Loyola VS Rosalind Franklin

[Shishka]

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I was just accepted by Loyola and am not sure whether to still go interview at Rosa. If I lived in the area I'd go, but I'm from the East Coast and wouldn't mind saving the money and time. I'd appreciate anyone sharing their thoughts on which school is better.

Some of my thoughts…

I know Rosa has a great match list and apparently high USMLE average scores, but is Loyola's list and scores much worse? In terms of the list, they may get more matches for popular residencies, but they have about 50 more students to a class. Does anyone know how big of a difference there is between the schools' average scores?

I'm particularly dissuaded by Rosa's location. Loyola isn't exactly in Chicago either, but at ten miles away it's close enough. Rosa on the other hand is at least an hour drive from Chicago, although 3rd and 4th years you do get clinical rotations in the city.

Rosa has A/B/C/D/F grading. Loyola isn't simply P/F either, but Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail is kinda better than letter grading.

Although Loyola’s tuition is high, Rosa’s is even a couple thousand higher. Rosa also gives less grants/scholarships than Loyola, and Rosa’s students have the largest average debt of any school.

I really like Loyola's educational philosophy and the fact that the school is more clinically-oriented since I don't want to go into research. Rosa's name change and the new "Life in Discovery" philosophy they are pimping makes it seem like they're gearing the school more toward research after that probationary period.

I've read that half the Rosa class is students from California. I don't mind, I'm just wondering what's up with that.

Anyone willing to play devil’s advocate for favoring Rosalind would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Flopotomist]

I think if you scroll down you will find that somebody has already started this exact same post.

 

[Shishka]

I think if you scroll down you will find that somebody has already started this exact same post.

Really?

EDIT: Oh the "NYMC vs. RFUMS/CMS" one. Hmmm.

 

[Flopotomist]

Really?

EDIT: Oh the "NYMC vs. RFUMS/CMS" one. Hmmm.

OK.. I think I am having a mini-meltdown.. I SWORE I just read a post about this, went back to find the link for you, and LO.. it does not seem to be. Am I on crack? doesn't anybody else remember reading this post? People talked about how far Rosalind was from the city, then somebody chimed in about that was only for the first two years, then somebody else talked about Loyola's diversity, then Laurie made a comment... did I hallucinate this?

 

[Shishka]

OK.. I think I am having a mini-meltdown.. I SWORE I just read a post about this, went back to find the link for you, and LO.. it does not seem to be. Am I on crack? doesn't anybody else remember reading this post? People talked about how far Rosalind was from the city, then somebody chimed in about that was only for the first two years, then somebody else talked about Loyola's diversity, then Laurie made a comment... did I hallucinate this?

I searched for RF threads and didn't see one like your describing

 

[drmota]

OK.. I think I am having a mini-meltdown.. I SWORE I just read a post about this, went back to find the link for you, and LO.. it does not seem to be. Am I on crack? doesn't anybody else remember reading this post? People talked about how far Rosalind was from the city, then somebody chimed in about that was only for the first two years, then somebody else talked about Loyola's diversity, then Laurie made a comment... did I hallucinate this?

i do remember. it was a post within another thread though i think. the thread title must be something else ....
-mota

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

I'm particularly dissuaded by Rosa's location. Loyola isn't exactly in Chicago either, but at ten miles away it's close enough. Rosa on the other hand is at least an hour drive from Chicago, although 3rd and 4th years you do get clinical rotations in the city.

Rosa has A/B/C/D/F grading. Loyola isn't simply P/F either, but Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail is kinda better than letter grading.

what is the big deal with living in chicago? sorry, maybe since i grew up about 20 miles west of it i really don't think it's all that important. and, for me, being an older married commuter student the night life is not a concern for me.

and, honors/high pass/pass/fail might as well be A/B/C/NR...there is no D. If you fail (NR) you can take summer session, just like any other school, and your grade after that is changed to C.

Here is what some current RFU students have to say about the letter grades....

"It gives students a chance to distunguish themselves. Plus, I think it forces me to work harder, because I know if I do really well I can get an A. If I were just working for a pass I would be less motivated to work as hard, because I knew I could work less and still get the same pass."

"I've also heard from older students that the grading system is helpful when looking for residencies if you have really good grades and are looking to go into a very competitive area. If you aren't looking at a competitive specialty, they won't really hinder you."

"I am very happy with the A, B, C grading scale. The students are not competitive, so there is no hiding of information or old tests. Actually, for many of the classes, old tests are either posted on the department website, sold in packets as fundraisers by student council, are set on reserve in the library."

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

OK.. I think I am having a mini-meltdown.. I SWORE I just read a post about this, went back to find the link for you, and LO.. it does not seem to be. Am I on crack? doesn't anybody else remember reading this post? People talked about how far Rosalind was from the city, then somebody chimed in about that was only for the first two years, then somebody else talked about Loyola's diversity, then Laurie made a comment... did I hallucinate this?

no, the whole thing you are speaking of is in the "Thoughts on Loyola Stritch" thread...flop, you are still quite sane! 😉

 

[45408]

what is the big deal with living in chicago?

haha, I'd love to live in downtown Chi-town. I like big cities, and it's fairly close to my family still.

 

[Shishka]

what is the big deal with living in chicago? sorry, maybe since i grew up about 20 miles west of it i really don't think it's all that important. and, for me, being an older married commuter student the night life is not a concern for me.

and, honors/high pass/pass/fail might as well be A/B/C/NR...there is no D. If you fail (NR) you can take summer session, just like any other school, and your grade after that is changed to C.

I'm a younger, single commuter student who would be leaving New York City 🙂

I also have some family near Chicago, in the Ukrainian Village, and it'd be nice if the school were close enough for me to live with my cousin.

As for grading, if there is no D then I guess it is pretty much the same grading system essentially. But then again if its essentially the same then that just makes it even with Loyola in the grading aspect, not better...

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

As for grading, if there is no D then I guess it is pretty much the same grading system essentially. But then again if its essentially the same then that just makes it even with Loyola in the grading aspect, not better...

Maybe, maybe not. The students say that the A/B/C gives them a better feel for what they are really grasping and allows them to spend time on the weak areas more...I guess they feel it helps them zero in on what areas they are truly deficient in and lets them lighten up on what they have down cold. In addition, all of them attribute the grading scale and its accompanying motivations to study with their high board scores. Moreover, according to one of my interviewers the GPA from 3rd/4th year is incorporated into faculty recommendations for residency, and they attribute their match list to this and their board scores. Does that help? I am merely repeating what I have heard from MANY (about 30) students and my interviewers. I am sure you would hear praise for the P/F system from students whose institutions currently employ P/F.

 

[drmota]

i'm all about p/f. such a better idea.
-mota

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

i'm all about p/f. such a better idea.
-mota

Have you interviewed at RFU yet? was it December or January for you?
What are your feelings about the school pre-interview?
Just curious 😉

 

[drmota]

Have you interviewed at RFU yet? was it December or January for you?
What are your feelings about the school pre-interview?
Just curious 😉

no, i dont interview til late january (i was offered earlier dates but chose the latest one cuz the secretary said that the admissions comittee wont meet til all the january interviews are done and he and i agreed that they would remember the latest interviewers better...i put way too much thought into assigning interview dates, its all about the psychological mindgame). i have a good friend who just started (M1) and i had dim sum with him yesterday. he's really enjoying it. he says that the class is very non-traditional and a lot of people are from california and have interesting backgrounds. one thing i don't like that much is that the class is SO large and that the postbaccs etc are all lumped into the same classes. i went to a big university for college and wouldn't mind something a little more intimate for med school. he says that chicago really isn't that far away but that he never really has time to go to Chicago proper (understandably so). he seemed really drained and unhappy about the fact that Ros Frank is A/B/C/F and not P/F, a sentiment that my brother agrees with. I've never really heard from anyone that a grading system is better than P/F, especially from people who have made it on to residency. But he, and my dad too (an M.D.), agree that RFU really gears you towards nailing the boards which are really the #1 thing that residencies look at, so is obviously important to me. So, overall i'm definitely excited about it, i really haven't ranked my schools but of my interviews its probably in my top 4 of 5 😉
-mota

 

[71263]

i'm all about p/f. such a better idea.
-mota

Pass/Fail certainly makes life easier, but if you do end up at CMS, youll be happy to know that your actual grades dont really matter too much (I mean lets face it, even if I got straight Cs it would be the same as getting straight passes at any other school, and they cant hold that against me when I apply).

What IS important is your USMLE Step 1 score and your grades for your required clerkships. So make sure you do well on those!

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

its probably in my top 4 of 5 😉
-mota

thanks for sharin' mota! best of luck to you - i would love to have you as a classmate! 😀