Malignant Residency program in Chicago

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Neurorules

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Just interviewed at Loyola University Program last week, the residents seem to be a very incohesive group, seemed unhappy and depressed. One of them infact told me not to rank this place as he was about to leave the program.
Apparently their chair is a Dictator and the Program Director is a mere puppet in his hands. The Chief Resident was abrupt and insensitive.
Last year 4 residents left the program.
All in all. do not even interview if they invite you.
I wasted my day.

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Just interviewed at Loyola University Program last week, the residents seem to be a very incohesive group, seemed unhappy and depressed. One of them infact told me not to rank this place as he was about to leave the program.
Apparently their chair is a Dictator and the Program Director is a mere puppet in his hands. The Chief Resident was abrupt and insensitive.
Last year 4 residents left the program.
All in all. do not even interview if they invite you.
I wasted my day.

I saw the same at UIC! And, the weather is terrible.
 
Hey! Chicago has beautiful weather...for a few days in the spring.

Actually, I kid. I loved the weather there. Boston isn't cold enough.
 
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Indeed, I regret interviewing there last year. I had the same experience as you did. Also, the location is not good. good luck
 
Indeed, I regret interviewing there last year. I had the same experience as you did. Also, the location is not good. good luck

Wow, I have an interview at Loyola. I thought the first post might be a competing program posting some BS, but I know a couple of you who posted after, and I'm really shocked. It's that bad huh? 4 residents left last year? What's wrong with it!?
 
Wow, I have an interview at Loyola. I thought the first post might be a competing program posting some BS, but I know a couple of you who posted after, and I'm really shocked. It's that bad huh? 4 residents left last year? What's wrong with it!?

If I was you,I would seriously cancel the IV and save the money for a "real" program, unless of course, you are hurting for IV. I remember telling myself after the interview "I rather not match that come to this hell hole". Although the residents do work like dogs, I heard that their are expanding the program, i.e. more residents, so I guess, that will help in that aspect. Nevertheless, the education there blows (no noon conferences etc.)
 
If I was you,I would seriously cancel the IV and save the money for a "real" program, unless of course, you are hurting for IV. I remember telling myself after the interview "I rather not match that come to this hell hole". Although the residents do work like dogs, I heard that their are expanding the program, i.e. more residents, so I guess, that will help in that aspect. Nevertheless, the education there blows (no noon conferences etc.)

Wow...and UIC too? There goes my dreams of Chi-town (which were partly dreams/partly nightmares anyway..)
 
Wow...and UIC too? There goes my dreams of Chi-town (which were partly dreams/partly nightmares anyway..)

UIC is full of IMGs/DOs that are otherwise not as desirable to other programs -- low scores, no research, blemished records. It's great that there are such programs as UIC for them.
 
A word of caution... neither of these programs made it towards the top of my rank list when I was interviewing, but I did not think they were horrible by any means. Chicago weather aside, I think there are some very good aspects of both the Loyola and UIC programs. I spoke with residents who were US allopathic graduates at both programs who were very happy with their neurology training. I thought Loyola had a well-rounded program with good resident research opportunities. The main downsides I saw were older facilities, it is located outside of Chicago, and I didn't feel that I would fit in well with the group of residents there. I thought UIC had many positive points, with the exception of having to drive a long distance out of Chicago to Christ hospital for some rotations. It is good to have objective information on this forum. Try to avoid tanking a program unless you have good objective evidence to the contrary. I have yet to hear about a program that has absolutely no positive attributes.
 
A word of caution... neither of these programs made it towards the top of my rank list when I was interviewing, but I did not think they were horrible by any means. Chicago weather aside, I think there are some very good aspects of both the Loyola and UIC programs. I spoke with residents who were US allopathic graduates at both programs who were very happy with their neurology training. I thought Loyola had a well-rounded program with good resident research opportunities. The main downsides I saw were older facilities, it is located outside of Chicago, and I didn't feel that I would fit in well with the group of residents there. I thought UIC had many positive points, with the exception of having to drive a long distance out of Chicago to Christ hospital for some rotations. It is good to have objective information on this forum. Try to avoid tanking a program unless you have good objective evidence to the contrary. I have yet to hear about a program that has absolutely no positive attributes.


Your point is well taken. By no means does studentdoctor.net determine my decision making, it's just one of the factors that goes into it. I don't mind hearing the opinions...
So how far outside of Chicago is it? I'm from LA, so I'm used to (and hate) traffic....
 
Actually I interviewed in UIC. I thought it would be a good place to do residency.
And I don't think that being an IMG automatically means you're not as good as US grads. If you look at Northwestern's program director and faculty, you'll find several IMGs there.
 
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You are a liar Neuro rules
Loyola has not event started interviewing.
Do not spread false information and besides Why are you lying ........too bad you are a doctor:thumbdown:
 
Hey. I am currently a neurology resident at UIC. I usually just browse these forums and don't get involved with the debates and discussion. Now, I really would feel disloyal to my program if I did not at least attempt to defend it since I strongly feel it is a great program.​

First of all, again, I feel that UIC has a strong neurology residency program with a lot to offer. I will try to clarify why I feel this way with complete honesty.​


1). Our Chairman, is a world respected expert in stroke. He is very involved in writing much of the stroke guidelines and he frequently rounds on the stroke service and is a great teacher and fun to round with.​

2). UIC is a large referral center for the Chicago area and Indiana so we frequently get to see interesting cases that other hospitals cannot figure out.​


3). We have a neuro ICU which residents rotate through during residency with some of the brightest neurointensivist you can ask for. These attendings are crazy, crazy smart and there really isn't much that these guys cannot figure out in our patients. We have a big stroke center here and see some really nice stroke cases.​

4). Most of our attendings are really down-to-Earth and pleasant to round with, especially our program director who constantly works to improve the program and only improves the educational experience for the residents as time goes on.​

5). There is a noon conference every day and morning reports twice per week and a neuro-radiology conference one per week which is conducted by neuro-radiologists including the chairman and program director of radiology at UIC.​


6). Our EEG rotation is conducted by one of the smartest and intellectually intense professors I know and he is an outstanding teacher and is very, very interactive with the residents and fellows. This man literally wrote the book on EEG and seizures. He has over 500 publications and is always working on more!​


7). Our RITE exam scores were above the national average last year and with the amount of bright residents we have in the program, I am expecting the same this year.​


8). Yes, we do have DOs in our program but DOs are physicians as well!! Our DO residents are some of the best and the brightest residents. One of the chief's this year is a DO and the one from last year is also a DO and their knowledge base and teaching abilities are phenomenal.​

Our foreign medical grads are very sharp! I really think that UIC just like to pick good residents no matter if they are foreign or not. We have diverse residents which is a reflection of the Chicago population.​

9). The residents round at Christ hospital! All of our residents do a voluntary elective at Christ before we graduate which seem to be a tradition. Yes, it is about a 35 minute drive from UIC but the educational experience you get at Christ is unmatched. The Chairman of neurology at Christ absolutely loves to teach and is extremely fun to round with. He often has even physical therapist, speech therapists, and nurses even rounding with him voluntarily! Everyone wants to round with him! He is a teaching machine and many believe he is probably the smartest neurologist that they know.​

At Christ, you will see all sort of neurological cases that you can imagine. Here, you will often see the illnesses that most will only read about.​

There is a motto at Christ hospital: if you see an illness at any other hospital once, you will see it 10 times at Christ. Christ is probably the strongest point of our residency program. You just have to experience it to believe it. You see and learn so much that I feel we have a significant advantage over other programs just by rotating there.​


10). Our residents are generally happy. We get along well and are very helpful towards each other.​

11). We see a lot of good bread and butter neurology at UIC.​

12). We have electronic charts. You can write notes in the comfort of your own home! No mlore chasing down paper charts to review old notes or trying to decipher illegible handwriting.​




Now, we work hard but not any harder than what you would expect for a neurology residency program. If you are not working hard in your residency program, you should be worried. You want to feel comfortable with handling neurological cases when you graduate and if you are looking for a program where you won't be working much, then I hope you plan on practicing in a small town or somewhere where you won't see a lot of patients.​

Chicago is a beautiful, well-kept, and active city with a lot to offer. There is always something to do in Chicago. You won't meet many people who will say "I hate Chicago." The parks are beautiful. We have a lake, many bike trails, an excellent transportation system; the night life is outstanding, etc,​

Chicago is very fun and has a very diverse population which is good for neurology training. Who wants to train where you only see one or two races/ ethnic groups all of the time and then must go out in practice in a place that have patients from all backgrounds? Sarcoid is seen mostly commonly in? MS is seen most commonly in? Get the idea?​


Cons of the program:​

Christ is a great learning institution but it is very busy so hours are longer than UIC but, again, it is well-worth the sacrifice for the knowledge you gain. After you finish at Christ, you will feel comfortable handling most neurological consults.​

Driving out to Christ during snowfall can suck but you may not be the one who has to do this.​


Chicago is an expensive city.​


ER consults can often be suspect at UIC but has markedly improved.​


Research is not strongly pushed but the PD is working on this but if you are not a big research person, do you really care?​

Our pediatric neurology is not the strongest since it is mostly outpatient cases at Christ. This can be good or bad depending just how interested you are in pediatric neurology.​

You are often bugged about completing certain online training modules at UIC. Most are simple annoyances and can be completed in about 10 minutes but they seem to always be lurking in the shadows.​


The bottom line is that I strongly recommend UIC for neurology training. You have programs that have bigger names in Chicago but I am not convinced that that this necessarily means that they offer better training. Many times, bigger names come from research dollars. I am not saying that UIC is better than any other program but I just want to express that I am very satisfied with my training here. It is definitely in no way, shape or form, a malignant program.
 
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I am not saying people's comments are true/false on these chicago programs or any program one way or another....but isnt this a forum for information and opinions - where people have a right to express negativity, aka freedom of speech....I think its pretty unfair if negative opinions can't be posted - its anonymous so people can share ideas and info.

Afterall who doesn't try to sell their program at interviews - if good candidates dont apply and go there then its reputation goes down and affects grads. Believe me i have heard horror stories. And likewise who hasnt been in a situation where someone passed a negative comment about their institution - but such is life, you cant expect to be praised always either.

I am just saying thats all....And I also do recognize that not everyone has the same experiences or is unhappy/happy at any given place
 
I am not saying people's comments are true/false on these chicago programs or any program one way or another....but isnt this a forum for information and opinions - where people have a right to express negativity, aka freedom of speech....I think its pretty unfair if negative opinions can't be posted - its anonymous so people can share ideas and info.

Afterall who doesn't try to sell their program at interviews - if good candidates dont apply and go there then its reputation goes down and affects grads. Believe me i have heard horror stories. And likewise who hasnt been in a situation where someone passed a negative comment about their institution - but such is life, you cant expect to be praised always either.

I am just saying thats all....And I also do recognize that not everyone has the same experiences or is unhappy/happy at any given place

Completely agree...
 
I am not saying people's comments are true/false on these chicago programs or any program one way or another....but isnt this a forum for information and opinions - where people have a right to express negativity, aka freedom of speech....I think its pretty unfair if negative opinions can't be posted - its anonymous so people can share ideas and info.

Afterall who doesn't try to sell their program at interviews - if good candidates dont apply and go there then its reputation goes down and affects grads. Believe me i have heard horror stories. And likewise who hasnt been in a situation where someone passed a negative comment about their institution - but such is life, you cant expect to be praised always either.

I am just saying thats all....And I also do recognize that not everyone has the same experiences or is unhappy/happy at any given place

I am not sure if I understand since what you expressed is exactly what this thread exhibits... people making negative and positive comments about programs anonymously and freely. If you have a bad feeling about a program, express it. If you got a good feeling about a program say it. Also, not everyone one (at least residents or fellows) try to sell their program. There are clearly people who are not happy with their program and they show it on interview day. I remember clearly seeing how unhappy a group of residents were when I was interviewing and I later found it that it was justified. I am so glad I didn't choose that place.

If you have a bad feeling about a program, don't pick it. If you have a good feeling about one, rank it high. There is always more than what meets the eye about a program during interview day anyway so you really just have to follow your heart.
 
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Which ones are the good programs in the midwest? How about University of Minnesota? I have heard mixed reviews, anyone wish to comment.

Thanks.:)
 
I'm a UIC student, and, upon seeing this thread, I feel compelled to reply. I generally avoid excessive gossip, and I hope that using my full name lends credence to what I'm saying.

The resident above (Igetsdown) really summarized the UIC experience well. There is no one best program for everybody, and each of us has to sort out the best program for ourselves. "Malignant", however, is not a word that I would use in any way, shape, or form with UIC Neurology or Medicine (if you're considering prelim here).

As a M3/M4, teaching was a great strength of the program and department. Participation is encouraged in conferences and rounds, sometimes using a Q/A format -- but it's not pimping. People aren't made to feel bad / belittled... Fo example in neurorads conferences, they ask a junior resident to the point at which he/she can't answer a question, and then work up the seniority chain ("do you want to help out?"). I personally think this is an excellent way to learn.

Everyone, from top to bottom, is really friendly and helpful. Attendings are eager to teach & answer questions. Christ (I've heard) is busier, but the call at UIC is fairly average amongst the program's I've interviewed at. The nursing staff at UIC Neurology are excellent (but less strong at the VA). I challenge you to find a better EMR than what we have at UIC, something I only appreciated once I hit the interview trail.

The other thing about UIC is that we have a large med school class (around 200 in chicago). What it means as a resident is that you'll be teaching/working with students with a wide variety of backgrounds, goals and aspirations. This may or may not be important to you...

In terms of research, stroke is fairly strong at UIC. There's fair amount of basic neuroscience research going on at UIC in general (message/e-mail me if you want more info), but the focus of the neurology dept is more on clinical research/trials than basic research.

These are just my two cents on my home program. It's a great place to get clinical training in Neurology.
 
I'm a UIC student, and, upon seeing this thread, I feel compelled to reply. I generally avoid excessive gossip, and I hope that using my full name lends credence to what I'm saying.

The resident above (Igetsdown) really summarized the UIC experience well. There is no one best program for everybody, and each of us has to sort out the best program for ourselves. "Malignant", however, is not a word that I would use in any way, shape, or form with UIC Neurology or Medicine (if you're considering prelim here).

As a M3/M4, teaching was a great strength of the program and department. Participation is encouraged in conferences and rounds, sometimes using a Q/A format -- but it's not pimping. People aren't made to feel bad / belittled... Fo example in neurorads conferences, they ask a junior resident to the point at which he/she can't answer a question, and then work up the seniority chain ("do you want to help out?"). I personally think this is an excellent way to learn.

Everyone, from top to bottom, is really friendly and helpful. Attendings are eager to teach & answer questions. Christ (I've heard) is busier, but the call at UIC is fairly average amongst the program's I've interviewed at. The nursing staff at UIC Neurology are excellent (but less strong at the VA). I challenge you to find a better EMR than what we have at UIC, something I only appreciated once I hit the interview trail.

The other thing about UIC is that we have a large med school class (around 200 in chicago). What it means as a resident is that you'll be teaching/working with students with a wide variety of backgrounds, goals and aspirations. This may or may not be important to you...

In terms of research, stroke is fairly strong at UIC. There's fair amount of basic neuroscience research going on at UIC in general (message/e-mail me if you want more info), but the focus of the neurology dept is more on clinical research/trials than basic research.

These are just my two cents on my home program. It's a great place to get clinical training in Neurology.

Is that program 99% IMGs??? Don't remember...
 
I am a UIC-COM alum, and had the opportunity to rotate as a medical student and as a sub-intern. I was shocked when I read the above negative and inaccurate comments made about this program.

UIC Neurology program is a diverse and very well rounded. It's strongest features I must say is stroke/ neurocritical care/ and interverntional neuroradiology. The epilesy program is quite strong as well.

Current and future applicants, I urge you to go out and see this program for yourself...as you otherwise might be doing yourself a diservice.
 
Current and future applicants, I urge you to go out and see this program for yourself...as you otherwise might be doing yourself a diservice.

Obviously, ideally we should see every program, but we have to chop the list somewhere and the negative commentary here favors skipping UIC.
 
Obviously, ideally we should see every program, but we have to chop the list somewhere and the negative commentary here favors skipping UIC.

actually, the only "negative" mention about UIC came from you, and you listed no specifics.
 
UIC is full of IMGs/DOs that are otherwise not as desirable to other programs -- low scores, no research, blemished records. It's great that there are such programs as UIC for them.


Why are you so bitter against UIC? Sounds kinda personal...:oops:

Anyway, I am not sure where your stats/info came from and I actually know a few of the residents, who all happen to have above average board scores, decent amount of research ( with abstracts or professional publications).
Unless you work for ERAs or are part of the selections committee there is no way to be certain the kinda information you are claiming to know, on this thread. Again, I know a few of these individuals, since I went to medical school there, and ran into some on the interview trail. Hence,I am sure of what I am talking about...

UIC is not just "any" program, it is an above average one, and is rapidly up and coming. It is currently one of the top in Chicago, with particular emphasis on the points I brought up on my previous post.
 
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Why are you so bitter against UIC? Sounds kinda personal...:oops:.


Not to mention, quite cocky.

I agree. You seem to be the only one to have a beef with that program. All of the negativity is coming from you. This is suspicious...
 
Just having fun...:)

I visited UIC, and for those of you who recognize me as someone who tells the truth on here, I can say that it's a good program. The residents are cool people, they excel on boards, and the faculty is diverse and well-known. Good program :thumbup:
 
Heard the same thing about Loyola from a classmate. Biller is a fellow IU guy so I knew something about his reputation. I didn't think it was as bad as a lot of people said, but I think it's probably the worst neuro program in Chicago I interviewed at.

UIC -- I suspect the resident who wrote above is probably right. They're on the up-and-up. Are they the premier Chicago neuro residency? Probably not. But I think you'd get a pretty good training there, and I really liked the program director.
 
Anyone have any thoughts on Loyola? Has anything changed recently? Did they end up expanding their programs? Just trying to revive this thread.
Thanks in advance for your input!
 
seems this threat has cut off, so decided to update those interested. i read a review by someone who interviewed at loyola in november 2009. no one has left the program during that time, the last resident that left did so for personal reasons, so no more spreading rumors. the program has expanded the most recent pgy-2 group has 7 people and the incoming pgy-1 group has 6. loyola is a busy hospital, make no mistake about it, both the consult service and the inpatient service are packed, you will learn alot. dr. biller, our chairman gets alot of criticism from people, but the truth he is devoted to teaching his residents (provides us with books, is available for lectures, teaches in clinic etc) and works endlessly to improve the department, and he expects that same kind of dedication from everyone else which can be difficult, but he respects those that work hard. if you slack you will get callled out on it. loyola has lecture every day, twice a day, plenty of lectures. residents get together for drinks, dinner, parties etc but most are occupied by trying to learn as much as possible. you just have to check out the program and decided for yourself if this is a place you can see yourself completing residency.
 
seems this threat has cut off, so decided to update those interested. i read a review by someone who interviewed at loyola in november 2009. no one has left the program during that time, the last resident that left did so for personal reasons, so no more spreading rumors. the program has expanded the most recent pgy-2 group has 7 people and the incoming pgy-1 group has 6. loyola is a busy hospital, make no mistake about it, both the consult service and the inpatient service are packed, you will learn alot. dr. biller, our chairman gets alot of criticism from people, but the truth he is devoted to teaching his residents (provides us with books, is available for lectures, teaches in clinic etc) and works endlessly to improve the department, and he expects that same kind of dedication from everyone else which can be difficult, but he respects those that work hard. if you slack you will get callled out on it. loyola has lecture every day, twice a day, plenty of lectures. residents get together for drinks, dinner, parties etc but most are occupied by trying to learn as much as possible. you just have to check out the program and decided for yourself if this is a place you can see yourself completing residency.
Bump.

Why does Dr. Biller have such a malignant reputation? Did he not author all these texts on neurology? I would imagine then he is a good and competent educator. I too have heard that Loyola residents are over worked and generally incohesive. Has anything changed?
 
Bump.

Why does Dr. Biller have such a malignant reputation? Did he not author all these texts on neurology? I would imagine then he is a good and competent educator. I too have heard that Loyola residents are over worked and generally incohesive. Has anything changed?

I don't know anything about Dr Biller or his program, but I can tell you that the ability to write books and articles has absolutely no correlation to how well you deal with other people. Apples and oranges, my friend.
 
I don't know anything about Dr Biller or his program, but I can tell you that the ability to write books and articles has absolutely no correlation to how well you deal with other people. Apples and oranges, my friend.

I cannot agree with Neurologist more. In fact, in my experience, the big wigs famous for all of their writings are not always what they are cracked up to be. I will withold names for the sake of professionalism, but I was told that the big wig of neurophysiology cannot even pass the ABPN neurophysiology exam. I will tell you all right now, there is a certain individual that is the authority on movement disorders texts and literature, but he is a poor clinician and when he actually has to see a patient, he accuses them all of being psychogenic.

I can't say much about Biller other than the fact that just like many of you, I recognize his name, but typically, these "famous people" sit in the ivory towers, farm out their fellows, have the privilege of collecting/farming data since they work at the university level, and just have their names attached to associated papers.
 
For the bump- Had a friend that interviewed there last year (I did not, so take this with your MEq of salt) and the impression that I got from him was that the issue with the department was more about funding than staff or education quality. If the program were somewhere else it might not be as big of a deal but there are some really well funded depts elsewhere in the city.
 
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