SIU vs UIC

[12loser12]

Most of you are probably sick of these threads, but I"ve had to wade through about 400 of them without posting my own so I thought I'd open the debate. Chicago campus is (probably) closed so UIC will be the URP route.

Pros and cons of each?

IL residents or med students at either school be sure to weigh in. Thanks!

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[WCGee]

I had to make a similar decision a month ago (UPR track vs. SIU) and I decided, for now, on SIU (My first choice is Penn State, but I'm waiting on SIU's financial aid letter to come in). I think the UPR track is comparable to SIU in terms of facilities, hospitals, class size, culture (peoria, rockford, urbana, springfield are all pretty small more rural towns) etc so I would just choose the one that's cheaper. I'm also a UIUC student and I definitely do not want to be in Urbana for a fifth year. Also, my parents living about half an hour away from Rockford, I know firsthand that Rockford's about as exciting as Carbondale/Springfield. They're both good schools, though. I think if you search, there was a thread about this last year, but yeah. SIU. Just my opinion.

 

[12loser12]

TY WC,

Did you notice any big differences in their cirricululm? I feel strongly towards family medicine and don't mind the rural route but I just hope SIU isn't limiting me to that. I don't want to decide on a different or more competitive residency and have SIU not prepare me for it. Any thoughts?

 

[Catalystik]

I feel strongly towards family medicine and don't mind the rural route but I just hope SIU isn't limiting me to that. I don't want to decide on a different or more competitive residency and have SIU not prepare me for it. Any thoughts?

Here is the match list from 2006 posted 6/3/06 by NEATOMD. You'll see it's quite competitive and by no means limiting SIU students to 'rural medicine'.

"SIU SOM 2006 Match List that I found online:
Pediatrics:
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems, Richmond, VA
Stanford University Programs, Stanford, CA
Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL
University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hospitals, Springfield, IL
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Medical College of Georgia Augusta, GA
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA


Family Practice:
University of Illinois, Methodist Medical Center, Peoria, IL
University of Illinois, Methodist Medical Center, Peoria, IL
University of California at San Diego, CA
SIU School of Medicine, Decatur, IL
University of Illinois, St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL
Advocate Lutheran General Hosp. Park Ridge, IL
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hosp., Springfield, IL
Spripps Mercy Hospital, Chula Vista, CA
Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC
University of Illinois Methodist Medical Center, Peoria, IL
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
Quad Cities Genesis, Davenport, IA
Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Ft. Gordon, GA
SIU School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL
St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hospitals, Springfield, IL

General Surgery:
Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA
Brookdale Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, IA
Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY

Internal Medicine:
University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
Aurora health Care/ASMC, Milwaukee, WI
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hosp., Springfield, IL
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hosp., Springfield, IL
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hosp., Springfield, IL
St. Louis University School of Med., St. Louis, MO
St. Vincent Hospital Center, Indianapolis, IN
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL

Obstetrics-Gynecology:
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO

Emergency Medicine:
Pitt County Mem. Hosp./Brody SOM, Greenville, NC
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
University of Illinois St. Francis Med. Center, Peoria, IL
Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis MO
Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
University of Florida HSC, Jacksonville, FL

Ophthalmology:
Ohio State Univ. Med. Center, Col. OH
St. Louis Univ. St. Louis, MO.

Dermatology:
Baylor Colloge of Med. Houston, TX

Pediatric Medicine:
Indiana Univ. School of Med. Indianapolis, IN

Orthopaedic Surgery:
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hosp. Springfield, IL
Grand Rapids Medical Ed, Grand Rapids, MI

Anesthesiology:
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO

Psychiatry:
Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

Urology/Prelim. Surgery:
University of Illinois College of Med., Chicago, IL
SIU School of Med. and Aff. Hospitals, Springfield, IL

Plastic Surgery:
Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
St. Louis University, School of Med. St. Louis MO
SIU School of Medicine and Aff. Hospitals, Springfield, IL

Pathology:
University of Tennessee, College of Medicine, Memphis TN

Radiology:
Ohio State University, Medical Center, Columbus, OH

Prelim. Medicine:
St. Louis University, School of Med. St. Louis, MO

Prelim. Surgery:
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL"

 

[WCGee]

TY WC,

Did you notice any big differences in their cirricululm? I feel strongly towards family medicine and don't mind the rural route but I just hope SIU isn't limiting me to that. I don't want to decide on a different or more competitive residency and have SIU not prepare me for it. Any thoughts?

SIU is 100% PBL (with supplemental sessions = optional lectures) while UIC/UPR is pretty lecture intense with some PBL after the first year. So I guess if you know what type of learning suits you best, that would help you make a decision.

Also, like Catalystik posted, SIU chooses students who wish to serve Central/Southern Illinois (family/rural med). As a result, many students go into residencies that reflect that goal. SIU, however, does not limit you to rural/family medicine by any means. Their match list is comparable to other schools if you take into consideration what their primary objective/type of accepted student is. Both SIU and UIC will give you the tools to get to where you want to go, it's up to you to take advantage of them.

 

[NEATOMD]

Both are good schools. I had a similar decision a few years ago and chose SIU, but I think people should pick the one that is the best match for themselves.

SIU students match competitively into residencies all over as do UIC students.

A brief summary of SIU's match for 2007 is listed here:http://www.siumed.edu/news/releasesFY07/ResidencyMatch.html
You'd be interested to note that 42% matched into family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics (combined) so over half the class matched into non-primary care residencies. A high number of SIU grads have been choosing EM lately.

Also, to quote the page linked above: Other match results for SIU seniors were three each (4.5%) in anesthesiology, general surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology and orthopaedic surgery. One student each will train in child neurology, medicine/pediatrics, medicine/psychiatry, neurology, pathology, surgery/preliminary and urology."

As noted in a post above, SIU students tend to match into very good residency programs as well.

 

[Mobius1985]

I've heard that Peoria offers free housing to its med students because they are all considered below the poverty line in income and independent of their parents. That would be about $6000 in savings on annual expenses. Can anyone confirm or refute this? Or is it just an 'urban legend'.

During my Rockford tour, I was told that there are no nearby apartments, but that many of their med students live in the small rental homes on the street behind the med school, very cheaply, four per house. The neighborhood looked quiet and well-kept. Costs were not quoted to me, but a dean said she's never heard any complaints about the housing. Any other input?

 

[Catalystik]

I've heard that Peoria offers free housing to its med students because they are all considered below the poverty line in income and independent of their parents. That would be about $6000 in savings on annual expenses. Can anyone confirm or refute this? Or is it just an 'urban legend'.

A UIC-Peoria track student told me that this is true. The apartment building is across the street from the hospital. However there are a limited number of spaces for the people that apply for it, and you have to be qualified. Also, you can't have been claimed by your parents as an income tax deduction. She reports that someone this year was found to have misstated the truth on this latter point and was asked to pay the savings back and a fine as well.

 

[NEATOMD]

A UIC-Peoria track student told me that this is true. The apartment building is across the street from the hospital.

Have you ever looked at the housing close to most hospitals? Unless the property is run by the university, it might be a bit scary. It might be fine, but I'd definitely check out the location before I jumped onto this one.

 

[Happy2BOB]

I also had to make the same decision a few years back and chose UIC. Basically, I decided that an all-PBL curriculum wasn't for me.....I wasn't convinced that I could learn what I needed to learn in that type of environment. I really think that's the largest difference between the two programs, so you really need to think about how you learn and which style will suit you best. Good luck!