From An Anonymous Poster:
Program Name: Rush University Medical Center
Structure: Social event the night before at a bar near the hospital. Very friendly and interactive. You start your interview day at the outpatient center with a tour there, then go to the actual hospital. You then have breakfast, 3 interviews (one faculty, one with the PD, and one with one of the associate PDs), tour, and lunch (very fancy! The residents report LOVING going to this lunch). The PC made it a very smooth day; I was impressed.
Program: 11 residents per class (smallest class size of places I interviewed at). Unique curricular aspects include: everyone takes cardiology (PGY1 year), no true ambulatory experience until PGY2 year (besides cont. clinic) where you have 8 weeks of acute clinic, combined ED/child psych experience, Med/Ed elective (present lectures for rotating M3 students). NICU is done PGY1 year, PICU not until PGY2 year. NO electives during PGY1 year. Residents carry between 6-7 patients on gen. wards and feel this is enough. Patient populaton is a good mix of underserved minorities and white upper-middle class PPOs.
Faculty: PD was very nice, but somewhat formal in her demeanor. PC was extremely helpful. There is collaboration between UIC/Rush/Stroger for Heme/Onc and Developmental Peds (faculty go back and forth, and therefore so can you for electives), which everyone seems to like. There are very few fellows running around (9 total across 3 years), which residents like.
Housestaff: Went to the social the night before. Felt slow to start, but by the end of the night everyone was talking and having a great time. Residents are close to not only their class but all classes, because the size is smaller. It seems to be 50/50 ish primary care and specialty, and by far the most popular specialty is Cardiology. Residents say they get their top or second choice for fellowship.
Facilities: Hospital within a hospital model. Unfortunately, they are still in process of moving all the peds floors to the new tower, which is beautiful. The NICU is Level III, in the new building, they do ECMO, private rooms. The rest of the floors/PICU will be over by 2015-16 (they weren’t sure exactly when). ED is shared with the adults, only a level 2. They use EPIC and have a brand new SIM center that the residents all use and like.
Misc: Lowish salary for Chicago (~51k), free parking, gym on site for residents, PGY1s get a free iPad mini when they start, PGY2/3s get $300. Each year, eligible for $1000 for tuition reimbursement, conference attendance, and workshops.
In sum:
Pros:
- Combined ED/Child Psych seems interesting
- New Level III NICU with private rooms, new Sim Lab, EPIC used
- Classes seem close
- Benefits are good: iPad, educational stipend, gym, parking
- Collaboration with other institutions to offer more electives
- Not a lot of fellows, residents have A LOT of autonomy
- Would qualify for the PSLF program as Rush University Medical Center is a 503 (c) (3) organization.
Cons:
- For me it seemed too small; I wasn’t convinced that the program wouldn’t fall apart if 2 people left on, say, maternity leave
- Not enough ambulatory exposure. Residents say that “you learn enough” but I wasn’t convinced.
- Level 2 ED
- Though they say everyone gets one of their top choices for fellowship, they don’t seem to send people to every specialty, and most stay in Chicago
- The peds floors/PICU are still in the old building, which is not as nice. They were unclear on when they will move over.
- No formal teaching elective, but residents don’t seem to miss it. They feel they teach adequately.
Program Name: Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Structure: Social events take place at residents/attendings’ homes 5 times throughout interview season. Because of my other interviews, I couldn’t attend them, but I heard from other applicants that it was nice and relaxed. On interview day, you had a light breakfast, 2 interviews with faculty plus an interview with one of the PDs, a tour, lunch with the residents, and you attended noon conference. Their noon conference might have been my favorite as they really included you in the case discussion, without making you feel like you were on the spot.
Program: 13 residents per class, which was on the lower side for places that I interviewed at. Unique curricular aspects include: STaR rotation (PGY2) that takes admits during lunch so noon conferences are 100% protected, over 12 weeks of elective time in PGY1 year, 2 week mandatory lactation elective PGY1 year and 2 week mandatory palliative care elective PGY2 year. Pathways exist for those interested in primary care and research. Program is affiliated with the University of Illinois, Rosalind Franklin, and Midwestern Osteopathic, so you get medical students from all of these places. Patient population is mostly white upper-middle class.
Faculty: PDs are all extremely friendly. The PD I interviewed with seemed more interested in my non-medical interests than anything else, which I actually liked. There are very few fellows (9 total across 3 years and all in the PICU), which means residents get VERY close to hospitalist and specialty faculty. Not many faculty are engaged in basic science research, mostly clinical, but residents don’t seem to mind that. Attendings love being attending here – one of my interviews felt like the faculty member was recruiting me for an attending job, not for residency.
Housestaff: 25% go into outpatient primary care, 25% become hospitalists, and 50% go on to fellowship. Everyone gets one of their top choices, and I was impressed with some of the places they matched (Phoenix, Mayo, Nationwide) considering they are more of a small community hospital. I’d say about half are DOs, which even to me seems like a lot (though I love DOs I’ve worked with!). Half the residents live in the city of Chicago, half live in the nearby suburbs, but everyone still seems to get together frequently.
Facilities: One of the larger hospital-within-a-hospital models I interviewed at (51 gen peds floor beds alone). Level III NICU, level 1 peds/adult trauma center. New outpatient pediatric pavilion where everyone does their continuity clinic in addition to all outpatient specialty experiences. Inpatient uses Cerner/Powerchart, outpatient uses AllScripts. Residents admit they dislike having to go back and forth between 2 EMRs to get information.
Misc: Works with nearby high school to provide preventative health care, have a “clinic on wheels” PGY1/2s participate in. All meals provided through generous “allowance”, free parking, PGY1s get an iPad + $250 educational allowance, PGY2/3s get a $750 educational allowance each year. Only 6 weeks guaranteed for maternity/paternity leave.
In sum:
Pros:
- Full disclosure: I rotated here as a sub-I, so that’s my bias. I loved my sub-I. The interns and seniors alike impressed me with how they were able to “hit the ground running” each rotation. They had complete ownership of their patients, called great consults to attendings, and were great teachers for the medical students from day 1. Your lecture time is protected, but you are still a “healthy level of busy” (each resident takes care of 5-7 patients per day). I think if primary care is your end goal that you would get great training here.
- Level 1 trauma center, Level III NICU (not sure if they do ECMO though… forgot to ask), new outpatient center – overall nice facilities
- Higher salary than other Chicago programs ($53k), free parking, gym onsite.
- Early and frequent electives, required palliative care and lactation electives.
Cons:
- This is for sure a community program, which means although almost every specialty is present and represented, I kinda doubt the intensity of the specialty representation. Also, this means that research opportunities are more limited than academic places.
- This is NOT a Chicago program. Therefore even though people live in the city, I will say from experience that this is difficult commuting wise. On that same note, the logistics of where everyone lives makes it harder for me to believe that EVERYONE socializes with EVERYONE. More likely, I think suburban people stick together and Chicagoans do the same.
- Maternity/Paternity leave seemed less flexible than most programs I looked at.
- This place has a great reputation in the state of IL, but I doubt its national reputation, if that’s your thing…
- I couldn’t find out whether Lutheran or Advocate are 503 (c) (3) organizations, so I’m not sure if you would be eligible for the PSLF program.
- If your dream is to work with underserved populations, I wouldn't come here. We'd frequently have to turn away public aid patients because the floors had reached their "cap".
Program Name: University of Illinois (Chicago)
Structure: Social event the night before at a nearby bar. For me, it felt PAINFULLY awkward. The 5 residents that showed up basically sat opposite us and stared at us unless we asked questions. NO ONE was eating the food for the first ½ hour of the social, and I felt very weird when I got up at one point to initiate the eating process because I was so hungry. The interview day had us interviewing with 1 of the 2 PDs and 1 faculty member. UIC students also interviewed with the Chair of Peds, which I thought was awkward. One of my interviewers legitimately told me
not to come to UIC because (and I quote) “I think UIC prides itself on recruiting diversity, but it just doesn’t work. I mean you’re putting together a bunch of people with different backgrounds and then expecting them to get along, and it just doesn’t work that way.”
Sooooooo yeah… that was interesting…
Program: 13 residents per year – 2 of which are always IMGs because the program gets specific grant money to fund those spots specifically for international grads. Unique curricular aspects include: 12 weeks of elective each year, 8 weeks NICU PGY1 (PICU not until PGY2), 4 weeks of required inpatient Heme/Onc/Renal team PGY 1 year, great Med Ed department means a lot of teaching workships and electives. “Sub-fellowship” electives for senior residents to “try out” a fellow role in multiple subspecialties. Can do MPH
for free and many residents take advantage. Patient population is ~80% public aid, underserved minorities.
Faculty: I did a couple of rotations at UIC, and for me, the real bright shining light was the pediatrics faculty there. All of them were so incredibly happy with their jobs (well, except my above interviewer clearly); they felt it was “a calling” to be there. They moved mountains for their students, residents, patients, everyone. They were smart as hell and had their hands in pediatric EBM. The PDs are no exception; they would literally do anything to make your experience better. Also, because there are so few fellows (1 per year in Heme/Onc, Endocrine, NICU and Adolescent), you really get front line access to attendings. There is some GREAT research going on at UIC because of its reputation as the largest state-funded health system in Illinois, so there’s also that.
Housestaff: Oh where do I begin… If it wasn’t for the residents, I would be ranking this place much higher… Don’t get me wrong, some of the residents I rotated with and met on my interview day were great, wonderful, kind, smart people. But others were awkward, silent, or just plain antagonistic! Moreover, they always seemed stressed and “too busy” for you, which was surprising when I rotated there, because the Peds service is one of the lighter services at U of I hospital. Everyone else, faculty, support staff, etc. is nice! So I don’t get where the attitude of the residents comes from… That being said, its about a 50/50 split on primary care peds and fellowships, and their match rate for fellowship is pretty impressive (Baylor, Lurie, Duck, UCSF, UChicago).
Facilities: Bottom line is: they’re older. Definitely one of the less nice and pediatric geared sites I’ve been to. The NICU is Level III but they need to refer out for ECMO. Level 1 trauma center and VERY busy ED. Outpatient center is ONE small clinic office in an otherwise nice outpatient care center. Clinical Sim center is used frequently and is nice. They use Cerner/Powerchart for inpatient and outpatient.
Misc: Only 2 weeks guaranteed for maternity/paternity leave and then the rest you must use your vacation/sick days (most take 8 weeks), low salary ($51k) for Chicago, pay for parking, gym across the street, on-site child care provided, every year gets $750 for educational stipend, get a meal stipend that seems to cover residents’ food costs.
In sum:
Pros:
- Lots of autonomy
- Really practicing what they preach when they say they’re serving the underserved – more so than any other place I interviewed at frankly
- Lots of early elective time
- Busy ED
- Can get an MPH for FREE
- Great Med Ed department and electives
- Child care, gym provided
Cons:
- Residents. I wish they were nicer/better all around… This is my biggest reason why I will not be ranking UIC highly and it’s SUCH a disappointment…
- Facilities. They’re older and less nice. You refer out ECMO.
- I couldn’t find their 503(c)(3) status, but I’m sure as a state hospital that they qualify. However, I’m just putting it down here.
- No free parking, lowest salary of any place I interviewed at in Chicago
I am scheduled currently on 1/9/2015 and I would love to interview on 12/10/2014. Thank you!! 
