (which is probably a good skill to pick up, since i dont have it) plus, for me the variety of clinical rotations make up for the other stuff. that, and the match list seems to be good, although im not exactly sure i know the difference between a good match list and a not so good one. dont know about the other schools cause i either didnt apply or interview there.

just my two cents.


go bucky!

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I've been trying to learn more about UIC as well. The more I learn, the better it sounds.

My biggest reservations were things I heard about 1st and 2nd year courses (poor quality) and administration. I met one of my friends for dinner a couple weeks ago who is a 1st year at UIC and she dispelled alot of myths I've heard about the school.

She said her classes have been very good. She even said all her professors are very nice and really want to help students. She did qualify that by saying some professors aren't very good teachers, but she dispelled alot of the myths I've heard about teachers "caring more about research than teaching." She also said her anatomy professor is really good and actually met with her on several ocassions to help improve how she studies for tests.

She did say the administration can be frustrating to deal with, but it's something you learn to work through. She also said she hasn't had any problems with the basic administrative stuff so far (financial aid, registering for classes, etc.)

I'm trying to decide between UIC and Loyola. Anyone with detailed info on either school, please post.

Alrighty, since I am going to dish out on Loyola, if anyone has info on what they think of Rush please post. I hope to spend a second day there shadowing a student because I need another day to help me decide and I really didn't get a feel for the school whatsoever. It seemed kind of dry. I spent most of my day in the admin office, and talked only to one student other than the tour guide.

first to answer ppl's questions...

-I met a few M1's during my interview day, and got their emails. For my second look day I just called the admissions office and emailed a student I wanted to shadow and that was it. Now is their time to sell them to you, if you are accepted your job is done. Very helpful, I recommend it for all the illinois ppl that have some time on their hands. They can set u up with a student if you don't know anyone. When you go MAKE SURE to have your student show you around Oak Park and River Forest...Maywood is a dump but there are some nice places surrounding it. It helps you get a feel for where you might live next year and takes some of the mystery away from it.
-Rush still has to get back to me on coming there for a second day, they seem busy and disorganized.
-No clue why I got into the schools I did, it may be a combination of a bunch of things. My year off I heard is looked favorably at places like Rush, and I was told during my meeting with the assis. dir. of admin at Loyola that my essays were great and really stood out. I worked my butt off on my essays, and they went through countless versions and revisions, but I have no clue how they stand out. This is why I think I got interviews at Loyola and Rush but not UIC- the schools that had long essays got to see a little bit more of me and UIC didn't. Their loss
-I have been asking various doctors around the area about Rush vs. Loyola, and I have pretty much been given the same answer- both are well respected and I can't go wrong with either. Some have a preference about one over the other, but that is mostly because they know more people at one.

Alrighty in no particular order, stuff about Loyola:
-I found out that the main places 3rd and 4th years train at Hines VA, Loyola Hospital, and since there seem to be many who care about this at these boards, COUNTY. No lack of interesting cases or diversity here whatsoever.
-I like Loyola's integrated curriculum. Having one class to worry about appeals to me, it is much like taking bio over summer like I did in undergrad. It also will help to understand the material better. The schedule is great, days aren't too long, there's a good mix of lecture and small group, and they respect the need to study before exams so your schedule decreases.
-I like that Loyola is a religious facility. Although I am not Christian, I am observant in another religion, and having tolerance of that will be very helpful. I like how religion is important (no matter which one, or if it's just faith) and is considered to be an important part of the healing process. The school really takes a look at the whole patient and teaches this to their students.
-The facilities are amazing....I don't work out but might start with that gym (at Rush they share with UIC). Who knows, but a jacuzzi once in a while could really beat that stress. I found out you get to bring people 3x for free to the gym (but she didn't know how much it costs after that). There are plenty of places for you to study, talk, chill, etc...The communities are a cool concept- fridge, tv, phone, microwave, lockers are helpful (especially for me because I have dietary restrictions and will be bringing my own food). Rush's library and student areas seem to be lacking, but I don't remember so correct me please if I am wrong. At Loyola you get a desk area with a space above it for your books and study materials, plus a locker downstairs. Sound kinda superficial, but the surroundings are important to me- it makes for a good atmosphere and study environment.
-Students seem very happy and all get along.
-Staff seem supportive. There is plenty of help available if you need it. I have a wedding abroad for my brother in the second week of classes at Loyola and could potentially miss 3-5 days of class. The dean I met with said it was a bad idea- but I don't have much of a choice, trust me I am not happy with it. The students said I wouldn't have too much of a problem. I have the emails of the profs and will email them to see what they say. (This so far has been my only negative but I am not letting a wedding affect my decision).

Ok, that is it for now, if I remember anything else I'll add , hope this helped, please add things from other schools so we help each other out. Know that I haven't decided on one over the other, I am waiting to visit for a second day at Rush and am waiting for my financial aid statements.

Sorry, no info on Rush except they put my app on hold and wouldn't give me the time of day even when i was in town for two other chicago interviews (u of c and UIC).

which brings me to a couple of questions for you illinois peeps, if you don't mind helping a cali person who has fallen in love with chicago and trying to decide whether or not to leave the sun for the snow.

so basically i just wanted to know/confirm my impressions of these two schools. I've heard the dissatisfaction about the pre-clinical years at UIC, but is there anything else that consistently makes students gripe?

Also, would you say that UIC has a reputation for making good clinicians out of their students, more so than other chicago schools? i ask this because usc in l.a. always says this b/c they train at the county hospital. compared to ucla, it's like 3rd world vs. 1st world. is this true in chicago, between all the schools/hospitals?

and for pritzker, well, all i really know is that i was really impressed by everything there. i don't know if it's because i got that prestige/ranking/reputation thing in my head, especially since i'm unsure about going into research and really want to work with indigent populations. So is going to Pritzker only a fit if you want to do academics? am i not going to see interesting pathology there?

well those are my questions. any info would be much appreciated...thanks.

I'm an M1 at Rush - I can answer any questions you guys might have if it will help you make a decision one way or another. Feel free to PM or post in this thread...

I'm supposed to be working on my dissertation, but decided to cruise around this website and I came across this thread. It's so nice to hear a positive buzz about Loyola, I thought I'd add to it because I'm an MS4 here and about to leave. These words are straight from the horse's mouth, you might say.

Loyola is a fantastic place to learn medicine. There is a wonderful esprit de corps here that is unique. Although every school will have classes that contain their share of gunners, snipers, tools, powertools, whatever-your-term is, at Loyola, there are typically <5 of these types per class of 130. And our gunners are really not even that bad. Most everyone is very friendly and willing to help each other out. The integrated curriculum gives you TONS of free time to study and, just as important, have fun. Professors are on the whole very approachable and they clearly enjoy teaching. The administrators bend over backwards to address student concerns, and by the time students are 4th years, the whole place feels like an extended family. I have several friends who attend/attended other medical schools and they tell me that they really wish the atmosphere at their schools was like Loyola's. Sounds like some sunshine blowing, but I swear by my claims.

Although Loyola is not on the top 50 USNWR list, I am confident that my training here will have me starting residency as a competent, efficient physician. The clinical training here is great-- you see patients from every walk of life and actually get to participate actively in their care. Friends of mine at other schools sometimes express their frustration that they miss opportunities to be involved in patient care because patients often go to these big name places to be cared for by Dr. Bigshot and will have nothing to do with students. When one of my surgical patients once expressed this stipulation to me, I in turn informed the attending, and he kindly told the patient that Loyola is a teaching hospital and therefore medical students are required to be involved in patient care. The patient agreed and I eventually established a great relationship with her.

Despite Loyola's absence from the "top 50" list, we still send several graduates every year to the most competitive residency programs. So far this year, only early matchers know where they're going (regular match is on March 20th), but the list is quite impressive:

Neurosurgery = University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin

Otolaryngology (ENT) = University of Washington

Urology = Cleveland Clinic

Ophthamology = University of Washington (2 students)

If you ask any residents or attendings in these fields about the quality of these residency programs, they will all inform you that they are among the elite.

Anyway... back to my dissertation. I hope some of this information is helpful. I feel that Loyola is a great place to attend medical school and you wouldn't regret coming here. Best of luck with your med school quest and beyond!

Just wanted to bump this thread from last year.

Great thread, thanks a lot!

I just called UIC. They said they still have stops open for their Chicago campus.

I'm an Illinois resident. I got into Rush and SIU and declined my UIC interview. I was on hold at Loyola and rejected by Chicago-Pritzker.

I was NOT at all impressed with Rush. My student tour guide didn't even show up for the tour so I didn't see the school. Both the interviewers were intimidating and cold. I got in though... go figure!


I loved SIU... That's a school that cares about their students learning.

I'm going to U Kentucky though

Bye!

Great thread...good info about Loyola on it!

Do Rush/Loyola give any preference to in-state?

Originally posted by Auricae
Do Rush/Loyola give any preference to in-state?

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I know that Rush does give some preference to in-staters..not sure about Loyola. I think the numbers (or %'s) are in the MSAR.

Both Rush and Loyola accept a specific number of in-states and out-of-states. This goes for the other Illinois schools also. It works out better for in-states.

i came upon this illinois list and had to also say something about my situation. im really getting upset with the chicago schools. interviewed at uic and rush in oct and nov and was placed on the waiting list. meanwhile, ive been accepted to 4 other schools around the country... loyola never even bothered to get back to me . does anyone know what the deal is with that? i want to stay in chicago more than anything and now i may not even get that. moreover, i really feel that i deserve to be (just like all of us) accepted to even 1 chicago school. any ideas on contacting uic and rush? loyola?


btw- i think rush is 80% in state and loyola is 50% in state. uchicago is 40-50% in state, and NU is 35%.
illinois blows for its own kids

Originally posted by badgergirl
And I wrote an essay about a teddy bear. ;-) [/B]

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Are you referring to your essay on the MCAT or are you talking about the essay they make you write at the FINCH interview ( rumor started at the following thread... http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104326&highlight=finch )

Can you confirm if this is true or just a myth? I've heard of some interview sites requiring all candidates to complete diagnostic tests and/or respond to a prompt very similar to the writing sample section presented on MCAT day. We will all appreciate your input. thanks

Originally posted by chicago13
i came upon this illinois list and had to also say something about my situation. im really getting upset with the chicago schools. interviewed at uic and rush in oct and nov and was placed on the waiting list. meanwhile, ive been accepted to 4 other schools around the country... loyola never even bothered to get back to me . does anyone know what the deal is with that? i want to stay in chicago more than anything and now i may not even get that. moreover, i really feel that i deserve to be (just like all of us) accepted to even 1 chicago school. any ideas on contacting uic and rush? loyola?


btw- i think rush is 80% in state and loyola is 50% in state. uchicago is 40-50% in state, and NU is 35%.
illinois blows for its own kids

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Dunno what to do about UIC and Rush, but I had the same story with Loyola. I finished my secondary in September and then... silence. Whatever. I've gotten into other schools so now I don't care, but Loyola turned out to be a serious waste of cash.

I don't remember having to fill out any essay at Finch?!? The interview experience I had was so amazing. Student host was really great, I had 2 tours! and they even provided a continental breakfast which I loved. The interviewers were both nice and very fair and after my experience I can't wait to go there!

Hi IL peeps!
so i really liked all the schools i interviewed at in IL (Rush, UIC, SIU, Chicago), so besides costs--it comes down to the "happiest students" question.

Do you guys have any thoughts on where students seem to be the 'happiest'? People I knowat Rush seem to be over the top happy--while the few people i talked to at UIC were more like "get out while you can--save yourself". I know its an individual thing--but as as aggregate I am curious on your impressions

chi-hope

Yeah, student happiness (or lack thereof) seems to be an issue with UIC students. I got into Columbia next year which is where I may be going. But I got into both NU and UIC, and if I stay in Chicago I would choose NU in a heartbeat over UIC.

You'll have to ask UChicago folks about their happiness level.

northwestern students seemed happiest
then Rush and UofC on same level of perceived happiness - Pritzker did a better job "recruiting"

didn't look at UIC Loyola or Finch tho

I just replied to a PM asking me about Chicago schools since I applied to almost all of them. Here is what I wrote. I thought I'd post it here for others and to see if there are any differing opinons.

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My quick opinions on the Chicago schools are these. In terms of prestige, Northwestern and the University of Chicago are tops. Loyola, UIC, and Rush are all three very respectable and pretty much on the same level. Finch and CCOM are considered lower tier.

You'll probably get a good medical education at any of the Chicago schools. Really your best fit will depend on your own style of learning and your interests that will determine which school you like the best. They all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Rush and CCOM students have the reputation of being academically coddled, and I've heard that UIC students have to be more self motivated than others.

As far as I can tell, the students are pretty happy at all of the schools with the exception of Finch. I may be getting biased information, but I have heard negative things from people who went there or rotated with Finch students. That is why it is the only Chicago school I didn't apply to. I think the Loyola students seems to be happiest overall, then Univeristy of Chicago, CCOM, and Northwestern. I've met some Rush students who are very happy and others not so much. UIC seems to aggravate students a bit, but that is probably a factor of being a big state school.

If you are interested in research, University of Chicago and Northwestern are the best. There are also opportunities at Rush, UIC, and somewhat at Loyola. IMO, Loyola and Northwestern are probably the strongest in primary care.

At the University of Chicago Hospitals, you will see mostly African American patients, Northwestern has a large share of affluent city dwellers, and Rush, UIC, and Loyola tend to be a bit more balanced. At CCOM and Finch there is no base hospital so you have to set up your rotations all over.

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One thing I forgot to mention in the PM is that UIC is very expensive for out of staters. I wouldn't even consider it over one of the private schools for cost alone.

Originally posted by chicagohope
Hi IL peeps!
so i really liked all the schools i interviewed at in IL (Rush, UIC, SIU, Chicago), so besides costs--it comes down to the "happiest students" question.

Do you guys have any thoughts on where students seem to be the 'happiest'? People I knowat Rush seem to be over the top happy--while the few people i talked to at UIC were more like "get out while you can--save yourself". I know its an individual thing--but as as aggregate I am curious on your impressions

chi-hope

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As an applicant from last year, I interviewed at all 7 Illinois schools and just wanted to give you guys my opinion regarding the whole "happiness" issue. Happiness is more a state of mind rather than expecting some medical school to make you magically smile. You're as happy as you choose to be. I currently attend UIC, where there were so many rampant rumors about how horrible it would be here, yet there are plenty of happy students, including myself. The bottom line is that you'll have to work hard, but other than that, you'll be as happy as you choose to be. I chose UIC because I didn't want to be drowning in loans after I graduated. One of our Deans is a Psychiatrist, graduated medical school from the University of Chicago, and said her loans would be paid off in the year 2017! Anyhow, don't expect some school to magically put a smile on your face if you're not normally a happy individual. You are as happy as you want to be.

Maybe we need to be more specific than saying whether a school has "happy" students.

In my case I use the term to describe their satisfaction with the program and administration.

I think Mr. Reddy has hit it on the nail though - personal happiness is a state of mind.

Just my humble opinion.