2015-2016 Rush Medical College Application Thread

[Ismet]

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Space reserved for prompt.

Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me when the secondary is available and I will update this.

Good luck to everyone applying!

 

[hlover0325]

Another application season is among us!

 

[hiphopcrates]

Looking forward to it. I really like Rush.

 

[Kites]

Excited to apply here! Although looking at previous threads, many 3.8+/32+ got rejected 🙁

 

[winterwind_23]

What's the area around Rush like? I know it's in Chicago, so it must be urban, but is the school in a largely underserved community, or is it located in an affluent part of Chicago? Will there be opportunities to work with the underserved directly outside of Rush's gates?

 

[DaenerysTargaryen]

Rush is located in Chicago's "Medical District," which means County, the VA, Rush MC, (and UIC's Medical Center) are all nearby. I believe rotations are at both Cook County/Stroger and Rush MC, according to their admissions reps, which means you get exposed to patients from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. This is actually a selling point for them. The rotations at Stroger would definitely qualify as working with the underserved. Hoping an actual student can help us both learn more about the neighborhood and/or extracurricular clinical opportunities for the underserved.

 

[winterwind_23]

Rush is located in Chicago's "Medical District," which means County, the VA, Rush MC, (and UIC's Medical Center) are all nearby. I believe rotations are at both Cook County/Stroger and Rush MC, according to their admissions reps, which means you get exposed to patients from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. This is actually a selling point for them. The rotations at Stroger would definitely qualify as working with the underserved. Hoping an actual student can help us both learn more about the neighborhood and/or extracurricular clinical opportunities for the underserved.

Good to know! I'm aware of the RCSIP, which provides volunteer opportunities for students to serve disadvantaged populations, but I was wondering whether these opportunities were in the vicinity of the school, i.e., in the "neighborhood," or if they were mostly on the other side of Chicago.

 

[winterwind_23]

Also, in terms of this secondary prompt from last year:

• Please describe your most significant achievement outside the classroom (750 characters).

Can I discuss attending and graduating college as a first-generation college student as my most significant achievement? Or is that considered in the classroom? Do they want us to discuss accomplishment in an artistic or athletic endeavor? Or would they rather see an accomplishment where you helped someone in your community?

 

[panda16]

Excited to apply here! Although looking at previous threads, many 3.8+/32+ got rejected 🙁

A rep from Rush shared with a friend of mine that their average accepted student has a massive amount of volunteering/community service/clinical experience. Like the average community service for their applicants was 620 hours. So even though the minimum is 150 for each, they are definitely looking for more than that.

 

[vantheman]

A rep from Rush shared with a friend of mine that their average accepted student has a massive amount of volunteering/community service/clinical experience. Like the average community service for their applicants was 620 hours. So even though the minimum is 150 for each, they are definitely looking for more than that.

Where did you read you must have a minimum of 150hrs of each?

 

[panda16]

Where did you read you must have a minimum of 150hrs of each?

A handout they gave at an info session I went to.

Also said minimum sGPA 3.0 and minimum MCAT 27(?) or something. I can take a picture of it later and put it up here.

 

[vantheman]

A handout they gave at an info session I went to.

Also said minimum sGPA 3.0 and minimum MCAT 27(?) or something. I can take a picture of it later and put it up here.

I am curious why they would not put this information on their website or the MSAR.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

A rep from Rush shared with a friend of mine that their average accepted student has a massive amount of volunteering/community service/clinical experience. Like the average community service for their applicants was 620 hours. So even though the minimum is 150 for each, they are definitely looking for more than that.

what do you mean minimum of each? Like total 150 combining all volunteering ecs or for each?!

 

[turtlegladiator]

Do you need 150 hours + of nonclinical volunteering as well?

 

[Glazedonutlove]

For each. Like I have over 150hrs volunteering in Chicago schools then I have over 150hrs of clinical exposure

well ****...

 

[Glazedonutlove]

looking at the email from my school's pre-med advisors, they phrased it as a min of 150 hrs of "community service" and 150hrs "clinical exposure." So they told us to categorize our AMCAS activities accordingly.

well i have those, but they are separate activities. They can add 😀

 

[panda16]

Yeah so here's more info. IDK, I don't think I'm applying to Rush which is why I haven't researched it online but I think it's odd that they would have these requirements and that's the first most of you guys have heard of it...

Additionally, they said that you can double count the hours, i.e. if you volunteer at a free clinic it counts as both.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Yeah so here's more info. IDK, I don't think I'm applying to Rush which is why I haven't researched it online but I think it's odd that they would have these requirements and that's the first most of you guys have heard of it...

Additionally, they said that you can double count the hours, i.e. if you volunteer at a free clinic it counts as both.

Oh it's just total of 150 ok

 

[HarryH00d]

So just to confirm...when they say an average of 620 hours of community service, that umbrella includes both medical & non-medical, correct? So if I've been volunteering in the ER for 320 hours and a food pantry for 300 hours, they would tally this as 620?

 

[panda16]

So just to confirm...when they say an average of 620 hours of community service, that umbrella includes both medical & non-medical, correct? So if I've been volunteering in the ER for 320 hours and a food pantry for 300 hours, they would tally this as 620?

Your interpretation is likely correct.

Also remember that 620 is an average, not the minimum.

 

[mdparrot]

Reapplying here this year

 

[suavecito]

I have a question regarding number of letter of recommendations. The Rush website explicitly states that if submitted indivudually, you can only submit a maximum of 3 LORs, or else your application wouldn't process the extra LORs. Without knowing, I assigned 5 LORs via AMCAs for Rush. How will they decide to choose which letter to use?

 

[aakashp127]

How does Rush view OOS reapplicants? You can answer separately, not necessarily for the OOS reapplicant combination

 

[panda16]

How does Rush view OOS reapplicants? You can answer separately, not necessarily for the OOS reapplicant combination

I don't believe they have IS/OOS preference! Tuition is the same, anyhow.

 

[deleted642188]

I am surprised at how much volunteer and clinical hours you need.... Out of curiosity though, how much does Rush consider towrdas research?

 

[darksurg]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jezzo06pynybrj5/IMG_2986.JPG?dl=0

Yeah so here's more info. IDK, I don't think I'm applying to Rush which is why I haven't researched it online but I think it's odd that they would have these requirements and that's the first most of you guys have heard of it...

Additionally, they said that you can double count the hours, i.e. if you volunteer at a free clinic it counts as both.

Thanks for this. Removed from school list.

 

[aesklepi]

Do you need 150 hours + of nonclinical volunteering as well?

Volunteering doesn't have to be nonclinical.

 

[quicheduty]

No movement from Rush? I just added this school to my list so I'm pretty clueless. Last year it seems secondaries came out 7/1?

 

[starlite911]

Same. Pretty relieved, to be honest. Lots of other applications to catch up on 😱 Really regretting not taking pre-writing more seriously right now...

 

[Caffein3]

If anyone gets the secondary can you post it 🙂 Thanks!

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

i love your avatar

Early AMCAS applicant here, no movement on my end.

 

[almostnever]

Just added Rush to my list! 🙂

 

[Hanz93]

If I am applying this cycle but doing AmeriCorps starting in August, will they count that towards my volunteer hours? I have around 125 medical hours and over 150 other volunteering hours right now but before joing I will have about 1700 of health related/general volunteering from AmeriCorps. If I mention this in a secondary (provided I get one) would they take that into account or at least consider that?

 

[starlite911]

If I am applying this cycle but doing AmeriCorps starting in August, will they count that towards my volunteer hours? I have around 125 medical hours and over 150 other volunteering hours right now but before joing I will have about 1700 of health related/general volunteering from AmeriCorps. If I mention this in a secondary (provided I get one) would they take that into account or at least consider that?

While it will look good, when the came and visited my school they made a pretty big deal of that fact that they will only include hours that have been completed towards their requirements.

 

[agoron]

Wow those average service hours seem intense! I really would love a chance to interview but with that I'm not sure! I have about 250 hours of non-medical community service, almost 300 of clinical volunteering, and by matriculation should have close to 1,000 hours as a medical scribe. If they let you double count, then I listed over 1,200 hours of clinical experience (paid and non-paid) and around 550 hours of community service, clinical and non-clinical. Hopefully that plus extracurriculars and leadership will at least get me looked at!

 

[rukia013]

Rush secondary app questions are up!
1. Describe personal attributes you possess or life experiences you have had that will enable you to better understand patients with a culture different from your own. Please include your self-reflection on how this experience has changed your insights, beliefs, and/or values. (1000 characters)

2. (Regarding community service activities) Based on these experiences, please describe what you have learned through your involvement, the attributes you would bring to Rush Medical College, and the impact you would have on the greater Rush Community (2000 characters).

3. Please describe your most significant achievement outside the classroom (750 characters).

4. Describe your specific interest in Rush Medical College and what campus opportunities you would most look forward to as a student (1000 characters).

Good luck everyone!<3

 

[MarcyTweets]

secondary received!

 

[Bkbplayer93]

Do they send secondaries as they go or all in one day today?

 

[Oh_Gee]

Rush secondary app questions are up!
1. Describe personal attributes you possess or life experiences you have had that will enable you to better understand patients with a culture different from your own. Please include your self-reflection on how this experience has changed your insights, beliefs, and/or values. (1000 characters)

2. (Regarding community service activities) Based on these experiences, please describe what you have learned through your involvement, the attributes you would bring to Rush Medical College, and the impact you would have on the greater Rush Community (2000 characters).

3. Please describe your most significant achievement outside the classroom (750 characters).

4. Describe your specific interest in Rush Medical College and what campus opportunities you would most look forward to as a student (1000 characters).

Good luck everyone!<3

omg just got mine. i still have brown and loyola to submit. aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

 

[rukia013]

omg just got mine. i still have brown and loyola to submit. aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

It's okay, I still have like 10 secondary apps on queue >___> It's like a neverending cycle--every time I submit one, 2 more come up...

 

[azzeh123]

.

 

[agoron]

No secondary yet! I'm not exactly complaining, I've already submitted 7, have 5 on queue, so if I don't get it today, this will be the first business day since July 1st that I haven't gotten one a.k.a a little relief!

 

[Oh_Gee]

This school's "upload a picture of your passport/birth certificate/permanent resident card requirement" is ridiculous. No other school does this, so I really wonder what their reasoning is. It's such a ridiculous and unnecessary hoop to jump through.

we need all 3????

 

[rukia013]

we need all 3????

Nope, just choose one. (US citizens wouldn't have a permanent resident card btw)

 

[Oh_Gee]

does the website tell you that your LoR's are missing?
i sent mine to AMCAS in early June and no other school had issues with mine

 

[Oh_Gee]

no just one. it's still really stupid tho.

wish i was wearing a captain america shirt in my passport photo to show how america i am

 

[Oh_Gee]

haha. I just look like a hippy in mine. I was like 17 at the time and had hair down to my shoulders.

long hair don't care

 

[sharkbyte]

Got the secondary this morning. Probably won't look at it for at least a few more days. Still got to sift through 4-5 other schools...blah

 

[Thoracic Bean]

For the three community service activities, do they want specifically community service, as in volunteer work? I really want to discuss the activities that I mentioned as my most meaningful as they fit the context of my background better, but they are more internship and research based. Thoughts?

 

[Oh_Gee]

For the three community service activities, do they want specifically community service, as in volunteer work? I really want to discuss the activities that I mentioned as my most meaningful as they fit the context of my background better, but they are more internship and research based. Thoughts?

were those internships about helping the community? it's a long shot but you can argue research, in the long run, benefits the community