Rush vs Wake Forest: any input greatly appreciated!

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Bakerji

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Hello!

I've been accepted to both Rush and Wake Forest. However, I haven't been able to make a decision yet and would like input!

When I interviewed at Wake, I was drawn to the curriculum, particularly the 1.5 preclinical years. I also like how they divide the class into Harry Potter houses. However, they offer 1.5 months of STEP studying (Rush offers 2 months). I also enjoy exploring when I'm not studying. I like experiences, food, etc. but I'm not sure if Winston-Salem will offer this for me. I really enjoy cooking/eating Asian food, but the city doesn't seem to have lots of options for this. I am leaning to go to Rush because I might be happier in Chicago, but I'm aware that Wake is marginally higher ranked than Rush. Perhaps I wont mind living in a small city and see what Winston-Salem has to offer! After all, I hate dealing with traffic.

Rush really emphasizes community service, which aligns with my values as a future physician. I want to make the most of all the service opportunities that Rush offers. Also, I am so excited about the possibility of living in Chicago. I'm not sure how I feel about the flipped classroom since I've succeeded in college by attending lectures. I've also heard that Wake has stronger match lists than Rush for anesthesiology but I'm not too sure about this. I'm also interested in neurology as well, which I believe Rush has a stronger match for.

If anyone would like to add something, please let me know! I would also value any feedback you may have. Thank you!

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Hey I’m also an accepted student at Rush. Make sure to take a look at the Rush school specific thread; a student posted a summary of a daily week in a flipped classroom curriculum there. Maybe check out bc curriculum can be a big factor here (although tbh I think with the whole step 1 being p/f thing that schools may be shifting curriculums a bit but idk for sure)
 
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However, they offer 1.5 months of STEP studying (Rush offers 2 months).

Just want to point out that with the Step 1 transitioning to P/F, I don't think 1.5 months vs. 2 months will make any difference in terms of whether or not you'll pass! Also, if you're interested in anesthesiology as a specialty, I'm sure both schools will give you the resources to match to very strong programs, especially as it's not too competitive a specialty for MD students.
 
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Hey I’m also an accepted student at Rush. Make sure to take a look at the Rush school specific thread; a student posted a summary of a daily week in a flipped classroom curriculum there. Maybe check out bc curriculum can be a big factor here (although tbh I think with the whole step 1 being p/f thing that schools may be shifting curriculums a bit but idk for sure)
I cant seem to find the weekly schedule. Do you have a link by chance?? Greatly appreciated!
 
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I'm a current student at Rush, the preclinicals usually look like this for us:

Each week
2 cases (4 hours each) in your small group of 20, you will be further divided into groups of 5-7 students for personal discussion
Other classes/dissection/professionalism/clinical courses (4-6 hours)

Generally, on campus 12 hours average each week, anything like 16 hours or more is highly unusual. They also typically tone down class time quite a bit if a midterm/final exam is coming up.
 
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I'd probably go with Rush for this one. The prestige difference is insignificant, Chicago is an amazing city, Rush seems more in line with your passions for service, and the flipped-classroom curriculum is something which could really benefit your learning when you get used to it.

(I'm biased though because being in a large city for medical school is important for me)
 
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Hello!

I've been accepted to both Rush and Wake Forest. However, I haven't been able to make a decision yet and would like input!

When I interviewed at Wake, I was drawn to the curriculum, particularly the 1.5 preclinical years. I also like how they divide the class into Harry Potter houses. However, they offer 1.5 months of STEP studying (Rush offers 2 months). I also enjoy exploring when I'm not studying. I like experiences, food, etc. but I'm not sure if Winston-Salem will offer this for me. I really enjoy cooking/eating Asian food, but the city doesn't seem to have lots of options for this. I am leaning to go to Rush because I might be happier in Chicago, but I'm aware that Wake is marginally higher ranked than Rush. Perhaps I wont mind living in a small city and see what Winston-Salem has to offer! After all, I hate dealing with traffic.

Rush really emphasizes community service, which aligns with my values as a future physician. I want to make the most of all the service opportunities that Rush offers. Also, I am so excited about the possibility of living in Chicago. I'm not sure how I feel about the flipped classroom since I've succeeded in college by attending lectures. I've also heard that Wake has stronger match lists than Rush for anesthesiology but I'm not too sure about this. I'm also interested in neurology as well, which I believe Rush has a stronger match for.

If anyone would like to add something, please let me know! I would also value any feedback you may have. Thank you!

Would anyone know what the weekly class schedule is for Wake?
 
I'm a current student at Rush, the preclinicals usually look like this for us:

Each week
2 cases (4 hours each) in your small group of 20, you will be further divided into groups of 5-7 students for personal discussion
Other classes/dissection/professionalism/clinical courses (4-6 hours)

Generally, on campus 12 hours average each week, anything like 16 hours or more is highly unusual. They also typically tone down class time quite a bit if a midterm/final exam is coming up.
Thank you for this info! Does Rush have any certificate programs (global health, medical Spanish, resilience, etc.)? I can't find this information on their website.
 
Thank you for this info! Does Rush have any certificate programs (global health, medical Spanish, resilience, etc.)? I can't find this information on their website.

Not sure if there are any "certified" programs, we definitely have the opportunity to take electives in medical Spanish, and many other topics in the preclinical years. They usually meet once per week or every two weeks.
 
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I'm a current student at Wake - our schedule varies in the first three months of Anatomy & Physiology (also known as CAP) versus the rest of your preclinical time. In each block, only the first day of each lecture is mandatory and some occasional specialist lectures. Lectures are recorded and available online. Lab and simulations are mandatory, and we have afternoon classes throughout first year that require mandatory attendance. Breaks and off days are scheduled for the year and are usually released in April/May for the next academic year. Classes schedules are usually confirmed 3 weeks out and changes on short notice are emailed to students.

CAP: MWF Lecture, usually 8-12 am. TTh Lab 8-12 am. Lab includes at least two hours of cadaver lab per session as well as rotations through Radiology, Histology, and Ultrasound. Lab is open at all hours except when the staff clean from 4-5pm so if you're an early bird or night owl you can go at what time is best for you. You have a quiz your first full week, and afterwards, exams are every 3 weeks.

Post-CAP: Lecture lasts 2-4 hours in the morning with mandatory learning labs every few weeks. Exams are usually every 3 weeks but may vary for some blocks. You will have afternoon classes on non-exam weeks.

Afternoon Classes: MAPS (ethics/moral class), CS (clinical skills), and ICRIT (case based sessions) occur on afternoons and have a fluctuating schedule. You have them at least once a month at the beginning, and they increase to about 2-3 times/month after CAP.

Winston-Salem is a great place to live if you love to get outdoors. If you particularly like Asian cuisines, Greensboro (~20-30 minute drive) has more options than W-S although we have some great Thai and locally sourced foods. We also have some of the best coffee shops that start serving wine/beer in the evenings and some amazing breweries. The lack of traffic is a huge plus, and W-S can offer many of the resources of a bigger city with some extra green space and fewer crowds.

If you are looking at a specialty, Wake has great match rates - it's part of the reason I came since I like having a lot of choices. The Class of 2019 had 80 out of 121 match into non-IM/FM residencies and 31 match into surgical specialties. Also, we have one of the most intense neurology blocks in the country with 9 dedicated weeks, which the M1's are in now. Most of our anatomy PhD faculty are also neuroanatomists, so they tend to geek out in lab. We don't advertise it through admissions, but almost all of our students are involved in community service work! One of your first weeks when you arrive is a Service Day and a list of organizations students regularly volunteer at are sent out after the event.
 
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I will add my vote for Wake Forest. North Carolina is beautiful, Tuition is reasonable, and they have sports teams. Hard to beat that.
tuition is reasonable at $61,200?
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Looks like the COA of wake is around $15k more expensive than Rush...is this a factor I should consider? After all, I'm pulling out hundreds of thousands in loans...
 
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