Rush

[DrVanNostran]

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So I know a lot of applicants have complained about the lack of residents at the pre-interview dinner and lunch. So if any of you have questions, feel free to ask. I am a current Intern at RUMC and at your disposal.

 

[wyme84]

What has your experience been so far?

 

[FrankGore]

What's the typical wards schedule like?

 

[jdh71]

Do they provide hookers and cocaine, or is that something you are expected to purchase for yourself?

 

[DrVanNostran]

Night Float:

PGY-1: 8 weeks of night float

PGY2-3: 4-6 total weeks.

2 schedules on NF:

1. Admitting: 9PM-9AM. Cap at 5 patients. You usually are out by 830 AM

2. Cover: 4PM-7AM-cover all general medicine teams. Sucks from 4-midnight. Usually are out by 730AM.

Night float is in 2 week blocks. Usually 9-10 shifts in 14 days. An example would be: 3-4 ICU/CCU, 3-4 medicine floors, 1-2 cover

 

[DrVanNostran]

What's the typical wards schedule like?

So as an intern, we have 3 GMF (ward months). For example:

Day 1: Long Call: 7AM-930PM-cap at 7 admissions, usually happens either quite early or doesn't happen at all. You will get report on your patients, but if they do not show up by 830PM, it goes to night float.

Day 2: Post Call: 7AM-4-5 PM, depending on when you finish up.

Day 3: Short Call: Team gets 7 (so you get 3 or 4 patients). You usually get overnight patients that were admitted by night float and maybe 1-2 throughout the day. So usually 7AM-5PM.

Day 4: Pre-Call: 7AM-4-5 PM.

The block is 28 days long and you get 4 days off. The negative is that interns don't usually get weekends off.

The good:
-No Short call on weekends.
-If you are not on call on the weekend, you usually can get out around 10-12.

At noon, there is noon conference which is protected time. There is free lunch.

 

[DrVanNostran]

Do they provide hookers and cocaine, or is that something you are expected to purchase for yourself?

Free on ED months. Then go to Cook County if we are in need.

 

[DrVanNostran]

What has your experience been so far?

So far it has been pretty great. The seniors are awesome. The schedule is actually pretty chill except for CCU which is q3, but its still not that bad.

I think the teaching is lacking. It really hit or miss with the attendings. Apparently it gets much better when you are senior since their morning report is supposed to be very good.

 

[McPoyle]

Hey DVN,

Could you expand on how you feel teaching is lacking? The morning report I saw was pretty solid, though it didn't look to be very well attended. How are the other conferences?

Also, any sense how the new non-teaching service is going to be utilized?

And, what do you wish you would've known, that you know now, prior to making your rank list?

Thanks!

 

[GOINGDUMB]

do they provide hookers and cocaine, or is that something you are expected to purchase for yourself?

lol

 

[gutonc]

lol

Don't laugh...that was a dead serious question.

The relevant f/u question is, if they don't provide them, do they at least help you procure them?

 

[DrVanNostran]

Hey DVN,

Could you expand on how you feel teaching is lacking? The morning report I saw was pretty solid, though it didn't look to be very well attended. How are the other conferences?

Also, any sense how the new non-teaching service is going to be utilized?

And, what do you wish you would've known, that you know now, prior to making your rank list?

Thanks!

1. The morning report is REQUIRED for SENIORS. Seniors leave no matter what for morning report. If you are on outpatient or night float you usually don't go to MR, so thats why it may have seemed empty. Interns are usually in the middle of rounds or on consults so they don't go to report. If I do end up getting to report, it has always been solid.

The afternoon conference is kind of hit or miss.
-Monday, Tues, Thurdays everyone has conference.
-Wednesdays are grand rounds-like every other place, its either awesome or way over an interns head.
-Fridays-1st half of year are intern conference and 2nd half is for seniors board review.

The seniors (and fellows) I have had have been awesome about teaching.

Attendings-hit or miss on rounds. Some attendings will bring in articles, others will do sit down lectures.

On clinic days, there is a half hour or so of going through MKSAP questions.

2. The non-teaching service is being put into place because there are good amount of private patients spread out throughout the teams. I think this is place more for patient care rather than resident education. This way the intern/resident is just focusing on privates.

3. I'm interested in H/O so I sometimes wish I went to a program more heavy into H/O research. The program at Rush is very clinical. The best thing about Rush IMO is the overall quality of life, we are super busy, but we are by no means over worked and it is very low stress for the most part. However, I do think we are lacking in the academic sense in comparison to other programs. Nevertheless, the fellowship placement has been solid.

 

[DrVanNostran]

Don't laugh...that was a dead serious question.

The relevant f/u question is, if they don't provide them, do they at least help you procure them?

Like I said, the quality of life at Rush is awesome 😉

 

[LoudBark]

What is the amount of FMG's and DO's compared to AMG's at Rush?

Rush always seems to take FMG's from the Phillipines from what I have heard.

 

[DrVanNostran]

What is the amount of FMG's and DO's compared to AMG's at Rush?

Rush always seems to take FMG's from the Phillipines from what I have heard.

I think 2-3 FMG/DOs in the categorical program (intern class). I don't know about the upper levels.

 

[GOINGDUMB]

Don't laugh...that was a dead serious question.

The relevant f/u question is, if they don't provide them, do they at least help you procure them?

I lol that its even a question.

Bottom line:

No hooker = Not ranking.

 

[DrVanNostran]

I have interviewed at "better" programs, academically-speaking, but I love Chicago. Unfortunately, I did not get other interviews in Chicago. I really like Rush, but I keep getting mixed reviews on it. I don't want to make a foolish decision, in ranking it higher than stronger programs, moreso for the social scene. What do you think about the lack of a VA, limited exposure to the underserved, their research program which is on the rocks, and their overall reputation? Btw, I want to go into hepatology.

-Not having a VA is not an issue in my opinion. You learn medicine either way. People quote the diverse patient population you get, but I think they just like the chill hours of VA.
-We have a pretty diverse patient population, we essentially see everything. We are no Mayo Clinic in regards to zebras, but we get a ton of interesting cases.
-Research program-will answer this below.
-Overall reputation: In Chicago and for the most part in the Midwest, Rush is very well known. We have a lot of connections to other programs in terms of residents/fellows going on to become faculty in the midwest. Nationally, I don't think we are that well known.
-Everyone who wanted GI this year got it. Overall, I think we were 30/31 in the fellowship match.

 

[DrVanNostran]

I stumbled across an old post of yours in an old thread where you discussed choosing a "mid-tier" program over some of the big names. I'm in a similar situation; I've interviewed at some big name places in the SE/Midwest, but I'm really considering staying at my home program because my spouse's family is in town and we have a young child. I like the stability of staying close to home, but am I crazy to pass up the Duke/Vandy/Emory crowd? I want to do pulm/ccm or cards, and I'm interested in academics..

My decision to choose Rush vs UIC vs Loyola was basically completely family dependent. I had some great IM interviews (namely, Mayo, OHSU, UC Irvine, Baylor and Emory). Had I been single or if we didn't have a kid, going to one of those programs would have been an easy decision for me.

Till this day, I am 50/50 on my decision. Staying in chicago was great for my family. Do I wish I went to a bigger program with more research and stronger fellowship prospects; yes. My rank list came down to the last few hours. I just went with my heart and ranked: 1: Rush 2: UIC.

FWIW, Cards doesn't seem to hard to get into for AMGs these days and Pulm/CC while getting more competitive should not be a problem for you.

If your family is willing, I would go to Duke/Vandy/Emory over your home program.

 

[DrVanNostran]

So I have been getting a lot of questions about research.

Overall, I think this is the weakest part of the program. It is very difficult to find resident projects. Most of the research being done is at the clinical trial level. I cold called and emailed a ton of faculty and was fortunate to find something at the end of my intern year. I am lucky that it panned out to an abstract and hopefully a paper. But, I do know of residents who are still struggling to find a viable project. If you are going to a residency and hoping to get 3-4 1st auther pubs out, this is probably not the place for you.

But like I mentioned before, the fellowship match is pretty strong.

 

[rockstar88]

Hey! Is it possible for IMGs to match in the program? If yes, how can I increase my chances of matching in Rush IM..I mean, what do they look at? Thank you.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

what made you choose rush over uic?

 

[sanj238]

What is the amount of FMG's and DO's compared to AMG's at Rush?

Rush always seems to take FMG's from the Phillipines from what I have heard.

why is

I think 2-3 FMG/DOs in the categorical program (intern class). I don't know about the upper levels.

Why is this even a relevant question

 

[10987654321]

So I know a lot of applicants have complained about the lack of residents at the pre-interview dinner and lunch. So if any of you have questions, feel free to ask. I am a current Intern at RUMC and at your disposal.

I didn't interview at Rush but this is great. I wish a few more residents from other programs would do something like this. Thanks, DrVanNostran.

 

[visari]

why is


Why is this even a relevant question

The number of IMGs/DOs in a program can be a surrogate marker of how competitive the program is. Again "CAN BE". some crappy community programs in the middle of nowhere don't take IMGs/DOs and some of the top programs in the country take a few IMGs/DOs every year.

I agree that if someone is going to base his rank list only on the number of IMGs/DOs in the programs, he is far beyond any help.

 

[sanj238]

The number of IMGs/DOs in a program can be a surrogate marker of how competitive the program is. Again "CAN BE". some crappy community programs in the middle of nowhere don't take IMGs/DOs and some of the top programs in the country take a few IMGs/DOs every year.

I agree that if someone is going to base his rank list only on the number of IMGs/DOs in the programs, he is far beyond any help.

I've noticed that a lot of doctors are deeply insecure about themselves and use any marker to justify their own self worth- whether its their counterparts degree, their residency, the specialty they go into- its kind of scary considering these petty decisions are what play a very (IMO) significant role in the physician community- and the impact ultimately on patients.

 

[DrVanNostran]

re: DO/IMGs at Rush:

The osteopathic and IMG residents at Rush are phenomenal. I would say the current ones are probably some of the strongest and most intelligent residents in the program. This is just guessing, but I don't think the selection committee says, "hey, we need 2-3 IMG/DO residents." I think they just take whoever they feel is the strongest and best fit for the program.

As for the 2nd year class, everyone is very relaxed and we all enjoy medicine.

 

[DrVanNostran]

My ple

I didn't interview at Rush but this is great. I wish a few more residents from other programs would do something like this. Thanks, DrVanNostran.

My pleasure 🙂 I interviewed at a lot of programs so if you any general Qs, I am here to help.

 

[DrVanNostran]

what made you choose rush over uic?

Just a gut feeling. I think UIC is a pretty great program with an amazing PD. The research opportunities are probably more abundant at UIC. Here was my basic breakdown:

Rush vs UIC
- Similar match lists, UIC probably had a mild edge on the academic match
- Better ancillary staff at Rush
- Rush has a much nicer hospital (the new one). The old hospital/atrium is like any other older hospital.
- Better benefits IMO at Rush
- Lectures/Board review-better at UIC
- I forgot what EMR UIC uses, but Rush has Epic which I love

As a side note, the one thing I wish Rush had was a 4+1 system

 

[pluckyduck1105]

This thread is fantastic, thank you so much DrVanNostran! I had a few questions remaining about Rush as well, since I'm actually thinking about ranking them very highly.

1) I got some insider information on the interview trail from a current med student at Rush, and he told me that the one major gripe he had about his experience at Rush was that the IM residents seem to be pretty overworked, especially ever since the hospital was renovated and expanded. It sounded like everyone in the city (including EMS) knows that RUMC is the big new shiny hospital in town and they preferentially send patients there, and so admissions have been way up and the residents are just getting slammed and drowning in work. Any merit to these claims? I've heard mixed things, with some saying that the amount of work at Rush is actually quite manageable, so I just wanted to hear your take based on your personal experience there.

2) The interview day packet said that research electives are available to those residents who are interested. How many dedicated research elective months can you sign up for? I've gone to interviews at programs that ranged from 1 to an unlimited number of months that you can dedicate to research (as long as you fulfill your requirements)

3) As far as procedures, do you feel like as a resident that you get adequate exposure and priority in getting them?

4) Is everything done on the EMR (all notes, consults, orders)? I think I recall our tour guide telling us that everything is done on Epic, but I don't remember anymore.

Your honesty is once again truly appreciated! Thank you so much!

 

[DrVanNostran]

This thread is fantastic, thank you so much DrVanNostran! I had a few questions remaining about Rush as well, since I'm actually thinking about ranking them very highly.

1) I got some insider information on the interview trail from a current med student at Rush, and he told me that the one major gripe he had about his experience at Rush was that the IM residents seem to be pretty overworked, especially ever since the hospital was renovated and expanded. It sounded like everyone in the city (including EMS) knows that RUMC is the big new shiny hospital in town and they preferentially send patients there, and so admissions have been way up and the residents are just getting slammed and drowning in work. Any merit to these claims? I've heard mixed things, with some saying that the amount of work at Rush is actually quite manageable, so I just wanted to hear your take based on your personal experience there.

2) The interview day packet said that research electives are available to those residents who are interested. How many dedicated research elective months can you sign up for? I've gone to interviews at programs that ranged from 1 to an unlimited number of months that you can dedicate to research (as long as you fulfill your requirements)

3) As far as procedures, do you feel like as a resident that you get adequate exposure and priority in getting them?

4) Is everything done on the EMR (all notes, consults, orders)? I think I recall our tour guide telling us that everything is done on Epic, but I don't remember anymore.

Your honesty is once again truly appreciated! Thank you so much!

1. Intern year is a nut punch. But I think it's like that at most places. On GMF months, I feel like we capped on most days (7 new patients as an intern on long call and 2-3 on short call). You will definitely work hard, especially during intern year. But after seeing the surgery residents, I feel very lucky.

2. As far as I know 1 month is both the min and max research. I hope to get my entire month as an R3.

3. Procedures are tough to get. If you get them, they are in the units. Priority: Fellow>resident>intern. I'm not all that interested in procedures (going into Heme/onc) so it does not bother me.

4. Everything is done in Epic for the most part. Stat labs are usually put on a clipboard. Some random labs you may need to physically write. You call all your consults. I like epic, but like all EMR is does get annoying sometimes.

Overall, I think we are a solid mid-tier program with a big upside. Good luck!