UICOM (RMED-Rockford) vs SLU

[chuckwaggon]

Hi! I have been accepted into the RMED program at UICOM in Rockford after interviewing and have recently been accepted off of the waitlist at Saint Louis University and wanted some opinions on how to weigh my options. I would be out-of-state for SLU but in-state for UICOM, but from what I can find that is not really an issue when it comes to SLU's tuition. I completed my undergrad at SIU-Carbondale so I am more familiar with living in a smaller and more rural area than both St. Louis and Rockford, but have visited St. Louis for most of my life. I am primarily interested in psychiatry and primary care fields so the primary care focus of UICOM's RMED program isn't a downside for me.

UICOM - RMED
Pros

• Block curriculum sounds nice on paper
• Have toured/visited the campus and met current students and faculty have consistently kept in contact
• Have alumni from my undergraduate that attended and I know other students in the incoming class
• ~2 hours from Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee
• Fits personal rural background
• Smaller class sizes

Cons

• Far from family and support systems (6 hours)
• Potentially limited residency and clinical options in Rockford
• Unfamiliar with Rockford and northern IL

Saint Louis University
Pros

• Very familiar with St. Louis
• Potential research connections at WashU
• Closer to family and home support systems
• In-house and other clinical and residency opportunities in St. Louis

Cons

• Religious affiliations (how much does this influence their curriculum in practice?)
• Larger class size
• Have not been able to physically tour the campus and meet faculty/students outside of interview day

I am leaning towards UICOM due to my familiarity with the program and its alignment to my own background and interests, but I just want to make sure that I am not glossing over anything when pitting the two against each other. Thank you for any input!

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[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

I thought the faculty at UICOM were wonderful and liked how their curriculum was structured. Nothing but positive things to say about UICOM from my experience. That being said, I’m not at all familiar with SLU.

Personally, I’d just go wherever is cheapest and if that isn’t a big enough difference to decide, wherever you think you’ll be happiest for 4 years. Both perfectly capable of prepping you for a career in PC so you can put aside the consideration of which school might help u better build a super competitive app or anything like that. Just go where you WANT to go.. the rest seems to be a wash.