University of Illinois COM-Peoria: pros and cons

[rjpark2]

The U of I COM-Peoria is where I want to go (for various reasons) and I was wondering what you all have heard about it. anything from classroom info, #students who actually want to go there (vs Chicago), quality of buildings, etc. Any input would be helpful (and yes, i've checked out their website already but I would like to hear it from the SDN point of view).

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[Mobius1985]

I've heard they have the most scheduled classroom hours, but also have consistently scored higher on the Step I than the other campuses.

 

[DrJD]

So I have a question to add on to this... From the research I have done it seems like Peoria is more like a normal town/city, and it all sounds great! While I enjoy big city, going to medical school in a nice city sounds great. In addition to the questions posed by the OP, are your residency options limited by attending school in Peoria as opposed to Chicago?

Any experience with this? If accepted I'd almost consider picking Peoria over Chicago but would this be a bad idea? Thanks!

 

[bcat85]

So I have a question to add on to this... From the research I have done it seems like Peoria is more like a normal town/city, and it all sounds great! While I enjoy big city, going to medical school in a nice city sounds great. In addition to the questions posed by the OP, are your residency options limited by attending school in Peoria as opposed to Chicago?

Any experience with this? If accepted I'd almost consider picking Peoria over Chicago but would this be a bad idea? Thanks!

Absolutely not. I was accepted to UIC-Peoria (but picked SLU in the end), and I was really impressed with how well their students match. They have people in really good programs all over the country. If I were you, I'd pick Chicago (as peoria is... well.. you have to go there), but if you do decide on peoria, it will in no way limit your residency options. This is actually universal. With good grades, a good Step I score, and good clinical evals you can get a residency in literally anything literally everywhere in the US.

 

[DrJD]

Absolutely not. I was accepted to UIC-Peoria (but picked SLU in the end), and I was really impressed with how well their students match. They have people in really good programs all over the country. If I were you, I'd pick Chicago (as peoria is... well.. you have to go there), but if you do decide on peoria, it will in no way limit your residency options. This is actually universal. With good grades, a good Step I score, and good clinical evals you can get a residency in literally anything literally everywhere in the US.

Thanks bcat! Here is the thing, I guess it has to do with cost of living and then just lifestyle for my wife and I... From online it seems like Peoria is more like your typical town where you drive to the grocery store, and target and the mall, etc... Is this true? My wife and I really just want to be somewhere safe and where if we do start a family it would be a good place for all of us to live. Neither have us have ever been to Chicago so I don't know anything about the area!

I really like the clinical opportunities available at Chicago's campus, but what about living and lifestyle for someone who is married and may be having kids? My instinct would be to pick Chicago, but I would love to know what you mean by "you'd have to go there", what was your impression of Peoria?

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Thanks bcat! Here is the thing, I guess it has to do with cost of living and then just lifestyle for my wife and I... From online it seems like Peoria is more like your typical town where you drive to the grocery store, and target and the mall, etc... Is this true? My wife and I really just want to be somewhere safe and where if we do start a family it would be a good place for all of us to live. Neither have us have ever been to Chicago so I don't know anything about the area!

I really like the clinical opportunities available at Chicago's campus, but what about living and lifestyle for someone who is married and may be having kids? My instinct would be to pick Chicago, but I would love to know what you mean by "you'd have to go there", what was your impression of Peoria?

Dr JD,

Chicago is a great city but if you want to start a family during med school, I'd pick Peoria, Champaign or Rockford. The congestion in Chicago is a nightmare. Life would be much simpler in the other towns. On the other hand if your wife is going to work while you're in med school, Chicago has a great job market for professionals.

Conflict of interest disclosure: My kid is applying to UIC

Observation: You rocked the MCAT-Well Done!

 

[BambiMD]

Thanks bcat! Here is the thing, I guess it has to do with cost of living and then just lifestyle for my wife and I... From online it seems like Peoria is more like your typical town where you drive to the grocery store, and target and the mall, etc... Is this true? My wife and I really just want to be somewhere safe and where if we do start a family it would be a good place for all of us to live. Neither have us have ever been to Chicago so I don't know anything about the area!

I really like the clinical opportunities available at Chicago's campus, but what about living and lifestyle for someone who is married and may be having kids? My instinct would be to pick Chicago, but I would love to know what you mean by "you'd have to go there", what was your impression of Peoria?

My uncle and cousins live in Peoria--and my cousins are raising their families there. Peoria is one of the 'major cities' of Central Illinois and I've always enjoyed visiting, as it does have a smaller town feel.

I think what bcat85 is getting at is Peoria is, well, not Chicago. It does lack the culture and the allure of a big city. Some people do not deal well with the lack of such stimulation that a bigger city provides. Although I'd have to say that, outside of Champaign-Urbana, Peoria is a cultural hub of Central Illinois (as surprising as that seems to many).

Yet, Peoria has some great amenities for families. They have a minor league baseball team and a new(er) stadium. They have a water park and many great parks/playing fields. They're currently building a museum on the riverfront. There's even a riverboat casino that's all the rage.

That being said, there are some areas of Peoria that are not too nice, where crime rates are higher. However, the bad areas of Peoria pale in comparison to those of Chicago.

If I had a family, I'd choose Peoria or Urbana-Champaign over Chicago when deciding between the UIC campuses.

 

[DrJD]

Thanks guys for the great advice! I am really excited about the University of Illinois, it is by FAR one of my top choices so I just enjoy talking about it.

So a couple questions: Can students stay at Urbana-Champaign for four years? I was under the impression that wasn't an option but I'd certainly be interested in it if it was...

Follow up questions: If we step away from the living conditions and look at the academics between the two institutions. I have heard that Peoria has an intense class schedule, how do these schools compare academically?

The Chicago campus "fills up" by January every year, why is it that campus fills up so quickly compared to the other campuses? Is it because of the clinical experiences that the Chicago campus provides during year 3 and 4? It seems like Peoria in particular offers excellent opportunities at their hospital, have any of you heard about the clinical experiences at Peoria?

Thanks again everyone, I'm looking forward to learning more about this great University!!

PS
If others have more to add about the living conditions I'd love to hear that as well, the more information the better... Thanks again!

 

[scrplyr86]

i went to bradley university for my undergraduate education, which is in peoria. while i was there, i was involved in a research project with two medical students that went to uic in peoria. from everything that they told me, every student that goes to the peoria campus loves it there and says that they wouldnt switch, if they had to choose again they would definitley pick peoria.
like someone said before, they do spend more hours in class than some of the other campuses (they specifically mentioned rockford) but they told me that they do better on the step...(im not sure if that is true or not). they ALSO told me that free housing is available to any of the medical students, but some choose not to live there because it isn't that nice however, the cost of living is waaaay lower than chicago.
peoria is a very different kind of city. although it is considered one of the biggest "cities" in illinois, it doesnt feel like the city is very big, it has a small town feel to it. you definitely dont have to worry about driving to the nearest target or wallmart or whatever.
because im from chicago, when i first started living in peoria, i didn't like it at all. its sooo different from chicago, the feel and even the people are different. after spending four years there and now moving back home, i have realized that i do miss peoria. it has all those things they mentioned above (waterpark, peoria chiefs, etc). because bradley is right there, you can also go to the basketball or soccer games, they have plays and musicals, there is a symphony, and a pretty good nightlife and decent number of bars downtown and on farmington.
anyway, hopefully that helps give you more info about peoria!

 

[WinterLights]

If I get accepted to UIC, I will be heading to the Peoria campus. I personally would hate to live in a congested city like Chicago and Peoria is definitely more my style. I should probably mention that I've lived in a moderate sized city for the majority of my life so perhaps thats why I have a strong preference to attend in Peoria. If you want to live in a large city then you should probably head to the Chicago campus if accepted. Oh yeah, the gambling boats in Peoria are pretty fun too. Also Peoria is not too far from the UIUC campus, so if you want to head to an Illini game (or check out Champaign-Urbana) you can always make the drive.

 

[DrJD]

If I get accepted to UIC, I will be heading to the Peoria campus. I personally would hate to live in a congested city like Chicago and Peoria is definitely more my style. I should probably mention that I've lived in a moderate sized city for the majority of my life so perhaps thats why I have a strong preference to attend in Peoria. If you want to live in a large city then you should probably head to the Chicago campus if accepted. Oh yeah, the gambling boats in Peoria are pretty fun too. Also Peoria is not too far from the UIUC campus, so if you want to head to an Illini game (or check out Champaign-Urbana) you can always make the drive.

Hey winterlights I'm kind of in the same boat, my wife and I enjoy the moderate city feel, and if we do end up starting a family it sounds like Peoria would just be a better fit for us... Do you have any concerns about getting the specialty of your choice from Peoria?

It seems to me like it is more important to just get good grades, good letters and kick butt on the step... Thank you everyone for chiming in on what Peoria is like, it is really very helpful in starting to think about this. Any more insights are welcome...

 

[DrJD]

Another question about Peoria,

I've recently read some things that are saying Peoria isn't that safe, so I'm curious what all of your takes on that are? Is there a lot of gang violence, etc.?

 

[bcat85]

My uncle and cousins live in Peoria--and my cousins are raising their families there. Peoria is one of the 'major cities' of Central Illinois and I've always enjoyed visiting, as it does have a smaller town feel.

I think what bcat85 is getting at is Peoria is, well, not Chicago. It does lack the culture and the allure of a big city. Some people do not deal well with the lack of such stimulation that a bigger city provides. Although I'd have to say that, outside of Champaign-Urbana, Peoria is a cultural hub of Central Illinois (as surprising as that seems to many).

Yet, Peoria has some great amenities for families. They have a minor league baseball team and a new(er) stadium. They have a water park and many great parks/playing fields. They're currently building a museum on the riverfront. There's even a riverboat casino that's all the rage.

That being said, there are some areas of Peoria that are not too nice, where crime rates are higher. However, the bad areas of Peoria pale in comparison to those of Chicago.

If I had a family, I'd choose Peoria or Urbana-Champaign over Chicago when deciding between the UIC campuses.

This pretty much sums it up. If you are a big city sort of person, you will not like Peoria, but if you grew up in a little more rural or suburban area, I would imagine you would be very happy there. The city aside, U of I in peoria has an excellent program.

 

[BambiMD]

So a couple questions: Can students stay at Urbana-Champaign for four years? I was under the impression that wasn't an option but I'd certainly be interested in it if it was...

The Chicago campus "fills up" by January every year, why is it that campus fills up so quickly compared to the other campuses? Is it because of the clinical experiences that the Chicago campus provides during year 3 and 4? It seems like Peoria in particular offers excellent opportunities at their hospital, have any of you heard about the clinical experiences at Peoria?

Yes, students can stay at Urbana-Champaign for all four years. From their website: The UIC College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign is located at the original campus of the University (with 35,000 students, undergraduate and graduate) and offers a complete four-year medical education program leading to an MD degree. The first-year basic medical science program at Urbana-Champaign also serves those students who will complete their last three years of medical school at Peoria or Rockford.

I think the Chicago campus fills up a lot faster due to its appeal as a big city school. Most med students don't have families and are coming directly from undergraduate. Plus, I believe it is viewed in many people's minds as the 'main campus' of UIC.

I'm not really aware of the gang problems in Peoria; I do know there are bad areas of the city near downtown. However, if you live in East Peoria or Peoria Heights, and other areas of Peoria proper, I believe that these locations are viewed as relatively safe.

 

[rjpark2]

My boyfriend recently moved to Peoria and works at Bradley University. He's told me about the "bad" parts of town but they're pretty avoidable. Like one of the previous posters said, the gang problems in Peoria are nothing compared to those in Chicago so I don't see the point in worrying about that. I'm from the Chicago suburbs and as much as I love being 20 minutes away from downtown Chicago and the beaches, I really enjoy Peoria whenever I go there for extended visits.

I've heard that the Chicago campus incorporates clinical interactions starting in the first year, which the other route (CU/Peoria/Rockford) does not offer. That's one of the things that appeal to me about the Chicago campus but I think I'd still pick Peoria.

On another note, most of the students that stay at Champaign-Urbana for their entire med school career are the MD/PhD students. Yes, bambi, the website says they have students that stay 4 years there but I've talked to some people who strongly believe otherwise.

btw bambi, I hope you've watched Grey's because I'm going to call you to talk about it soon.

Anyway, anyone know more about the academic life of the Peoria campus relative to the other UI COM campuses?

 

[WinterLights]

Hey winterlights I'm kind of in the same boat, my wife and I enjoy the moderate city feel, and if we do end up starting a family it sounds like Peoria would just be a better fit for us... Do you have any concerns about getting the specialty of your choice from Peoria?

It seems to me like it is more important to just get good grades, good letters and kick butt on the step... Thank you everyone for chiming in on what Peoria is like, it is really very helpful in starting to think about this. Any more insights are welcome...

Another question about Peoria,

I've recently read some things that are saying Peoria isn't that safe, so I'm curious what all of your takes on that are? Is there a lot of gang violence, etc.?

I have no concerns about getting into a good residency from Peoria. I truly believe that your performance on the boards will get you where you want to go. Secondly, the cost of the education and living expenses is something that I want to keep to a minimum so that I'm not in debt 20 years after medical school.

Peoria has bad areas, as does any place with a population over 50k. However, most areas there are very safe. Steer clear of the bad neighborhoods and you will not have any problems. I think that you should probably take a visit to Peoria to see what it is like. I personally enjoy it.

 

[BambiMD]

On another note, most of the students that stay at Champaign-Urbana for their entire med school career are the MD/PhD students. Yes, bambi, the website says they have students that stay 4 years there but I've talked to some people who strongly believe otherwise.

btw bambi, I hope you've watched Grey's because I'm going to call you to talk about it soon.

Yeah, looking more closely, the website continues to say: each year 25 medical students (mostly students in the Medical Scholars Program) remain in Urbana-Champaign to complete their MD degree.

When there are ~150 Medical Scholars, I would guesstimate five non-MSPs stay in U-C to complete their four years. (Of course, this is an approximation--I couldn't find any actual statistics on their website.)

And, yes, I finally watched Grey's last night.

 

[rjpark2]

LOL i just realized you have "volunteer junkie" under your name. hehehe

 

[trustd1]

Woo..time to bring this thread back to life.

Thank you prior OPs for the information. I was recently assigned to Peoria so this may be the place I'll be heading to for M2-M4.

From my prior visits to Peoria, it does seem like a nice place. I love its waterfront! =)

I was hoping to learn more about what Peoria's medical school is like? facilities? professors? class schedules? exam schedules? student resources? clinical opportunities? research opportunities? etc.

Please share if you know or have heard anything. Thanks! 🙂

 

[BambiMD]

I visited the Peoria site this past week to get a sense of what it offers. The people there were very friendly--but I was unimpressed with the facilities. Unlike the Chicago site with more 'historic' facilities (built in the 1930s), the Peoria (and Rockford, I believe) building was built in the 1970s, complete with that oh so attractive faded orange carpeting.

They only have one building for the College of Medicine and don't have their own hospital. They partner with OSF St. Francis and Methodist Family Hospitals. (Btw, St. Francis is building a new "Children's Hospital of Illinois" which is an off shoot of St. Jude's Children's from what I was told.) There is a new "Illinois Medical Center" next to the COM which isn't owned by UIC, but leased to the group of doctors there for $1/year in exchange for 60% of their group to teach at the COM.

There isn't much of a campus life/amenities like you get at UIC/UIUC. But, they make up for it by providing gym memberships (to Riverplex, I think) and buying tickets to concerts/events that they distribute to students. Also, some students actually get free housing due to a relationship the COM has with the Peoria Housing Authority. Their med student lounge has a pool table, a Wii, study spaces, and a ping-pong table. Their cafeteria has vending machines only (and refrigerators to store your stuff) but there are local places within walking distance to get some food.

Class schedule for the most part is 8:30 or 9 to 4:30 each day with an hour lunch for M2 year. Instead of a clinical apprenticeship throughout your M2 year, they do an immersion week (at the end of M2 I think) where you spend an entire week with a doctor preceptor.

They have tutoring services available if you are having trouble. There are research opportunities available if you want to pursue it.

 

[trustd1]

Thanks Bambi for the info. I really appreciate it!

 

[BambiMD]

No problem.

Re-reading my post, I seemed a bit pessimistic about Peoria. The Peoria site is actually my second choice of site; I liked it much better than Rockford. I could see myself being happy there if I were to be assigned there.

I forgot to mention a few things that impressed me:

-The Clinical Skills lab. Seemed newer and had several of those dummies that simulate real patients.

-The staff. They were so very friendly, honest and accommodating. They definitely look out for their students.

-The site. The COM is basically in "downtown Peoria." Nothing like being in downtown Chicago--but I liked it better than Rockford, which seemed to be tucked away in a residential neighborhood.

-The students. They seemed genuinely happy. For many, it seemed like Peoria wasn't their top choice, but they ended up liking it a lot. My tour ended around noon, so it was nice seeing the M2s walking out of the building together to get some food. Peoria has only ~50 students, so it's a closer knit community (which depending on your preferences could be good or bad).

Peoria also has the RSPP (or some acronym like that) which is their rural physician training program. They also offer a combined MD/MPH (I think only in community health though)--most of those MPH classes are taken online. On the positive end of their MPH, there is no extra tuition for it (for the current year--it could always change) and it can be completed in 4 years with the MD (which a few people do, but they caution students not to take on so much).

Although I was unable to tour the hospitals, they seemed to be newer (or at least newer construction) and I was told that Peoria has the most MediVac transports in all of Illinois, since it is a major hospital area servicing Central Illinois (OSF St. Francis has two choppers, Methodist has one). They also have 10-15 residency programs (compared to Rockford's 1) and several students each year stay in Peoria for residency.

Another interesting fact is that there is a med student a capella group.

Overall, I think I was just disappointed with the actual facilities--which I hope my final decision is not based on these cosmetic failings of Peoria. The Peoria site still offers a quality education with many opportunities.