What about Northwestern?

[DrRads101]

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I moved out today too. I am not living in the building yet but will permanently move in probably in a week or two. The weather is a 10 right now Strngout IMO. This time of year this area has the best weather in the country IMO. It has been unusually cool this summer though, which has been quite nice.

Auricae, I know how you feel. The thing I like about NU is if I get sick of class, school, campus, whatever, I can just walk a couple blocks and mentally and physically be in a whole 'nother place. Its tough to do that in college towns--you are literally "stuck" there and have to live and breathe your college and the atmosphere that surrounds it. I love NU, don't get me wrong, but it is nice to know that if I want to go out with some friends I don't have to be stuck "on campus" or "near campus" at some college bars, etc., and can basically live a much more diverse life. Get what I'm saying? It will be like real life, not college life, only your full time "job" is "medical student." Chicago itself is the campus. All of these reasons are why NU was my top choice from the get go.

 

[CalBeE]

I moved out today too. I am not living in the building yet but will permanently move in probably in a week or two. The weather is a 10 right now Strngout IMO. This time of year this area has the best weather in the country IMO. It has been unusually cool this summer though, which has been quite nice.

Auricae, I know how you feel. The thing I like about NU is if I get sick of class, school, campus, whatever, I can just walk a couple blocks and mentally and physically be in a whole 'nother place. Its tought to do that in college towns--you are literally "stuck" there and have to live and breathe your college and the atmosphere that surrounds it. I love NU, don't get me wrong, but it is nice to know that if I want to go out with some friends I don't have to be stuck "on campus" or "near campus" at some college bars, etc., and can basically live a much more diverse life. Get what I'm saying? It will be like real life, not college life, only your full time "job" is "medical student." Chicago itself is the campus. All of these reasons are why NU was my top choice from the get go.

What you said about getting out of the campus setting echo what I feel too 😉

 

[uwcoxswain]

Yeah and one of the cooler things I remember from the packet is that the first week we don't even have class.... it's all activities to get to know each other and Chicago.

O-Week is by far the best week of first year. I cannot remember a time when I consumed more alcohol over a 7 day period. It not only gets you out and about in the city, but really facilitates class bonding (as well as giving you an opportunity to meet some of us nice M2s 😉 😉 ) Make sure to set aside some cash though... Chicago bars can get pretty pricey. I look forward to meeting you all in the fall.

Any questions about NU, Chicago, 1st year, etc... feel free to send them my way.

 

[StrngoutAS]

O-Week is by far the best week of first year. I cannot remember a time when I consumed more alcohol over a 7 day period. It not only gets you out and about in the city, but really facilitates class bonding (as well as giving you an opportunity to meet some of us nice M2s 😉 😉 ) Make sure to set aside some cash though... Chicago bars can get pretty pricey. I look forward to meeting you all in the fall.

Any questions about NU, Chicago, 1st year, etc... feel free to send them my way.

Sounds awesome... there was a point when I wasn't ready to move and take the plunge into school again but now I can't wait. I know it's been discussed before but we should try to get a few little get-togethers going even before O-week.

Quick question... around when should we expect our first exams? A few friends wanna check out chicago and it would be a shame if they came around the time we had exams.

 

[StrngoutAS]

Another quick question... are we eligible for U Passes on the El being full-time students even though it's professional school?

more questions to come later...

 

[UCLAMAN]

Quick question... around when should we expect our first exams? A few friends wanna check out chicago and it would be a shame if they came around the time we had exams.

the first exam last year was 10-13-03. the second one was 11-14 and then 12-18. i have no clue what the exact dates will be for this year but expect them to be around the same dates.

 

[DrRads101]

Bump for all the other first time posters in here. I see a lot of other Northwestern threads and I thought this one has a lot of good info for the board...

 

[04DukeBio]

Hey, anyone still reading the thread, got a quick question.

I just moved in about a week ago and now am looking for a gym. I noticed a lot of gyms are down south of where I live, near the river, approx. 12 blocks away or so. One fairly close to me (LakeShore or something like that) costs about $263 to start up, and $63 each month (yeesh!)...

Does anyone use the student gym in Lake Shore Center? Since I don't have an official NU Card (Wildcard?) yet, I don't have access to the building. I'm also curious to what the membership fees are for that facility. I'm hoping they're somewhat lower than what I've looked up so far.

I appreciate any help!

04DukeBio

 

[rockstar2525]

Where do you live? I'm not a NU student, so I don't know about the student gym, but I live in Chicago and know something about fitness. You can definitely find something cheaper than that one you mentioned, depending on what you want. If you want something really basic, I'd look into some of the small window-front type work-out facilities. A lot of those don't have huge $$ membership contracts and are really affordable. They don't have a lot of fancy classes but they always have the basic cardio/weights. Let me know what area you're looking and maybe I can give suggestions.

 

[UCLAMAN]

Hey, anyone still reading the thread, got a quick question.

I just moved in about a week ago and now am looking for a gym. I noticed a lot of gyms are down south of where I live, near the river, approx. 12 blocks away or so. One fairly close to me (LakeShore or something like that) costs about $263 to start up, and $63 each month (yeesh!)...

Does anyone use the student gym in Lake Shore Center? Since I don't have an official NU Card (Wildcard?) yet, I don't have access to the building. I'm also curious to what the membership fees are for that facility. I'm hoping they're somewhat lower than what I've looked up so far.

I appreciate any help!

04DukeBio

lake shore center gym is 100 for the whole year(cant beat that really). they put a sticker on your wildcard and give u a key to access lake shore center. the gym is decent and has everything u need from bikes, to ellipticals, to treadmills, to cables, to freeweights and machines. they recently added tv's too.

 

[DrRads101]

Another quick question... are we eligible for U Passes on the El being full-time students even though it's professional school?

more questions to come later...

This is a good question that I hope someone can answer. If not I'll just have to get a ChicagoCardPlus which saves you 10% and has online accounting.

 

[bw07]

No, the medical school does not participate in the U-Pass program. I believe only a few schools at NU do (Journalism - Medill does I think)

 

[Auricae]

Hey, anyone still reading the thread, got a quick question.

I just moved in about a week ago and now am looking for a gym. I noticed a lot of gyms are down south of where I live, near the river, approx. 12 blocks away or so. One fairly close to me (LakeShore or something like that) costs about $263 to start up, and $63 each month (yeesh!)...

Does anyone use the student gym in Lake Shore Center? Since I don't have an official NU Card (Wildcard?) yet, I don't have access to the building. I'm also curious to what the membership fees are for that facility. I'm hoping they're somewhat lower than what I've looked up so far.

I appreciate any help!

04DukeBio

I suggest just going to the lake shore center office and signing up for the summer. I don't think you need a wildcard. Just tell them you are an incoming med student. I was an undergrad at NU, but my card is no longer valid. They still let me sign up and gave me keys to the gym. It's $60 for the summer and $100 for the year.

 

[04DukeBio]

Auri, you rock.

Wow, well, considering my other choices (Lakeshore and Lifesmart (in Ontario Place) would cost me an arm and a leg, the student gym wins hands-down. Thanks so much for the quick reply!

04DukeBio

 

[Auricae]

Auri, you rock.

Wow, well, considering my other choices (Lakeshore and Lifesmart (in Ontario Place) would cost me an arm and a leg, the student gym wins hands-down. Thanks so much for the quick reply!

04DukeBio

np

 

[StrngoutAS]

bump bump bump...

this is going out to those incoming m1's that have settled down in chicago...

sick of assembling furniture? need to get out and hit the town?

let's go out for a drink this weekend before the reception on sunday and enjoy chicago before we have to go back to class. supposedly there's a big airshow going on this weekend and i know my building at least will be letting people up to the sundeck to view for free so if anyone's up for that as well, PM me and let me know.

 

[DrRads101]

Bump this thread one last time for old time's sake. I thought there was so much good information put into this thread that it may be helpful and certainly relevant for the class of 2009 applicants...

Good luck guys! 🙂

 

[wends]

i got the ole status page boot 🙁 as did many other SDNers. those pictures are just a dream crushed now.......... 😳

 

[DrRads101]

i got the ole status page boot 🙁 as did many other SDNers. those pictures are just a dream crushed now.......... 😳

Don't worry wends... You'll get in a great place and become a great doc. It just wasn't meant to be with NU.

 

[KalebMD]

Recieved my letter last week from NU, and I sure now thats where I am going. Anyone else who was accepted sure they are going to go there? For anyone who is an M1 now, do you know if the Lake Shore Center will be open next year? When I was there for my interview there was talk of it not being open for students to live in. Just wanted to see who was out there, totally pumped about going to NU next year!

 

[gdk]

well, after not hearing anything since i submitted my secondary package back in august, i finally got the "we hope you get into medical school... somewhere else" letter from northwestern.
oh well, 3 interviews and 2 rejections. still have a chance at 3 of my top 4
good luck to those accepted. seemed like a good place.

 

[k-monger]

Recieved my letter last week from NU, and I sure now thats where I am going. Anyone else who was accepted sure they are going to go there? For anyone who is an M1 now, do you know if the Lake Shore Center will be open next year? When I was there for my interview there was talk of it not being open for students to live in. Just wanted to see who was out there, totally pumped about going to NU next year!

On my tour a few weeks back, they told us that the Lake Shore Center would not be open next year.

Unfortunately, I interviewed too late to make it to the adcom during their November meeting. Thus, I'll have to wait until February to find out if I will be your future classmate.

Congrats!

 

[04DukeBio]

First post in like, a year. Wow. I'm a M1 this year, in case you're all like, WTF, who's this freak?

Yeah, the East Lake Dungeon will not be open next year. Frankly, from horror stories from my classmates, that's a good thing. My recommendation for looking for housing is to look early and cross your fingers. I definitely took a day prior to the second look weekend activities to go apartment/condo shopping (that was April or so), and was glad I did so. Now that y'all won't have LSC, you'll want to get a good head start to make sure you don't end up screwed in terms of location, quality or price.

That being said, congrats for those of you coming to NU next year, and for those of you who NU cut, I'm certain you are all more than qualified to be doctors... it really is a crapshoot a lot of times, so don't take it as a statement of your competency or ability if you don't get into a certain school. You're all doing great, and this certainly is a rough time for y'all. Best of luck and later...

ctwickman, see you in anatomy lab!

04DukeBio

 

[KalebMD]

What is the average rent people are paying for living around NU, and did the school do anything to make it easier to find a roommate, like a message board or something? I am pumped to be there next year, but dont know much about housing at all in Chicago.

 

[DrRads101]

Students have a variety of opinions on where/what they like best, in terms of housing. I live at 1 W. Superior and couldn't be more happy. Rent varies, and it depends if you are happy with a studio or you want to get a one bedroom. The university will definetly offer you advice when it comes time, but some good advice is to start shopping early, not just because it is smart and you'll really get to know Chicago that way, but it is fun too, IMO, to hunt for apartments because there are SO many options and SO many different locations.

But to give you an idea where many people seem to live, because it is so close, these are usually the places people start off with:

http://www.lakeshoreplaza.com/
http://www.mcclurgcourt.com/
http://www.habitat.com/residences.asp?m=intro&id=67&state=IL

Those seem to be the 3 most popular places among M1 students. As people get to know Chicago their locations vary more since some people might like to take the EL or a bus in rather than be so close. I live about a 15 minute walk away directly from campus, and it is perfect. These other places, in my humble opinion, are too close (they are literally like 2 blocks from school). I like having that buffer zone to come home too, and I love living in the River North area versus Streeterville (where campus and these apartments are).

The other best tip I can give you is to check out chicago.craigslist.org

...that is a wonderful site of condos/apts for rent. You don't have to live in an apt complex BTW, condo complexes are just as good, if not better, and you may end up getting a better deal. Remember there are many condos for RENT so you don't have to buy.

Remember NOT to choose any place on the basis of "meeting people" or "meeting friends" because you will make friends no matter what and meet tons of people right away, and will see these people every day anyways.

 

[KalebMD]

hey, thanks a lot for your help, I want to start looking soon.

 

[04DukeBio]

Yo all.

Completely agree with ctwickman on the whole meeting people business. I'm not renting, but living in my parents' 'investment,' a small studio off of Michigan Avenue. I was concerned about the lack of other students living in my building, but considering how social I am (read: not), I've felt pretty good about getting to know my classmates. Definitely look for someplace that'll be good for you in terms of price - location may not be a huge factor, but if you haven't lived in Chicago or the Midwest before the weather can be a surprise. I'm enjoying the fact that class for me is a quick six minute walk, now that the weather has turned vindictive.

The closeness and the detachment to school may be a big factor - I always feel like I'm on campus, in a way. Living on Michigan Avenue has its ups and downs. The tourists tend to clog up the sidewalks on the weekends and evenings, and there actually isn't a good, inexpensive grocer near my pad. Other factors you should think about in terms of location are proximity to fire stations *cough* Water Tower Fire Dept... and hospitals - because waking up at three AM to sirens is no fun. I would also consider how close you would be to an El stop, because apart from the frequency of trains, it's hella convenient and you can get anywhere you'd need to.

Price wise, for purchasing your own condo, it really varies from unit to unit. I have seen units for 200k that look like absolute crap, to units ~145k in the same building that are beautifully renovated. (Grand Ohio) It really is a crapshoot (just like medical school admissions!) trying to find a good place for a good price, which is why if you or your parents are investing in a property you should start searching as soon as you can. And definitely, though it may be a hassle, get out here and look at the properties. Things may look good on paper, but after seeing the places in person... meh. You also get to check out the kitchen appliances, which was important to me - I just gotta bake! Some places have good living spaces but the kitchens are just horrid... anyways.

Find a good realtor and tell them what you need, your situation, and you'll be on your way. I can't recall exactly what sites I looked up while I was still at Duke, but I think any general property database is a good way to start.

04DukeBio

Back to GI and Repro Anatomy... mesosalpinxoriffic

Edit: Because thought and though are not one and the same.

 

[bridge01]

links to northwestern match lists. http://www.infoplex.northwestern.edu/class/alumni/
(if you want to know how to interpret these feel free to ask)

good luck and enjoy your summer!

==========

hm, doubtful that this person is still around on SDN. this post is old. but for anyone else out there, i had a question about the residency match.

i was reading the 'ward rounds' / northwestern magazine that they gave on the interview day. it says that in the 2004 match, unusually, about 12 students didnt match on the 1st day. but eventually they placed somewhere. i guess some people didnt get into a transitional yr program but they did get place into a 2nd yr residency.

can someone add some explanation to this? did they pick competitive specialities, unlucky, etc? thanks.

 

[DrWuStar]

woah... back from the dead this thread is. weird.

northwestern is great. i am very happy here and encourage those who are accepted to come here. as for housing, i live kind of far from school in wriggleyville. it's about a 35 minute commute door to door (walk to the el, take the el, walk to campus). worth is to me because the rent is cheaper, the apartments and neighborhood more charming, and i like having a school-free zone in my life. plus i have a dog, so it's good to live where there is more grass. streeterville is very urban.

ok, back to the penis (GI/repro exam is friday for those of you who aren't here yet and don't get the joke)

 

[DrRads101]

Yes, but you have to pay $100 a year for it.

 

[Doc Ivy]

What is the average rent people are paying for living around NU, and did the school do anything to make it easier to find a roommate, like a message board or something? I am pumped to be there next year, but dont know much about housing at all in Chicago.

Studio in streeterville-- 850-900$$ maybe more, one bedroom maybe 1000-1100 (in my building at least, which is right on the lake, and 2 min away from school). But Galter Carriage house is more affordable than that (that's the subsidized grad student housing) it's actually nice and the apartments are huge. I think there might be a waiting list. Wooster might also be a building to look into that's more affordable in the area. But regardless Streeterville is expensive, that's why some people live in Hyde Park or Wriggleyville, but commuting kind of sucks. It's nice to wake up at 7:15 hop in the shower and be in class by 7:50.

 

[KalebMD]

Thanks for everyones advice, I have started looking at apartments and stuff. Hey, for everyone that is going to NU next fall, has anyone gotten the packet telling us about the second look weekend or anything?

 

[bridge01]

Thanks for everyones advice, I have started looking at apartments and stuff. Hey, for everyone that is going to NU next fall, has anyone gotten the packet telling us about the second look weekend or anything?

i havent gotten anything yet.
maybe they're waiting til the second round of acceptances in february,right?

 

[KalebMD]

yeah, that sounds right, i never thought about it that way

 

[bridge01]

yeah, that sounds right, i never thought about it that way

hey kaleb, they sent out an email today! so... there's some progress... now if only they could master the bcc function of email....

 

[calstudent]

hey kaleb, they sent out an email today! so... there's some progress... now if only they could master the bcc function of email....

yes, i'm setting the dates for re-visit aside. i'm sorta glad that they didn't use bcc, so we know who are potential classmates are, although i only recognized one person from the list (come on, who didn't look through all thsoe names? 🙂

 

[KalebMD]

Hey Everybody,

Yeah, I know I am a nerd and posting on Christmas. Haha. Not to sound like an idiot, but what is the bcc function of e-mail? And, yes, I did search the whole list looking for the people I interviewed with; one of the girls that was in my group interview was accepted too. I was surprised they took two people from one. Looking forward to seeing everyone next april, email me or IM me if anyone has any questions or ideas. Anyone know what they are doing for living? Happy Holidays to everyone.

Kaleb

 

[BraneDoc]

BCC stands for "Blind Carbon Copy." It allows you to send an e-mail to multiple people without them knowing who else is receiving it. In this case, it might have been better for Northwestern to use that function, rather than letting everyone see everyone else that was accepted (or so I gather from the chatter...).

 

[04DukeBio]

Hey all,

Posting in the last waning bits of Xmas here in frigid cold Chicago. Glad to hear you're starting to get invites to Second Look - it's a lot of fun, and, for me at least, just verified that NU was the place for me.

Anyways. Random posting aside... have a nice night, y'all.

 

[bridge01]

hey can someone comment on the Northwestern curriculum in terms of the 3rd & 4th years?

i am impressed w/the M1 & M2 curriculum, but i am wondering about the clinical exposure. is med student involvement limited because you are working in mostly private hospitals?

thanks! 🙂

 

[KalebMD]

Hey to everyone who was accepted at this point, and knows this is where they are going, thats me. How is your last semester going. Its not going terrible for me, but its not going great. I mean I care about my classes, but am not obsessing over them as usuall. So, it appears my grades are slipping a little. Anyone have any clue just how much we can screw it up? Haha.

 

[04DukeBio]

Hey, Kaleb,

That's an ok attitude to have - you've earned it, and welcome! I would have slid, too, had I stayed in school, but I was a dork and worked in a lab.

Hope to run into you at Second Look maybe? Anyways, think of it as a little downtime before you arrive in Chicago and learn to live in the library and Tarry 2.

Anyways, we M1s are buckling down for the terror that is CVRR - our exam is on Valentine's Day - yet more reason for some of us to growl, huh?

Back to the books - AR finale tonight!

04DukeBio

 

[DrRads101]

Don't listen to 04DukeBio. He doesn't even go here. He was rejected last year and just decided to "show up" and since then they can't seem to get rid of him.

😉

 

[KalebMD]

Hey everybody who is at NU,

When should I find an apt, sign a lease by? I am not terribly worried about it, as it is only Feb., but there must be a time frame as to when I should do it. Just wondering what people did last year. And, hey, I know its sort of a big class but if anyone on here knows Mark Yaffe, tell him I say thanks for all the advice he gave me when I stayed with him the night before my interview. It was my first one, and though it was my number one choice, I never thought I would get accepted at my first interview and I was sort of paranoid about it. Looking forward to second look weekend in April, do I need to get a hotel or anything? Ok, ok, I know enough questions for now.

 

[DrRads101]

hey can someone comment on the Northwestern curriculum in terms of the 3rd & 4th years?

i am impressed w/the M1 & M2 curriculum, but i am wondering about the clinical exposure. is med student involvement limited because you are working in mostly private hospitals?

thanks! 🙂

Sorry for the delay. We've been busy lately and just took a test so I haven't been keeping up.

Clinical exposure is rotated around different hospitals around Chicago, and yes this INCLUDES private Northwestern hospitals but is not limited to them. What I can tell you is that if you want, you can rotate at the VA hospitals which, from what the M4's tell me, will let you do pretty much ANYTHING you want to the patients, as good (or as bad) as that may sound. I have heard no complaints about lack of "hands on" experience here, that's for sure, and there is a diverse mix of hospitals you can rotate in, all the way from one of the ritziest and nicest hospitals in the country (NU Memorial, I'm sure you saw it during your interview), all the way to the VA.

Things are a'changing fast though, since they are building a brand new women's hospital, changing the hospitals you can choose to rotate in as a result of student feedback, and by the time you are ready for rotations, the Lakeside VA (across the street from NU Memorial) will be on its way down to make room for yet another 1.5 million square foot new hospital on the same piece of land (NU just bought the rights to that property and this takes effect in 2007... I'm sure knowing them they are going to waste no time building another new hospital here because they are expanding so rapidly).

 

[rockstar2525]

Thanks for posting ctwickman, I was wondering about that as well. The lack of "hands on" experience was my big concern with NU. Now that's that taken care of, SIGN ME UP. I mean, LET ME IN so I can sign myself up! C'mon NU, PLEASE!! 😉 🙂

 

[DrRads101]

Actually you will get plenty of "hands on" experience before you even start your 2nd year here, let alone 3rd! As an M1 we are all starting pelvic exams a couple weeks from now and have been doing abdominal, vitals, et al on patient actors since we started this year.

It doesn't get more "hands on" than pelvic exams!! 😀

 

[04DukeBio]

Another note about PEX from this NU Med stowaway:

They've already made pretty significant changes to the PEX (phys-exam) curriculum to give us a broader range of experience. Apparently, just last year, they taught the cardio/resp portion of the exam with just male patients and suddenly brought in female patients the day of the Clinical Skills Assessment (needless to say, a lot of students weren't prepared).

This year, they've split up the CSA. Instead of having just one at the end, we have two phases. Also, at least some of our groups had a separate class going over the unique difficulties of doing heart/lung exams on women.

(EDIT: And the reason for that was because the other groups were participating in a new study on using ultrasound to verify finding abdominal organs.)

All this from student feedback - so they do listen, which I think is great.

For hospital rotations and such - well, I'm not too familiar with them, but some upperclassmen I know have little to no complaints, so I'm assuming it's all good.

Oh, and disregard anything ctwickman says about housing - he claims to live downtown but I know he really sleeps on the benches at Millenium Park. 😉

04DukeBio

 

[rockstar2525]

Oh, and disregard anything ctwickman says about housing - he claims to live downtown but I know he really sleeps on the benches at Millenium Park. 😉

Oh, I saw him the other day sleeping on lower wacker drive, I didn't know he went to Northwestern! Heck, I would have actually given him some change if I thought it would help my chances of getting in . . . 😉

 

[DrRads101]

Pulled this from another thread...

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/18/42159c4587896?template=default

Applicant pool jumped by over 1000 this year! Congrats to all those who got interviews. Sounds like next year's class will be the best yet!

---

Med school applications reach 7,000
Feinberg reports 17 percent increase in 2005 applicants

By Helena Oh

February 18, 2005

The number of students applying to Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine jumped to almost 7,000 applicants for an 170-student class, exceeding the national trend.

Applicants to Feinberg grew 17 percent this year, compared with a 2.7 percent jump nationally. Applications totaled 6,894 for students seeking to enter Feinberg in 2005. There were 5,883 applicants last year and 5,597 in 2003.

"It's a pretty big jump," said Raymond Curry, Feinberg's executive associate dean for education. "As Feinberg's reputation as a school and as the reputation of our educational program improve, we can expect to see more applicants."

The number of applicants to medical schools has increased for the entering classes of 2004 and 2005 after a decrease in the number of applicants for the entering class of 2003, according to an October 2004 press release from the Association of American Medical Colleges, a non-profit organization that represents all U.S. and Canadian accredited medical schools.

The number of minority, or underrepresented, student applicants has also increased at Feinberg and nationwide. Medical schools define "underrepresented" students as blacks, Latinos, Puerto Ricans and Native Americans, Curry said.

"In the past five years or so, it has gone from having less than 5 percent of our classes containing minority groups to consistently over 12 percent," he said.

Although the growing applicant pool is desirable, Feinberg's admissions staff will have more difficulty deciding which prospective students will be granted interviews, Curry said. University President Henry Bienen boasted of Feinberg's larger and more competitive applicant pool at his State of the University speech Thursday.

"At the Feinberg School of Medicine ... interviews for this year's class ended just last week," Bienen said. "The interviewees are some of the very best students from the full range of universities and colleges in the country and have demonstrated remarkable records of achievement."

Prof. Gregory Makoul said the increase in applications is probably due to the fact that Feinberg was one of the first medical schools to offer its students more hands-on learning experience, in addition to its traditional science courses.

"The new curriculum (the Patient, Physician & Society program) is now 10 years old, and I think that's been enough time for people to hear good things about it," said Makoul, director of Feinberg's program in communications and medicine. "Students are talking about what it means to be a doctor in their first year. The educational environment is not competitive; it's very cooperative."

Under the Patient, Physician & Society program, Feinberg students work with simulated patients to build clinical and professional skills, Makoul said.

Even though Feinberg was not among Rena Shah's list of top five medical schools, the Weinberg senior said she applied because she was attracted to its unique curriculum.

"The curriculum is not so much books and memorization and more problem-based learning," Shah said. "It's more organic-based and holistic."