I lived in Detroit for 2 years. It's not too bad but it's not a place you'd want to live. I saw a couple of drive by shootings, had my stuff stolen from my car and apartment, and my buddy was robbed at gun point. Now, granted, not all areas of Detroit are as bad. In areas where people from the 'burbs frequent, these experiences are much, much less. Specifically, the school is in a better part of the ghetto. I didn't apply to that school because I didn't want to go into Detroit everyday.
On the upside, if you go just a few blocks south of the school you get to a nice urban area where big corporations have their offices. The food is good and there is always something to do.
You can live just outside the city in town like: Livonia, Westland, Farmington Hills, Mt. Clemens, Garden City, and others. Lots of commuters live in these 'border' towns and commute into the city everyday. Rent is decent. And, the night life is pretty good. Suburban Detroit has lots to do.
All around, Detroit is a decent place if you play it right. But, don't let anyone fool you into thinking there are no problems. There's a reason Detroit was ranked as #1 in the country for a number of years (and is still in the top 3) for heinous crimes (murder, rape, etc.).
The school will have lots of patients since there a well over a million people (I think close to 2 million) in the city. Most of these people are too poor to travel outside of the city, and most are on some type of government assistance.