Chicago Schools: Rush, UIC, Loyola

[Thrashers]

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This topic has not been covered recently on SDN. Therefore: if money is no issue, which would you pick and why:
Rush, Loyola, or UIC?

 

[Proctodoc]

You forgot Rosalind Franklin. It is up in North Chicago but still deserves to be included in this thread. I choose UIC all the way for many reasons: it is located in the Medical District, it has the most resources for students being such a large medical school that is state-sponsored, its reputation is higher than of Rush and Rosalind Franklin (probably on par with Loyola), and because it's most economical if you are from Illinois.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

I don't know anything about the others, but Loyola blew me away when I visited for my interview. Outstanding school IMO

 

[Proctodoc]

Oh and you forgot Northwestern and UChicago as well!

 

[Brent8927]

Loyola! 🙂 (But I'm biased since I am going there). I loved the atmosphere at the school, and everyone was wonderful and happy. It was love at first sight 😍

I don't know too much about the other schools, aside from what I've heard from others and read about. Generally everyone always has wonderful things to say about the Chicago-area schools.

 

[jinglebells]

I would also go with Loyola. If the Jesuit atmosphere doesn't clash with you personally, it's definitely warm and personal, which I think would be nice.

It's a little out there location-wise, but honestly, if you're going to go out and enjoy Chicago, you'll do it no matter where the school itself is located.
Loyola also offers TONS of international opportunities and will work with you as a person to give you the best med school experience. They also have up to date facilities.

Now UIC might have some of these things too, but they didn't advertise them during the interview day, so I don't know.

I don't know anything about Rush.

 

[Kuuaku]

UIC by FAR (assuming it's in Chicago). Any dual degree you could dream of, tons of clinical exposure from day 1, the ONLY accredited school of public health in Illinois which means awesome collaborations, (school of public health, not public health program), and tons of institutes willing to give medical students different experiences.

 

[DrBB]

.

 

[Thrashers]

If you had to rank them by name recognition, what order would you put each school in? (Not that rank is everything, of course, but name recognition will be a factor)

 

[amph119]

Basically they are all roughly equivalent though, I think?

 

[menotyou7]

If you had to rank them by name recognition, what order would you put each school in? (Not that rank is everything, of course, but name recognition will be a factor)

I'm from out of state, and when I have told people that I was going to be going to Loyola this fall, I have gotten a lot of, "Oh my god! Loyola! That's great!" type responses.

I don't know what Loyola's reputation is locally, but it seems to have a very high repuation from afar.

 

[Brent8927]

I'm from out of state, and when I have told people that I was going to be going to Loyola this fall, I have gotten a lot of, "Oh my god! Loyola! That's great!" type responses.

I don't know what Loyola's reputation is locally, but it seems to have a very high repuation from afar.

I've gotten that same response from people as well 🙂.

OP, If you're referring to ranking just Loyola, Rush, and UIC, I really don't know if I could rank them. But, if you're interested in all of the Chicago-area schools, then University of Chicago and Northwestern are the two higher ranked (and more research-focused) programs.

Just curious--are you trying to decide which program to go to, or are you more interested in just discussing the Chicago schools?

 

[FSAP]

I would say they are the same, but UIC is cheaper. Hence, UIC.

 

[Thrashers]

I am fortunate to be sitting on multiple acceptances (including a few outside of Chicago), but I am from out-of-state so UIC is the most expensive. My only information on the schools comes from US News and interview days, so I was wondering if 1.) UIC is worth the extra tuition, and 2.) What is the difference between Rush and Loyola?

 

[Brent8927]

Personally I wouldn't pay the extra tuition for an out-of-state public school, especially if it’s more than a private school, but that's just me. I also wasn't interested in any out-of-state public schools, so my opinion may not be as relevant as someone else's.

I don't really know too much about Rush (I only applied to and interviewed at Loyola), so the only difference I know is that Rush is closer to Chicago than Loyola (Rush may actually be in Chicago, I forget). I've been told students are very happy at Rush. It's also quite a feat to get accepted to Rush as an OOS applicant, since the bulk of their class is from Illinois. I believe Rush also has a strong primary care emphasis.

I do know more about Loyola, which is that everyone was very happy there. It has a nice combination of problem-based-learning and lectures. You are graded pass/fail/honors/high honors, but the atmosphere is not competitive, which is usually rare for that kind of grading system.

Loyola is also a Jesuit university--which is one of the main reasons I was interested in it. In case you're not familiar with the Jesuits, they are a religious order of the Catholic Church. The Jesuit philosophy of being open-minded, compassionate, and helping/serving the poor is strongly ingrained at Loyola. Partly because of this, you find a lot of "good people" there. That was one of the strong points that attracted me.

Overall, during your interviews, where did you feel the most comfortable? Was there one school in particular when you felt "I belong here?" Did you feel like you would have an easier time fitting in and making friends at any particular program?

If I were in your shoes I'd base my decision mostly on where I felt would best prepare me to be the kind of physician and person I want to be.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

I'd just like to add to Brent's post that he is right about the "good people" at Loyola. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, at first, of the whole Jesuit ideals being woven into medical education because I grew up with almost no religious influence whatsoever.

But what you end up getting is a school full of student, professors, clinicians and administrators who really care about eachother, the work they are doing, the students, and the patients. Loyola had the warmest and most welcoming atmosphere that I experienced in my 6 interviews all over the country.

 

[MU BIOM]

Not sure if you were counting this into your cost calculations but at UIC the tuition jumps by $9,000 ($19,000 for OOS) during M2 and M3 to account for the extra summer session.

Also, in case you are interested in trauma, Loyola is the only ACS Level 1 trauma center in Illinois and provides trauma research opportunities that none of the other Illinois schools can.

 

[DaBears5]

Since there doesnt seem to be much about Rush on this thread, I will add my input as a current M1 who was in your shoes last year deciding between all three of these schools. Regardless of what people say, the three schools are NOT alike and each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and to tell you the truth, most of the threads on SD are BS (perhaps even this one). No one of these three schools holds an advantage in reputation regardless of what other threads here say. Frankly, you should make your decision on how you felt when you visited that school: what sort of vibe did you get? how did the students speak of the school? was the faculty receptive? Was the administration open and helpful? These were things that I wish I had focused on early on in the process, though in the final days of decision time, I learned to focus on this. I chose Rush because I felt that the students were very happy here here and the curriculum was conducive for me to be the most successful (kind and helpful faculty, solid facilities, good research options). Now that I am almost through my first year, I can wholeheartedly say that I made the best decision i could have. I have been given the options to shadow physicians, gain clinical experience and participate in extracurriculars from day one and have still managed to do well in my courses. This is mainly due to the friendly and open atmosphere that the faculty fosters here. Let me note that I have zero interest in primary care and want to get into a very competitive specialty, and I feel that so far, the resources I have here are putting me on the right track to fulfill this. But like I said, this is just my opinion, and regardless of what you have heard of any medical schools, you should base your choices on what you want to get out of medical school. 4 years is too long to settle on anything less than your own sanity and happiness.

 

[Thrashers]

This is how I see it right now:
Both Rush and Loyola students seem exceptionally happy and confident in their choice of school. Rush seems to have a more opportunities for clinical experience, particularly in its electives available in the fourth year. The Jesuit aspect of Loyola is certainly an asset. However, Loyola does have a better fitness center… (not that a gym should make a decision)

 

[Brent8927]

4 years is too long to settle on anything less than your own sanity and happiness.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[DaBears5]

This is how I see it right now:
Both Rush and Loyola students seem exceptionally happy and confident in their choice of school. Rush seems to have a more opportunities for clinical experience, particularly in its electives available in the fourth year. The Jesuit aspect of Loyola is certainly an asset. However, Loyola does have a better fitness center… (not that a gym should make a decision)

I wont lie, having a nice gym helps when you need to destress. Rush gets access to UIC's facilities plus discounts at downtown gyms like Fitness formula and LA fitness which are much nicer than Loyola's gym. Yes true you will have to pay but I think it comes out to $25 a month depending on where you go. I live north of downtown and go to a gym were I see no classmates which for me is great because it's nice to get away. More importantly, I would much rather be living and enjoying the city and downtown with all its options in gyms, restaurants, night life etc than living in Maywood.

 

[GoBlue07]

Bump...

....seeing as there are only a few days left until decision time, I wanted to get some more opinions on these schools. Specifically, Rush vs. Loyola.

 

[QBWR12]

Bump...

....seeing as there are only a few days left until decision time, I wanted to get some more opinions on these schools. Specifically, Rush vs. Loyola.

There are definitely some great qualities about each one of these schools and really what it comes down to is a matter of where you see yourself happy the next four years. Realistically, picking one of these schools over the other will not increase or decrease your competitiveness for residencies, especially if you're looking to stick around the Chicago-area since both have a very good reputation throughout the area. Although Rush does have a very good ortho program that may be slightly easier to get into from their medical school. However, this year Rush is starting a brand new systems-base curriculum and the 2009 entering class is going to be the first class through this. That's one of the things that made me slightly uncomfortable with it.

As far as proximity to the city and whether or not there are things to do, Rush is only about 10 min closer to the city (pending traffic) than Loyola and there is a subway stop about a mile away from campus in Forest Park and also one in Oak Park (these are two of the most popular cities for students to live) that take you right into the city in less than 20min. A previous misinformed poster made a comment that they wouldn't want to live in Maywood, but just because the school is in Maywood doesn't mean you have to live right next door. Most students live in some of the surrounding neighborhoods that are actually really nice (i.e., Oak Park, LaGrange) and exciting (i.e., Madison St. with TONS of bars/restaurantsin Forest Park, Oak Park has a bunch of nice stores and restaurants, etc. and again, you're only a very short trip to the city). That being said, a lot of students live in Chicago and commute (I believe by the third year over half of the students choose this option).

If you want more specifics about the comparisons, feel free to PM me. I'll be at Loyola next year, I currently work two jobs at the hospital/med school, and I have a couple really good friends at Rush. Anything I can't answer about Rush for you, I can forward you their info. Anyone wants to visit Loyola again one more time before makin the big decision let me know too and I'd be happy to take you around.

 

[kac714]

i only interviewed at loyola, and loved it- the jesuit thing doesn't play as much of a role as i had imagined it might. i do know a couple of docs who went to Rush for med school and both of them had great things to say about it as well. i think its located right by UIC so its probably more feasible to live IN the city all 4 years... i think you kind of have to go with your gut on this because they are both great schools. good luck!

 

[Brent8927]

i only interviewed at loyola, and loved it- the jesuit thing doesn't play as much of a role as i had imagined it might. i do know a couple of docs who went to Rush for med school and both of them had great things to say about it as well. i think its located right by UIC so its probably more feasible to live IN the city all 4 years... i think you kind of have to go with your gut on this because they are both great schools. good luck!

I agree--if you have to choose between the two and you can't think of a strong reason to prefer one over the other, then just going with your gut or the better "feel" is probably the best thing to do. They're both great schools, so you can't go wrong!

 

[starfishprime]

However, this year Rush is starting a brand new systems-base curriculum and the 2009 entering class is going to be the first class through this.

Can you cite a source? This is contradictory to what I've heard (thought mine may be outdated information).

 

[QBWR12]

Can you cite a source? This is contradictory to what I've heard (thought mine may be outdated information).

I was first told this in May 2008 from one of the Immunology Professors, although I'm not gonna lie, I did not remember her name. I just remember that she was a very nice Eastern European lady though. During my interview day I heard a current student (M1) also talking about the switch. I thought they were decently reliable sources, but I'm not gonna deny that I could be wrong. Best bet would probably be to call admissions, since the website isn't too helpful at all.

 

[Thrashers]

Something else to take into consideration: Rush begins in early September, while Loyola begins in July. There is a lot to be said for a longer summer. Also, Rush appears to have more residency programs than Loyola.

 

[starfishprime]

I was first told this in May 2008 from one of the Immunology Professors, although I'm not gonna lie, I did not remember her name. I just remember that she was a very nice Eastern European lady though. During my interview day I heard a current student (M1) also talking about the switch. I thought they were decently reliable sources, but I'm not gonna deny that I could be wrong. Best bet would probably be to call admissions, since the website isn't too helpful at all.

Ah, OK.

On my interview day in January, they were fairly consistent on this: for 2013, the curriculum remains subject-based/traditional. This year's entering class will be the first of the integrated 'physicianship program' though. Apparently the curriculum is in flux towards something different for the entering 2014ers, but I'm not exactly certain on what it's fluxing towards.

 

[QBWR12]

Something else to take into consideration: Rush begins in early September, while Loyola begins in July. There is a lot to be said for a longer summer. Also, Rush appears to have more residency programs than Loyola.

Just to address this concern, Loyola "begins" July 27, but the entire week is just orientation and, from what I've been told by a number of the medical students, is a great time. You meet your classmates, they have planned social events, and lots of the class goes out every night. Class doesn't actually start until the first week of August. Also, while Rush students start their year in September, there's no week-long Fall break, and rather than getting out mid-May, they get out in mid-June. So it's really a wash when you consider the whole picture.

 

[sunset823]

Not sure if you were counting this into your cost calculations but at UIC the tuition jumps by $9,000 ($19,000 for OOS) during M2 and M3 to account for the extra summer session.

Also, in case you are interested in trauma, Loyola is the only ACS Level 1 trauma center in Illinois and provides trauma research opportunities that none of the other Illinois schools can.

wow, didn't know that...why only 1 in the whole state? Both the other schools I'm interested in have Level I Trauma Centers on site, and since I'm interested in EM, that's definitely a plus...

 

[MU BIOM]

wow, didn't know that...why only 1 in the whole state? Both the other schools I'm interested in have Level I Trauma Centers on site, and since I'm interested in EM, that's definitely a plus...

The confusion is that the state of Illinois designates Level I status but the American College of Surgeons also independently verifies trauma centers. I talked about it with an attending trauma surgeon at MCW while I was shadowing and she made it sound like the ACS verification was not as important to the state of Illinois so most of the Level I's weren't interested in putting in the time and resources. However, she also added that Loyola was really the only place in Illinois for high-level trauma research.

List of ACS Verified Trauma Centers: http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html

 

[Amoeba]

As far as proximity to the city and whether or not there are things to do, Rush is only about 10 min closer to the city (pending traffic) than Loyola and there is a subway stop about a mile away from campus in Forest Park and also one in Oak Park (these are two of the most popular cities for students to live) that take you right into the city in less than 20min.

Just for the out of towners, this part of the post isn't really true. It's hilarious to write "pending traffic" when the Eisenhower spends a good portion of each day at a standstill. And even if you go in the middle of the night when there is no traffic, Loyola being only 10 minutes further from the city than Rush (which is in the city 😕) is pretty optimistic.

I went to Rush and had a great experience, with awesome people, good teachers, and good clinical experiences. I was able to get the residency of my choice, and I think I was well-prepared for it. I would recommend Rush highly to anyone thinking about Chicago schools.

I know that there are people who would say the same about Loyola and about UIC, which is awesome. I think it's great we have a variety of good schools in such a great city to choose from. Of course, there's also Northwestern and U of C, and CMS, so even more options, and all have something to offer; I do think it's worth talking about Loyola, Rush and UIC though, because I think there is a pretty significant group of people who struggle with making a final decision between two of these or between all three. I think that they have the most overlap between the students that they draw from.

Honestly, I think Loyola and Rush are more or less interchangeable. There are some differences of course, but both are solid places and have kind of a similar feel. As for reputation and prestige, I don't think there's any significant difference. You'll see some people put one higher, some people the other. Usually it's the one that they've had more contact with between the two. Both are private schools; I don't know which one costs more, the point is, they're close and they're both more than UIC. If you visited both of these and are trying to decide between them, you should decide based 100% on your subjective vibe from the schools and the people you met there, your thoughts on location, or other personal factors.

UIC complicates things because it is, of course, the cheapest choice. Of course, everyone has to decide for themselves on just how much value to give this factor. As far as the school itself, from applying to UIC for undergrad, med school, and residency and not going there for any of the three, my thoughts on UIC were always more or less the same. There are, undoubtedly, good things going on at UIC. If you're determined, proactive, and I think a little bit insistent, you can find them and have a great experience there. There is a tradeoff though. How accessible this stuff is largely depends on you and your personality as a student. You need to be a little more independent than you do at the other two, and you need to be able to not worry about the little things. If you don't mind dealing with some extra headaches, less accessible administration with a more bureaucratic feel, older and more worn facilities, there are great opportunities if you're independent enough to seek them out. You have to decide if you think you are or not I guess.

The point is, they are all good schools, and with some individual variation based on the particular commentators personal experiences, prestige and rep-wise, they are the same. You can get a great education at any of the three, and anyone who says you can't is, I believe, mistaken. I can personally vouch for Rush, for whatever that's worth.

I do have to say that, looking more at the medical centers/hospitals in Chicago than the medical schools themselves per se, I really do think that Rush is on a very good trajectory -- I think the best out of the three, and probably among the best in the city. Not that its the best, but it seems to be growing, making advances and doing pretty well while others seem to be stable or having some issue or other. But I don't know, maybe that's just proving my point about being biased towards the one you've had the most contact with. And in addition, that's the kind of thing that may or may not make a difference at all to a medical student, beyond the reaction they get when they tell non-medical people what school they're going to. But anyway, as far as the medical schools, I don't think you can go wrong between the three.

I realize that this thread is a few months old. I wasn't going to post. The reason I did was the 10 minutes thought.