U Chicago - neighborhood question

[Mumpu]

I hear U Chicago is in a very dangerous neighborhood. Can anyone confirm/disconfirm this?

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[Mumpu]

(in the finest tradition of answering my own question)

Looks like there have been at least 13 armed robberies (of the gun to the head kind) of students around U Chicago campus since mid-September. That's plain freaking scary.

There goes that interview...

 

[Zolpidem25]

(in the finest tradition of answering my own question)

Looks like there have been at least 13 armed robberies (of the gun to the head kind) of students around U Chicago campus since mid-September. That's plain freaking scary.

There goes that interview...

what if you were to live in a nice part of chicago, drive to the medical center every day, park in a secure lot, drive back home. they've got to have a secure parking lot, if its really in THAT bad of an area. i would avoid using public transportation to and from the campus probably.

i don't know, that sucks...

 

[Mumpu]

Mmm... I'm applying for a job where I start early in the morning and finish late at night. Even driving through a bad neighborhood is iffy -- what if you get a flat or your car breaks down?

I realize most university medical centers are in so-so places, but there's a difference between a neighborhood where you wouldn't necessarily go for a walk alone at night and places where you get held up at gunpoint.

I'm starting to pick up on "warning" words -- "historical," "multicultural," "redeveloping."

 

[Zolpidem25]

Mmm... I'm applying for a job where I start early in the morning and finish late at night. Even driving through a bad neighborhood is iffy -- what if you get a flat or your car breaks down?

I realize most university medical centers are in so-so places, but there's a difference between a neighborhood where you wouldn't necessarily go for a walk alone at night and places where you get held up at gunpoint.

I'm starting to pick up on "warning" words -- "historical," "multicultural," "redeveloping."

I definitely see your point, this must be a strong consideration....

did you read those warning words on the website?

 

[Mumpu]

Crime report for a SINGLE week:
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/11/01/crime_report_novembe.php

This is great.
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/11/04/crime_report_1142005.php

http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/11/01/attacker_mugs_visito.php
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/11/11/police_arrest_two_mu.php

Safety is one of the things that's always dismissed by the interviewers. I encourage everyone to go and read crime reports from the places they are interviewing at. Like I said, this has been a deal-killer for UChicago for me.

 

[BStein76]

I realize most university medical centers are in so-so places, but there's a difference between a neighborhood where you wouldn't necessarily go for a walk alone at night and places where you get held up at gunpoint.

I think everyone has a certain threshold for safety; for me I am less concerned about armed robbery relative to rapes/assaults/murders (if is just property theft, I barely consider that to be crime). I know it sounds cheesy, but if I have time I have a taxi drive me through the medical center at night just so I can get my own gut feeling (in addition to resident opinions). When I was interviewing for medical school I was most uncomfortable at Johns Hopkins; at the time everyone was talking about how you would get robbed at U Penn, don't leave at night...but I felt comfortable at the U Penn medical center. I thought there were enough people walking around and enough of a law enforcement presence there.

 

[Mumpu]

True, everyone has a different threshold. I draw the line at armed robberies because I can't run faster than the bullets. At the end of a hard ICU day, do you really want to be worrying about whether you can get home safely? Do you want to be worrying about that every day for 3 years?

I'm not investing in kevlar and a sawed-off shotgun under my long white coat (can't do that with a short coat, hah!).

 

[BStein76]

True, everyone has a different threshold. I draw the line at armed robberies because I can't run faster than the bullets. At the end of a hard ICU day, do you really want to be worrying about whether you can get home safely? Do you want to be worrying about that every day for 3 years?

Unfortunately for me, many of the schools I am looking at are in not so great areas so crime is going to be relative. I got rejected at JHU so the worst for me is not going to be even a consideration. I am not applying to U Chicago so I don't really know the area (I think it is worth going to the interview and seeing the area for yourself). I always like to try to ask the interns the questions because they are tired and sometimes a little bitter (i.e. if you pick at a scab long enough it will bleed, often profusely). The ideal intern to ask is the one that didn't show up to any of the recruitment activities that you randomly see on the hospital tours. The answers from the chief residents always seems somewhat disingenous because of their role in the recruitment (I have yet to meet a chief resident that has said anything truly negative about their program).

 

[phllystyl]

Ill be there soon, so Ill take a look into it. Keep in mind though that I went to medical school at Temple. Hard to imagine many places being any worse in terms of surrounding hood.

 

[Mumpu]

I went to college just outside of Philly. The fact that I made it to Philly 3 times in 4 years (not counting the airport trips) should tell you something...

Bbart, the Chicago trip would cost me $350 or so in airfare and hotel. I can't afford to visit a program I won't go to. Besides, I'm uneasy for obvious about walking around a known 'hood in a nice suit. St Louis was bad enough.

 

[BStein76]

Bbart, the Chicago trip would cost me $350 or so in airfare and hotel. I can't afford to visit a program I won't go to. Besides, I'm uneasy for obvious about walking around a known 'hood in a nice suit. St Louis was bad enough.

Fair enough I think your logic is sound regarding the Chicago interviews in light of the other schools you are considering. I thought St. Louis was pretty nice; I lugged all my stuff back and forth from the airport to Barnes-Jewish (Central West End station) and never felt uncomfortable (all for $3.75 one way and $1.25 the other way). In fact the light rail trip and walking around the medical center was relaxing. Maybe despite wearing a nice dress, I looked like I could open up a can of old-fashioned Southern whoop-a**.

 

[phllystyl]

mumpu, not quite sure im gettin what yer tryin to insinuate Philly aint that bad cept for the north part and some areas west of 45th or so.

different strokes, though...

 

[Mumpu]

No offense, but Philly just wasn't a favorite city of mine (then again, I'm not a fan of the East Coast in general). Running up the steps of the Museum of Art was fun though!