Rush Medical College vs Case Western

[Krita]

I'm in a pickle about which school to go with: Rush or Case Western (University track). I'm from Chicago, my family and boyfriend are here, and when I started this process I honestly thought I wouldn't end up with many options and was really just hoping for something IS. I liked both schools on interview day, although i did enjoy my Rush interview more and they kind of have a special place in my heart for being the first one's to extend an interview and acceptance. Here's my pros and cons list:

Rush
Pros:

• Location: I'm anxious about moving to another city, starting over...I love Chicago, it's home and everything I could want and need is right here, plus I've done that whole business before with undergrad (went to a school in the Northeast), and I don't really care to right now. But, I am open to moving for residency, as along as it's a geographical location I appreciate (which Cleveland is not) and is better than Chicago (like San Fran ). I know maybe choosing Rush would help my chances of a residency in Chicago, but I'm not completely committed to staying here for residency too as my parents are going to move to a different country by the end of med school so I won't have many ties to the city anymore, and that's further down the road, who know where i am then personally...
• Stroger (Cook County Hospital)- growing up poor and in Chicago my family could only get care at Cook County, so I've always dreamed of working there and at Rush I can do half my rotations there and they've got a great reputation! But Case also has a county hospital you can rotate at, and I'm sure I could do an away rotation at Stroger...

Cons

• Don't really have the reputation/ranking that Case does...

Case
Pros:

• They've got four medical systems , including the renowned Cleveland Clinic that students can rotate at and shadow physicians and as the only major medical school, students aren't jockeying for opportunities or research positions....
• research- i love it and want to do it in school, and within my career, so i love their emphasis on it. I don't think I would be less advantaged at Rush for opportunities, that would be on me anyway at both schools to really commit to and build up.
• Reputation- they've got a better reputation/ranking (25 in the country) so it seems stupid to turn them down but...

Cons:

• Location: If Case was in Chicago I would be set and probably go with them over Rush...

I like them both equally in terms of curriculum, the Deans/staff/students I met were all great, both have a great culture and opportunities and health systems/centers to train at...So I guess I'm hesitant to go with Case outright because of it's location, but am not committed to Rush completely because Case is the better school in terms of ranking/rep...I guess the bottom line is if location/being in your hometown comfort zone enough of a reason to go to one school and turn down another?

Who do you think I should go with, who would you choose, or has anyone been in a similar pickle?

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[valenceoctet]

I'm in a pickle about which school to go with: Rush or Case Western (University track). I'm from Chicago, my family and boyfriend are here, and when I started this process I honestly thought I wouldn't end up with many options and was really just hoping for something IS. I liked both schools on interview day, although i did enjoy my Rush interview more and they kind of have a special place in my heart for being the first one's to extend an interview and acceptance. Here's my pros and cons list:

Rush
Pros:

• Location: I'm anxious about moving to another city, starting over...I love Chicago, it's home and everything I could want and need is right here, plus I've done that whole business before with undergrad (went to a school in the Northeast), and I don't really care to right now. But, I am open to moving for residency, as along as it's a geographical location I appreciate (which Cleveland is not) and is better than Chicago (like San Fran ). I know maybe choosing Rush would help my chances of a residency in Chicago, but I'm not completely committed to staying here for residency too as my parents are going to move to a different country by the end of med school so I won't have many ties to the city anymore, and that's further down the road, who know where i am then personally...
• Stroger (Cook County Hospital)- growing up poor and in Chicago my family could only get care at Cook County, so I've always dreamed of working there and at Rush I can do half my rotations there and they've got a great reputation! But Case also has a county hospital you can rotate at, and I'm sure I could do an away rotation at Stroger...

Cons

• Don't really have the reputation/ranking that Case does...

Case
Pros:

• They've got four medical systems , including the renowned Cleveland Clinic that students can rotate at and shadow physicians and as the only major medical school, students aren't jockeying for opportunities or research positions....
• research- i love it and want to do it in school, and within my career, so i love their emphasis on it. I don't think I would be less advantaged at Rush for opportunities, that would be on me anyway at both schools to really commit to and build up.
• Reputation- they've got a better reputation/ranking (25 in the country) so it seems stupid to turn them down but...

Cons:

• Location: If Case was in Chicago I would be set and probably go with them over Rush...

I like them both equally in terms of curriculum, the Deans/staff/students I met were all great, both have a great culture and opportunities and health systems/centers to train at...So I guess I'm hesitant to go with Case outright because of it's location, but am not committed to Rush completely because Case is the better school in terms of ranking/rep...I guess the bottom line is if location/being in your hometown comfort zone enough of a reason to go to one school and turn down another?

Who do you think I should go with, who would you choose, or has anyone been in a similar pickle?

If being near your boyfriend and family will make you significantly happier over the next few years, definitely go with Rush!

 

[Lannister]

From what you've said, I'd choose Rush.

 

[bonedoc5576]

If you are willing to consider Rush over Case for reasons you cited including location and rotations at Stroger, then the med school you should go to is UIC, assuming you applied and were accepted.
Many from Chicago consider UIC at least as good a med school as Rush and considerably cheaper for same location and same opportunities to rotate through Stroger.

 

[americanm00se]

Are you concerned about the high cost of attendance for Case?

 

[Señor S]

I would pick Case; I think it's got a clear edge in terms of reputation and just having finished interviewing the Case students were definitely better represented at more prestigious programs vs. Rush students who seemed to be more heavily represented at the mid-tier places. Also this:

I know maybe choosing Rush would help my chances of a residency in Chicago

I disagree with. If your scores and grades are decent out of Case you'll have no trouble matching back to Chicago and if you do very well you'll probably have a better shot at the upper-tier places than you would out of Rush.

But if you think being in Cleveland will make you depressed and miserable then choose Rush.

 

[Lannister]

Are you concerned about the high cost of attendance for Case?

Is Rush really that much cheaper tho?

 

[bananafish94]

Congratulations on two wonderful options. My main piece of advice is that you should not underestimate the advantage of having your entire support system nearby while you are in medical school!

 

[Titus Andromedon]

It sounds like you want to go to Rush.

 

[Trident14]

In I'm the same situation! I got was accepted to Rush a while ago and just got accepted to Case today. I really don't know what I'm going to do.

 

[Krita]

If you are willing to consider Rush over Case for reasons you cited including location and rotations at Stroger, then the med school you should go to is UIC, assuming you applied and were accepted.
Many from Chicago consider UIC at least as good a med school as Rush and considerably cheaper for same location and same opportunities to rotate through Stroger.

I got into UIC as well, but got placed in Rockford, so I'm not really considering them. I've requested a reassignment but I hear the process is lengthy and usually not favorable, so I'll have to see. They were my number one choice going into the application season, but I got a poor impression on interview day and this whole site placement has kind of soured my view. You can't do regular rotations at Stroger, you can as an elective, like trauma surgery i know is an option, but yeah despite being right there, UIC doesn't send students there, their sites are mostly suburban which I was surprised to find out.

I would pick Case; I think it's got a clear edge in terms of reputation and just having finished interviewing the Case students were definitely better represented at more prestigious programs vs. Rush students who seemed to be more heavily represented at the mid-tier places. Also this:



I disagree with. If your scores and grades are decent out of Case you'll have no trouble matching back to Chicago and if you do very well you'll probably have a better shot at the upper-tier places than you would out of Rush.

But if you think being in Cleveland will make you depressed and miserable then choose Rush.

That's it, what's causing my hesitance at going with Rush, losing the chance of better opportunities down the road. If I do really well at both places, would being at Case open more doors for residency/future endeavors then having gone to Rush?

In I'm the same situation! I got was accepted to Rush a while ago and just got accepted to Case today. I really don't know what I'm going to do.

Oh boy, I'm sorry you are facing the same dilemma. Are you from Chicago?

 

[Trident14]

Not from Chicago, but fell in love with Chicago when I came to interview.

 

[Señor S]

That's it, what's causing my hesitance at going with Rush, losing the chance of better opportunities down the road. If I do really well at both places, would being at Case open more doors for residency/future endeavors then having gone to Rush?

In my opinion yes. Just for the sake of argument, let's look at the top IM programs in Chicago (Northwestern and U of C):

http://www.medicine.northwestern.edu/education/residency/about-residency/class-of-2017.html

http://imr.bsd.uchicago.edu/house-staff-roster-and-graduates/

While Rush has a couple more residents at NW Case also regularly sends people there, and also has a substantial edge at U of C. Note also that Northwestern specifically mentions the percentage of its residents that come from "top 25" schools (which Case usually is and Rush definitely is not).

And since you mentioned the Bay Area:

http://medicine.stanford.edu/residency/current-residents.html
https://medicine.ucsf.edu/education/residency/current/index.html

At each program there are residents from Case in all class years vs. none that I saw from Rush. Case matches people into top programs around the country; Rush is much more regional.