Rush Medical College vs EVMS

[raffalaffi]

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Hey SDN Community,

I need your help in deciding between Rush and EVMS. As a re-reapplicant, I am extremely humbled to be sitting here with the option to pick between 2 MD schools. As far as I know, they are both mid-tier schools with an emphasis on community service. I am a Maryland resident, so I am OOS for both schools. My goal is to match back to the east coast, preferably close to home.

RUSH
Pros:

• Total cost of attendance (TCOA) is about 10k-12k less per year
• Located in Chicago, a fun and exciting city
• TCOA includes public transit, iPad, and Uworld
• Good match list, Curriculum is P/F

Cons:

• Further away from home, so will need to fly home to visit family (albeit, the plane ride isn't too expensive and does not cost enough to outweigh the tuition savings)
• Have heard mixed opinions on the curriculum
• Not many matching to East Coast

EVMS
Pros:

• Closer to home (albeit still a 4.5-5 hour drive away)
• Most students match on the east coast

Cons:

• I don't like hot weather, and this is located in a beach city (weather would be somewhat hotter than where I live in MD)
• TCOA is about 10k-12k more expensive
• Average match list, Curriculum uses a grading system

I was waitlisted and accepted to EVMS like 10 months after my interview. But Rush accepted me 2.5 weeks after my interview. So I feel a bit more wanted at Rush lol. This is the extent of my Pros/Cons list, but I feel like I'm approaching it with too narrow a mindset. I also spent 3-4 days in Chicago for my Rush interview, but only 1 day Norfolk for my EVMS interview, so I really don't have as good a feel for EVMS and its location.

With a 7 day deadline, I'd really love any help I can get in deciding! 🙂 Thanks!

 

[The Unburnt]

Based on your pro/con list, I'd choose Rush. It's cheaper, P/F, better match list, and in a city you like more- sounds like the total package to me. I love Chicago, there will be plenty for you to do there in your (limited) free time, and lots of good pizza to eat while studying. I was in a similar position with the distance from family/driving/flying situation and I figured the cheap/not super long plane ride was probably a better option than the drive because at least I'd be able to study on the plane and I'm not a super fan of long drives. Congrats and good luck!

 

[rukia013]

Disclaimer: I am an M2 at EVMS but originally from the Chicagoland area so I am familiar with Chicago in general, but not necessarily Rush's curriculum

Not sure where you heard about the EVMS curriculum grading but it's H/HP/P/F and not %. If Rush is strictly P/F then the risk in that curriculum is that you aren't as challenged to push yourself when studying for exams--for example, if studying for only 4 hrs vs 10 hrs is still going to net you a passing grade, then there's little motivation to push yourself to master the material and this can actually hurt you come Step1 studying. The curriculum is also NOT curved so if everyone gets honors, then everyone gets honors. (This is really nice since no one tries to "sabotage" other students and instead we all try to help everyone succeed)

Things to consider for EVMS (I can't speak for Rush but if any of these things stand out to you, then I'd say compare it to what Rush has to offer):
-lots of hands-on community interaction and involvement with a wide range of patient populations (HIV, under-insured, refugees, elementary school kids, black/hispanic populations, etc.) from day 1 of med school (our goal is to be the #1 community service oriented med school so if that's a big priority for you, then you will have to consider this and compare it with Rush's opportunities)
-Because the community service aspect is what draws most students, the atmosphere among the student body is incredibly chill and everyone watches out for everyone else--we're incredibly collaborative and share resources and study tips all the time (we also do an informal M2-M1 mentorship and pair incoming M1's with an M2 kind of like big sib/little sib)
-Each med school has its own culture and at EVMS you can definitely have a life outside of studying, it's incredibly doable
-Wellness curriculum (big push for promoting student and faculty wellness and de-stigmatizing the struggles that med students tend to carry but don't speak up about--we have talks about topics ranging from burnout, relationships, imposter syndrome, etc. as well as many student panels to talk about Step1 studying and beyond). The Wellness curriculum also incorporates "protected Wednesdays" which means no classes are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons so you can have a mini break during the middle of the week for catch up or doing non-studying activities.
-near 100% Step1 pass rate (in the past 3 years, only 1 student failed Step1)
-fairly mild winters but disgustingly humid summers + can expect a few snow days in January in Norfolk 😉 vs. extreme bitter winters + hot humid summers but probably no snow days in Chicago (like seriously, if you really want to heck the Chicago winters, consider getting a Canada Goose..or Northface--if you don't know the sensation of your nose hairs freezing with every inhale, you're gonna find that out come the first winter)
-If one of your priorities is lively night life and big city life in general, then choose Chicago/Rush. EVMS has a good amount to offer given that med school can eat up a lot of your time but it's not enough to sustain if you plan to party/go out every night.
-Curriculum is 2 years old and is still in the process of improving. With that said, the school is HUGE on feedback and changes are implemented in a very timely manner.
-Only a select number of classes are mandatory (usually if we have guest panels/speakers). Classes are in the morning and some are online vs. live but all lectures/sessions are recorded.
-UWorld subscription is provided during your M2 year (reflected in tuition)

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! Best of luck with your decision, you'll do great wherever you choose! 🙂

 

[raffalaffi]

Disclaimer: I am an M2 at EVMS but originally from the Chicagoland area so I am familiar with Chicago in general, but not necessarily Rush's curriculum

Not sure where you heard about the EVMS curriculum grading but it's H/HP/P/F and not %. If Rush is strictly P/F then the risk in that curriculum is that you aren't as challenged to push yourself when studying for exams--for example, if studying for only 4 hrs vs 10 hrs is still going to net you a passing grade, then there's little motivation to push yourself to master the material and this can actually hurt you come Step1 studying. The curriculum is also NOT curved so if everyone gets honors, then everyone gets honors. (This is really nice since no one tries to "sabotage" other students and instead we all try to help everyone succeed)

Things to consider for EVMS (I can't speak for Rush but if any of these things stand out to you, then I'd say compare it to what Rush has to offer):
-lots of hands-on community interaction and involvement with a wide range of patient populations (HIV, under-insured, refugees, elementary school kids, black/hispanic populations, etc.) from day 1 of med school (our goal is to be the #1 community service oriented med school so if that's a big priority for you, then you will have to consider this and compare it with Rush's opportunities)
-Because the community service aspect is what draws most students, the atmosphere among the student body is incredibly chill and everyone watches out for everyone else--we're incredibly collaborative and share resources and study tips all the time (we also do an informal M2-M1 mentorship and pair incoming M1's with an M2 kind of like big sib/little sib)
-Each med school has its own culture and at EVMS you can definitely have a life outside of studying, it's incredibly doable
-Wellness curriculum (big push for promoting student and faculty wellness and de-stigmatizing the struggles that med students tend to carry but don't speak up about--we have talks about topics ranging from burnout, relationships, imposter syndrome, etc. as well as many student panels to talk about Step1 studying and beyond). The Wellness curriculum also incorporates "protected Wednesdays" which means no classes are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons so you can have a mini break during the middle of the week for catch up or doing non-studying activities.
-near 100% Step1 pass rate (in the past 3 years, only 1 student failed Step1)
-fairly mild winters but disgustingly humid summers + can expect a few snow days in January in Norfolk 😉 vs. extreme bitter winters + hot humid summers but probably no snow days in Chicago (like seriously, if you really want to heck the Chicago winters, consider getting a Canada Goose..or Northface--if you don't know the sensation of your nose hairs freezing with every inhale, you're gonna find that out come the first winter)
-If one of your priorities is lively night life and big city life in general, then choose Chicago/Rush. EVMS has a good amount to offer given that med school can eat up a lot of your time but it's not enough to sustain if you plan to party/go out every night.
-Curriculum is 2 years old and is still in the process of improving. With that said, the school is HUGE on feedback and changes are implemented in a very timely manner.
-Only a select number of classes are mandatory (usually if we have guest panels/speakers). Classes are in the morning and some are online vs. live but all lectures/sessions are recorded.
-UWorld subscription is provided during your M2 year (reflected in tuition)

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! Best of luck with your decision, you'll do great wherever you choose! 🙂

Thanks for the insight! I really appreciate it. Could I ask you about the EVMS facilities and curriculum style? The facilities look fairly nice on the website and virtual tour. Do you typically spend all your time in one lecture hall/building? and Does the curriculum include lecture and PBL? Also, would you mind sharing what you and classmates do for enjoyment outside of school?

At Rush, I got the sense that it was really just one professional building, and that we would be spending most of our time in one PBL classroom or a study lounge, which are all on the same floor. I don't think they have a traditional library on campus. I wasn't a fan of the cramped feeling.

 

[rukia013]

Thanks for the insight! I really appreciate it. Could I ask you about the EVMS facilities and curriculum style? The facilities look fairly nice on the website and virtual tour. Do you typically spend all your time in one lecture hall/building? and Does the curriculum include lecture and PBL? Also, would you mind sharing what you and classmates do for enjoyment outside of school?

At Rush, I got the sense that it was really just one professional building, and that we would be spending most of our time in one PBL classroom or a study lounge, which are all on the same floor. I don't think they have a traditional library on campus. I wasn't a fan of the cramped feeling.

The facilities are really nice and since EVMS is fairly new, everything is very modern and clean. We're also building an entire new building which should be up by 2020.
During your student tour on interview day, you were (hopefully) taken to both of our main buildings--lectures are usually in the same auditorium (the M1 and M2 auditoriums are different so you do get a change in scenery) and PBL/group sessions are in a different room with mics and a giant stage. Clinical skills are in the sim center upstairs of one of the buildings. In short, when on campus, you will be toggling between the two buildings. We also have a 4-floor library and computer lab as well as a student lounge and a few enclosed rooms (one of which has a ping pong table). Most students will usually study either at home, a local cafe, the library, or student lounge. The student lounge also has a mini kitchen area with sinks, water boiler, free to use fridges, vending machines, and a keurig coffee maker and you'll often see free food in there (leftovers from events or from people who are stress bakers). You will also get an on-campus locker during your M1 and M2 years. We also have a decently sized lawn between the two buildings with patio-type tables and chairs and I believe there's sometimes free yoga on the lawn (and therapy dogs at least once a semester..lots of students also just bring their dogs/pets to the lawn for people to play with).

For fun, there are bars, places to eat, the waterside district (which is brand new since last year) which has a lot of restaurants right along the water, hiking, the beach, MacArthur shopping district+theater, zoo/botanical garden, museums, cat cafe (EVMS students get a discount lol), etc. There are also a handful of marathons that occur year-round if you're into that. For a smaller town like Norfolk, there are a good amount of things to do around the immediate Ghent area for a med student.

In terms of housing, there are plenty of apts/houses near campus, and the EVMS housing is right across the street (Hague Club apts which is where I live). There's a good mix of people who live alone or with roommates (it's all just up to your living preferences) and there are also people who live further out or commute to be away from the "med school bubble".

 

[RheumyArthritic]

Thanks for the insight! I really appreciate it. Could I ask you about the EVMS facilities and curriculum style? The facilities look fairly nice on the website and virtual tour. Do you typically spend all your time in one lecture hall/building? and Does the curriculum include lecture and PBL? Also, would you mind sharing what you and classmates do for enjoyment outside of school?

At Rush, I got the sense that it was really just one professional building, and that we would be spending most of our time in one PBL classroom or a study lounge, which are all on the same floor. I don't think they have a traditional library on campus. I wasn't a fan of the cramped feeling.

I got my Masters in Biotechnology at Rush, currently work at Rush, and have a friend from the Biotechnology program who will be starting at Rush medical school in the fall. Rush does have a traditional library. It's on the 5th floor. Rush's medical school is located in one building, the Armour Academic Center and all classes for all programs are hosted in that building. Aside from that, as a student at Rush I rarely couldn't find a study space. Sometimes it was just the difference between studying in an empty classroom, going to a lounge, using a cubicle in the 7th floor silent study area or knowing when the Nursing students were in classes so you could steal the study rooms. Most of the time I ended up in the 7th floor study area at a table or in a cubicle. Though I will say the medical students got smart when I was there and would leave their items in the study rooms in the 7th floor silent study area so us Biotechnology students couldn't take them while they were in class. But I can see how you got the cramped feeling from Rush's academic setting. You'd have to get creative like the other med students who "reserved" study rooms with their stuff, or be okay with being flexible on your study space. If not, then maybe Rush may not be the right place for you.

With that said, Chicago has a lot of coffee shops to study in if that's an environment you can endure.

 

[ArmedBishop]

Where did you end up deciding, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mercyandgrace]

Disclaimer: I am an M2 at EVMS but originally from the Chicagoland area so I am familiar with Chicago in general, but not necessarily Rush's curriculum

Not sure where you heard about the EVMS curriculum grading but it's H/HP/P/F and not %. If Rush is strictly P/F then the risk in that curriculum is that you aren't as challenged to push yourself when studying for exams--for example, if studying for only 4 hrs vs 10 hrs is still going to net you a passing grade, then there's little motivation to push yourself to master the material and this can actually hurt you come Step1 studying. The curriculum is also NOT curved so if everyone gets honors, then everyone gets honors. (This is really nice since no one tries to "sabotage" other students and instead we all try to help everyone succeed)

Things to consider for EVMS (I can't speak for Rush but if any of these things stand out to you, then I'd say compare it to what Rush has to offer):
-lots of hands-on community interaction and involvement with a wide range of patient populations (HIV, under-insured, refugees, elementary school kids, black/hispanic populations, etc.) from day 1 of med school (our goal is to be the #1 community service oriented med school so if that's a big priority for you, then you will have to consider this and compare it with Rush's opportunities)
-Because the community service aspect is what draws most students, the atmosphere among the student body is incredibly chill and everyone watches out for everyone else--we're incredibly collaborative and share resources and study tips all the time (we also do an informal M2-M1 mentorship and pair incoming M1's with an M2 kind of like big sib/little sib)
-Each med school has its own culture and at EVMS you can definitely have a life outside of studying, it's incredibly doable
-Wellness curriculum (big push for promoting student and faculty wellness and de-stigmatizing the struggles that med students tend to carry but don't speak up about--we have talks about topics ranging from burnout, relationships, imposter syndrome, etc. as well as many student panels to talk about Step1 studying and beyond). The Wellness curriculum also incorporates "protected Wednesdays" which means no classes are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons so you can have a mini break during the middle of the week for catch up or doing non-studying activities.
-near 100% Step1 pass rate (in the past 3 years, only 1 student failed Step1)
-fairly mild winters but disgustingly humid summers + can expect a few snow days in January in Norfolk 😉 vs. extreme bitter winters + hot humid summers but probably no snow days in Chicago (like seriously, if you really want to heck the Chicago winters, consider getting a Canada Goose..or Northface--if you don't know the sensation of your nose hairs freezing with every inhale, you're gonna find that out come the first winter)
-If one of your priorities is lively night life and big city life in general, then choose Chicago/Rush. EVMS has a good amount to offer given that med school can eat up a lot of your time but it's not enough to sustain if you plan to party/go out every night.
-Curriculum is 2 years old and is still in the process of improving. With that said, the school is HUGE on feedback and changes are implemented in a very timely manner.
-Only a select number of classes are mandatory (usually if we have guest panels/speakers). Classes are in the morning and some are online vs. live but all lectures/sessions are recorded.
-UWorld subscription is provided during your M2 year (reflected in tuition)

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! Best of luck with your decision, you'll do great wherever you choose! 🙂

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