Rush vs. SLU

[mr.mkitty]

Ive been fortunate to have been accepted to both Rush and St. Louis. But Im really not sure on which one to commit to for the April 30th deadline. Just looking for some advice from other people!
For me...
Pros of Rush:
-Chicago would give me great medical oppurtunities.
-The school and hospital are both really nice; really liked both of them.
-Could do clinicals at the main hospital or at cook county.
Cons of Rush:
-Not keen on living in Chicago..
-would most likely have to live near the medical district so that I would have to get stuck in traffic driving to class and such (thus a lot more expensive).

Pros of SLU:
-Cheaper living than in Chicago.
-Slightly warmer than Chicago?
-Traffic and getting around isn't too bad.
Cons of SLU:
-Didn't care for the actual facilities of the school (very small library and such/old).
-Hospital wasn't nearly as nice as Rush's.

Overall, I'm leaning towards Rush.. They are both about the same price, but am still not sure.
Suggestions? Advice?

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[mr.mkitty]

I'm going to Rush, so I'll just tell you why I love it. I may be a bit biased. I also applied to SLU. Withdrew my app after I got into Rush. Doesn't seem to have that much to offer that Rush doesn't have. Plus, I'm from the midwest and I don't like St. Louis.

Pros:
1. Amazing clinical rotation sites. Cook County = crazy diverse population and you will have an amazing EM/surgery rotation. Rush Medical Center = Basically brand new hospital, with Midwest Ortho ranked sixth in the US. Clinical rotation sites are also next to each other. No driving to distant hospitals for rotations. You can get everywhere without stepping outside due to a complex system of sky bridges.
2. Students are pretty darn happy with lots of step 1 prep time and recorded lectures.
3. Besides the weather, Chicago is an awesome city. It has the soul a vibrant and cultured big city without the ticket price. Rents are affordable and you have great culture unlike St. Louis (e.g., museums, sports teams, music, art, food)
4. Solid Match list every year and has a reputation for great clinical training
5. Community service focus. The lady who runs their community outreach is amazing and she pushes the student body to do cool stuff for the community. M1s can do awesome stuff in underserved areas within the first two months at school. For example, M1s triage pts at a health drive on the South side in October.
6. Reputation for matriculating cool people (We'll have see if I make the cut on that one)
7. Cool areas to live in within a reasonable distance from school. WP, Logan square, Bucktown, West Loop, Little Italy
6. Systems based Curriculum with physicianship program
7. Undergoing a big expansion, so Rush will be even better in the future. $500 million dollar outpatient center (damn).
8. Great Global Health opportunities.
9. Good Research culture (More NIH funding than SLU)
10. Summers in Chicago are amazing, which includes Lollapalooza.
11. Deep dish pizza
12. The Cubs and Wrigley Field
13. Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and the over 16 miles of Lakefront running paths.
14. Good public transit. The EL train runs right by Rush, connecting you with lots of good neighborhoods.


Cons:
1. Not P/F
2. Knocking down student housing.
3. $$$$$
4. Weather
5. I wish it had more NIH $$$
7. Not the best facilities. But I hear they are working on that.

Thanks for the great reply! Appreciate it!

 

[Cookiess]

Your pros for Rush are focused on positive aspects of the medical school and clinical experience while your pros for SLU are more about lifestyle issues (aside from lower cost of living). Based on your reasons, I'd go with Rush since I would place more priority on having a great medical school experience.

I also personally really like the community service focus and student run free clinic at Rush so I would pick Rush for those reasons as well.

 

[Lbjisyuki]

Thanks for the great reply! Appreciate it!

No problem. Feel free to PM me if you are still on the fence and need help deciding.