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Does anyone who goes to UIC know if it is possible to defer a year in order to marticulate at the Chicago campus?
defer at UIC
- Thread starter bokermmk
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I go to UIC-Urbana and I asked some people here and no one really knew. Another student said she thought that if you deferred, you would have to fill out another site pref card for the next entering class. If you would get to fill it out sooner and thus get a spot in chicago....I don't really know.
But honestly, is it worth a whole year for you just to switch campuses? I really wanted chicago too, but it was already full before I even interviewed last year. I have to stay here for all 4 years because of my program anyway so it didn't matter in the end.
This is just my opinion, but the UPR track is not that bad.....at least not enough to justify wasting a year of precious time. You should try and find out more about the other campuses, talk to some students, I think you'll find that most of them like it, if not love it, at their site. And after living in chicago for more than 5 years I can also say that the living is MUCH cheaper and less stressful outside of the city.
But honestly, is it worth a whole year for you just to switch campuses? I really wanted chicago too, but it was already full before I even interviewed last year. I have to stay here for all 4 years because of my program anyway so it didn't matter in the end.
This is just my opinion, but the UPR track is not that bad.....at least not enough to justify wasting a year of precious time. You should try and find out more about the other campuses, talk to some students, I think you'll find that most of them like it, if not love it, at their site. And after living in chicago for more than 5 years I can also say that the living is MUCH cheaper and less stressful outside of the city.
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Unless something has changed since 2000, the answer is a firm NO. I was accepted into the UIC class of 2004 (to matriculate in the fall of 2000). I had to complete the matriculation process including the site "perefence" card and site placement before I was allowed to petition for a deferral despite knowing even while I was interviewing that I wanted to defer. I was granted my deferral, but in my paperwork it specifically stated that my site assignment would NOT change. 🙁
Ultimately I matriculated to the Urbana campus for M1 in 2001 and was assigned to head to Rockford (my 3rd choice) for M2-4. I again petitioned to stay in Urbana for all 4 years as a standard, non-medical scholar. After much anguish, I was allowed to stay in Urbana and am presently an M3. (If you'd like the rest of that story, ask.) Of course, now they are saying that only those in the med scholars program will be staying in Urbana from the class entering 2005 on.
Had I to do it over again, I'm not sure what I would have done....maybe worked harder to be accepted early enough to get Chicago as my first choice site? Maybe not worked so hard to stay in Urbana because as a standard, non-medical scholar medical student, it sucks at times?
There is a somewhat secret (or at least *I* didn't know about it) waitlist for Chicago. A guy I knew from M1 was on it and got a call less than a month before starting in Urbana that a space had opened in Chicago. Now, given that MOST people have some place to live by then (and at least in Urbana it's almost impossible not to sign a 12-month lease) not to mention all the other stuff, it was rediculous. But if you're willing to lose a couple month's rent and have a flexible life (i.e. no spouse with a job, etc), then get on that list.
It is somewhat "easy" to switch between Rockford and Peoria, however. As long as you find someone in the M1 class to swtich, they really don't care since it's a matter of moving names around. If it comes down to it and you have no one to swtich with, you can also petition.
There are actually some perks to not being in Chicago, and I have to remind myself of them -- a really small class, a much lower cost of living, avoiding the 80 layers of med students, interns, residents, fellows, etc between you an the attending.....
Hope this helps,
KERaven
Hmm I was wondering if anyone could answer my question about the Rockford campus. I was looking through this view book and am completely confused. Am I at a great disadvantage for being stuck in Rockford? It seems to lack a lot of the depts. that are in Chicago. Help would be greatly appreciated.
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boker -
So yeah, I'm an M3 up in rockford (actually started in keraven's classes... i think i'm the "guy from m1" cuz i almost got transferred into chicago... damn leases!)....
no, you're not screwed if you come to rockford. Yes, we do not have all the same departments within our medical school campus as Chicago does, but then again we're not chicago. Rockford is a community-based model, meaning that you start managing patients during your m2 year (not managing well, nor by yourself, mind you, but managing them)... also, since the only residency game in town is the UIC family practice residency that means that for 99% of your rotations, you will be directly interacting with your attending, and not having to deal with the junior resident-senior resident-fellow-attending axis - if you have a question, ask it... in other words, we're functioning as residents (except we haven't gotten the MD yet).
I have a lot of friends who are matching soon, and there has been a common theme coming from their interviews - UIC rockford is respected because our students graduate with extremely valuable and developed clinical skills. I mean, you're seeing patients for longer than most other med schools; when you hit the wards in m3-m4, you actually have a clue what to do (even if what's going on still escapes you); and, it's MORE PRACTICE FOR THE FREAKING STEP 2 - CLINICAL SKILLS (or as i like to say it when i'm a little more eloquent - the $1000 KY-deficient DRE with gusto!)
hope this helps... i've been on call most of the day, so i might be rambling... feel free to repost/pm me if you have q's.
-tim
So yeah, I'm an M3 up in rockford (actually started in keraven's classes... i think i'm the "guy from m1" cuz i almost got transferred into chicago... damn leases!)....
no, you're not screwed if you come to rockford. Yes, we do not have all the same departments within our medical school campus as Chicago does, but then again we're not chicago. Rockford is a community-based model, meaning that you start managing patients during your m2 year (not managing well, nor by yourself, mind you, but managing them)... also, since the only residency game in town is the UIC family practice residency that means that for 99% of your rotations, you will be directly interacting with your attending, and not having to deal with the junior resident-senior resident-fellow-attending axis - if you have a question, ask it... in other words, we're functioning as residents (except we haven't gotten the MD yet).
I have a lot of friends who are matching soon, and there has been a common theme coming from their interviews - UIC rockford is respected because our students graduate with extremely valuable and developed clinical skills. I mean, you're seeing patients for longer than most other med schools; when you hit the wards in m3-m4, you actually have a clue what to do (even if what's going on still escapes you); and, it's MORE PRACTICE FOR THE FREAKING STEP 2 - CLINICAL SKILLS (or as i like to say it when i'm a little more eloquent - the $1000 KY-deficient DRE with gusto!)
hope this helps... i've been on call most of the day, so i might be rambling... feel free to repost/pm me if you have q's.
-tim
I called them right after I found out my assignment and the secretary said that generally when you defer they automatically assign you to the same campus next year. I don't know whether she just doesn't want to be the bearer of bad news but she insinuated that it is quite easy to get moved to Chicago after May 15 beucase there is "traditionally a lot of movement." Then again, she could be saying that so we don't withdraw.
