Dear hm -
I think I may be able to offer some advice into your situation - I personally feel that Loyola is worth taking a closer look. I highly suggest that you forget about using US News and World reports to select your medical school, especially between these two. Those reports primarily rank school not just on clinical education, but also on research funding. Loyola, and I suspect Rush, not only supports research but also places a high emphasis on quality clinical education. I can only speak for Loyola, but they do very well in terms of residency plcements. They also are very commited to providing an excellent clinical experience. However, I think that the decision between these two school must be made on your own personal goals as a physician. I feel that how you learn as a doctor will be how you practice as a doctor. Having said that, you need to chose which school you feel will be more conducive to your personality, comfort level, and desire to be a well-rounded physician. Again, I can not speak for Rush, but Loyola is commited to educating well-rounded physicians. I think prestige is not so much the issue; I've seen rank lists from both, and let me be the first to tell you that your success in that arena is based on your effort - students at both schools do well. The issue is on how you want to learn how to be a doctor, and which school better fits those goals.
