RUSH Class of 2012

[listentoFresh]

listentofresh, i hope i have as much time as you as an M1. thanks for all the detailed and helpful answers!

and to anyone who can respond, why is bad technology such a con? i did interview at places that had better technology, but i don't really understand how not having it will get in the way of my education. from what i know, i will just need e-mail, decent histology slides/pictures, and maybe a recorder for class. am i missing something?

also, does rush have practice patients and do you ever do things like get videotapes of your patient interaction for critique? i guess in that sense technology would be highly beneficial.

I am failing! No, j/k. But actually last week I largely took it "easy" because we had our mid-terms the week before. A self-imposed/scheduled break so to speak. Now I'm trying to catch up, I've got over 180pgs of endocrine to read, not to mention anatomy! Biochem I'm doing ok. Anyway, it's not so bad, the time I mean. You'll have time!

I don't think the lack of up-to-date technology gets in the way of our education, but having it would make our lives easier. What especially annoys us is that we're paying SO much and yet we don't see it in the technology available to us at Rush. (We do see it in the free lunches, and the free lunches they give our advisers so we see them every quarter, and uh.. well organizations I guess.)

We do have e-mail, but the program/interface is ... it sucks. Lucky for us M1s (and Rush as a whole) we have Johnny_one_eye (aka Jonathan) who is pretty damn proficient with computers and web stuff so he has a work around that'll let you interface your Rush e-mail with Gmail, and so you can connect your Rush account to a Gmail account you hold.

I know Loyola has an excellent program setup that records lectures and whatnot. Rush is slowly working on that, I think this year is the first where they're trying to do it for a wide range of classes (or maybe it's our first ever, Johnathan could answer that). But when I'm volunteering at a clinic with a fellow Loyola student and I hear them say they're going to skip a lecture and well it's no big deal since it'll be recorded anyway, it does sting a big. But I mean, like I said, there's no impediment to the learning process here.. for the most part we're complaining about luxuries. Correct me if I'm wrong on this one friends.

In our very first quarter we were trained on how take a good history and our "final" consisted of doing a live interview with a mock patient (you get 1 practice session with a mock patient too, so it's not going to be your FIRST time doing that), and you are video taped. You are then required to view that tape (when it's available, and you can check it out at the computer lab) and critique yourself. Then later your class instructor will go over your critique with you and talk to you about what you can improve and so on. This 2nd quarter we've got ethics so that patient-interaction isn't as much in the curriculum, but as I've said before, by this time you'll probably be involved in more than a few organizations where you'll have opportunities to see patients. I'm not sure what the next few quarters hold for us but I do know that there will be much more patient-interaction classes in the 2nd year.

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[listentoFresh]

I'm still in shock that a school trusts me to become a doctor

By the way, I would ask that you never say that again

I'm sure you have plenty of good attributes which helped Rush decide that you would be a good fit for this medical school. I guess if you end up coming here I can decide that for myself. And uh, if you end up being right, well then you'll get lunch on me*


*said lunch does not necessarily need to be paid by me, and can be procured from any one of the many free lunches Rush provides its students

 

[ArgaWarga]

and to anyone who can respond, why is bad technology such a con? i did interview at places that had better technology, but i don't really understand how not having it will get in the way of my education. from what i know, i will just need e-mail, decent histology slides/pictures, and maybe a recorder for class. am i missing something?

It's just frustrating, mostly. There are some things we can't access on personal laptops, like histology slides (I think, I never really tried because I assumed I couldn't) and certain programs in our computer labs. True, the most intense things I've done with the technology on campus was email/study histo off a power point, but when a sizable portion of the computers give error messages and are slow as molasses, it gets on your nerves when you think about how much money you're forking over.

To be fair, though, it's probably not as bad as we make it out to be, and they have started replacing some of the computers in the library.

also, does rush have practice patients and do you ever do things like get videotapes of your patient interaction for critique? i guess in that sense technology would be highly beneficial.

Yes plus. First year we take an interviewing and communication class (IntCom is what the cool kids (me) call it) where we interview actors playing patients. In my experience, they seem to be playing up a personality flaw of some kind, and you have to learn to deal with pre-planned curveballs that they throw at you ("Do you think I could get vicodin for this?"). They tape your final interview, and you write a quick review of yourself then watch it with your professor. Also you're supposed to do some of that stuff with your preceptor, and as has been mentioned you'll get fantastic exposure to patients if you do volunteer work. Just today I saw four patients by myself and presented to an attending by myself. Good stuff.

Not sure of the details, but second year you do more IntCom stuff, with full history and physical examination. You do some with fake patients, and you do some with real patients either at Rush or at Cook County Hospital.

E:F,B. I should pay attention to the next page button.

 

[listentoFresh]

It's just frustrating, mostly. There are some things we can't access on personal laptops, like histology slides (I think, I never really tried because I assumed I couldn't) and certain programs in our computer labs.

Actually, C, you can access the histology slides now, even if you're on a Mac. If you're on a PC you can install a local program which will make some navigation around the slides closer to what it's like at school, otherwise if you're on a Mac (or Linux anyone?) you can view it all on a webpage that has the same basic commands. You basically stream the images over the internet. So if you plan to look at slides from home (your apartment, or center court), ideally you'll want a broadband connection. If anyone's wondering why they don't just put the images up to download, some of these images are over 1GB in size (though the average is closer to 400MB), and there are more than 50 images. All told the images take over 20GB or so.


Some of the other programs (hinted at in ArgaWarga's post) are probably best run on the computers in the lab. Vista doesn't agree with them, even if you run them through an MS-DOS window. My XP didn't agree with them either. These programs are really old and so they may only be a few kb large, but you just wouldn't want to run them on your computer (stability issues).

Then there are some other programs (like for anatomy) that are licensed and you can't have a copy for personal use. I have never used these personally.

 

[ArgaWarga]

you can access the histology slides now

Why would I want to do a silly thing like that?

 

[listentoFresh]

Why would I want to do a silly thing like that?

Touché

 

[buggati]

5 wks and counting post interview still no response from rush my excitement is dwindiling

 

[Daydreamer2008]

5 wks and counting post interview still no response from rush my excitement is dwindiling

Didn't they say anywhere from 3-6 weeks? Don't give up hope yet!!!!

 

[listentoFresh]

Didn't they say anywhere from 3-6 weeks? Don't give up hope yet!!!!

Agreed!

 

[jaqjxdd]

wow there are lots of detailed responses by current students here~ thanks for all the info! i just have a general question.. when do classes start in the fall? hehe for some reason i couldn't find a calendar online..

oh n i interviewed there on jan 16th and my waitlist letter was sent out on feb 8th and i got my acceptance letter on feb 18th. hope this gives some references for those still waiting in limbo~ =)

 

[jrock32]

Just gets to show you how cool the current M1s are...

anyways, here's a link to the calendar. http://www.rushu.rush.edu/registrar/academiccalendars.html
Next year, classes for M1 start on sept. 15 with orientation from 10-12th. Hope this helps. Fire away if you have any questions.

J

wow there are lots of detailed responses by current students here~ thanks for all the info! i just have a general question.. when do classes start in the fall? hehe for some reason i couldn't find a calendar online..

oh n i interviewed there on jan 16th and my waitlist letter was sent out on feb 8th and i got my acceptance letter on feb 18th. hope this gives some references for those still waiting in limbo~ =)

 

[listentoFresh]

wow there are lots of detailed responses by current students here~ thanks for all the info! i just have a general question.. when do classes start in the fall? hehe for some reason i couldn't find a calendar online..

The website is currently undergoing a much needed redesign. I think a lot of links might be dead and things that were easily (or not so easily) accessible before are harder to find.

But here's the link for the page with the Academic Calendars. You want to click on the 2008-2009, then look under the M1 column. Basically your school starts on September 10, because Sept 10-12 (Weds-Friday) is orientation. Those 3 days will be some of the longest, and scariest days because you're new and everything. But really there's nothing to be scared about, and I'll talk more about it as that date approaches. I'll be on here to answer any questions. But that Friday will be your White Coat Ceremony!

Then Sept 15 is your first day of actual classes! Exciting! (I wasn't, I wanted to delay it as long as I could, but that's not good, it's actually a lot of fun!)

 

[listentoFresh]

Just gets to show you how cool the current M1s are...

anyways, here's a link to the calendar. http://www.rushu.rush.edu/registrar/academiccalendars.html
Next year, classes for M1 start on sept. 15 with orientation from 10-12th. Hope this helps. Fire away if you have any questions.

J

Dammit jrock32! (it still works Jimmy!)

 

[jrock32]

Oh, what my link wasn't good enough. you had to go and post another one. Nice fresh.

J

The website is currently undergoing a much needed redesign. I think a lot of links might be dead and things that were easily (or not so easily) accessible before are harder to find.

But here's the link for the page with the Academic Calendars. You want to click on the 2008-2009, then look under the M1 column. Basically your school starts on September 10, because Sept 10-12 (Weds-Friday) is orientation. Those 3 days will be some of the longest, and scariest days because you're new and everything. But really there's nothing to be scared about, and I'll talk more about it as that date approaches. I'll be on here to answer any questions. But that Friday will be your White Coat Ceremony!

Then Sept 15 is your first day of actual classes! Exciting! (I wasn't, I wanted to delay it as long as I could, but that's not good, it's actually a lot of fun!)

 

[listentoFresh]

Oh, what my link wasn't good enough. you had to go and post another one. Nice fresh.

J

Since you obviously didn't catch on to what happened.. I was writing up that nice long post and didn't know that you had posted something until I hit "submit reply." You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over...

Now let's keep our bickering out of this thread. We'll have plenty of time to get on each other's back in these next few weeks till finals.

 

[rp1225]

Hi!

I'm gonna be starting in the fall at Rush and I'm really excited! I just wanted to say hi to my future classmates and also ask about housing. I was planning on living in the center court apartments, for any current students, is that a good option for the first year?

 

[listentoFresh]

Hi!

I'm gonna be starting in the fall at Rush and I'm really excited! I just wanted to say hi to my future classmates and also ask about housing. I was planning on living in the center court apartments, for any current students, is that a good option for the first year?

As opposed to getting an apartment nearby? Generally living near Rush is good first year or second, but especially first because you'll be taking Anatomy (and Histology in the first quarter) and it's just convenient to be able to go into the lab whenever (since the anatomy lab's open 24/7).

Living in Center Court means you're around your classmates and whatnot and that's kind of fun too because it's easier to hang out and have dinner together or whatever. But living somewhere other than Center Court won't hurt your ability to make friends and get closer to people.

It's also easier in terms of paperwork since all your financial stuff is going through the financial aid office, and since you're renting from Rush and not paying a third party monthly, the whole process is easier. Perhaps jrock or ArgaWarga, do either of you want to comment on this?

jrock lives in center court, in a single. ArgaWarga lives in Wicker Park, which isn't too far from Rush.

 

[ArgaWarga]

Please, we're all friends here. Call me A-Dub (P.S. Don't call me A-Dub).

On vs. Off campus is basically a trade off. Each has its own pros and cons, and you should consider these before making a decision.

I expected living on campus (Center Court Gardens, or CCG) would be like living in a dorm, which I was pretty tired of by the end of my college years. From most of my colleague's accounts, it appears I was right. Living off campus makes it easier to "get away from it all," so to speak, instead of being perpetually surrounded by the same people all day every day. Not that I don't enjoy my classmates, but being around them that much would lead to some kind of murder suicide, which residencies tend to look down on. Additionally, the area around CCG is somewhat... lacking, in my opinion. I live in the heart of Wicker Park, which I absolutely love. There's a nice variety of places to eat nearby, without having to walk three blocks to Taylor Street, the neighbor hood is incredibly vibrant and diverse, and the night life is (again, in my opinion) the best in the city bar none (particularly for an admitted hipster like myself–there's some fancy stuff, some dive stuff, and everything in between).

The downside to all this is that, as Fresh mentioned, I live a sizable commute away from school, so I have to do some coordinating to use the lab or show up for tutoring. If I had a quarter for each tutoring session I missed because I forgot I had it, left to go home early, then decided I either couldn't make it in time or just didn't want to put up with the commute, I'd pay for my first year. Okay, maybe not a quarter, maybe more like $10,000, but the point remains. The only places outside my apartment nearby are the library or coffee shops, and they close by 9 most nights, so having the option of the school library to study at would be very helpful. Finally, when I have a question on the material, I can't go knock on someone's door and get an answer. I have to wait 'til the next class.

When I add it all up, I'm more than willing to put up with the inconveniences in exchange for the major plusses. I would easily make the same decision again, with my only addendum being to get a roommate. It's expensive everywhere in the city, and I didn't know anyone who needed a roommate at the time, so I got a studio, which is isolating. Next year I plan on moving in with a buddy out here, so that issue will be solved, but that's something for another day and another cup of coffee.

And back to physio I go!

 

[cushie]

.

 

[beavisredwood]

I have a mac its no problem. Every once in awhile we do these old-*** DOS programs (CV simulations, Respiratory predictions, etc) that will only run on a PC, but most people just go to the computer lab to dothem anyway, so its not really a problem.

The best thing actually is that the mac users (at least in my class...M1) are really laid back about software sharing, so people passed around leopard, MSword 08, etc.

yours
Bobby

 

[beavisredwood]

Is Pilsen dangerous? A friend of mine was teaching at a low-income private school and gangs were a big problem. Otherwise, it seems like a cool neighborhood, especially since I am a Mexican food addict (I'm from Texas).

How long does it take you to get to school on public transport/driving?

Pilsen's not dangerous. NOT living in Pilsen is dangerous...dangerous to your wallet!

Pilsen is a family neighborhood. I had like 800 trick-or-treaters this year, BBQing is the neighborhood sport, and sketchiest people around are the Hipsters who don't know when to lay off the Red Bull.

The gang violence you heard about is 10-15 years old when the Kings were in the near west loop. There was a huge media blitz about gangs in pilsen because a big toy corporation made some doll whose bio read that she was from pilsen and moved to the suburbs to escape the gangs. My fiancee is a blond hottie and she walks down the streets at midnight and never feels scared. She's never even been cat-called at or anything. Our neighbors shovel the walks before we wake up in the morning when it snows and the shop keepers will just let you owe them money if you come up $5 short or something. they'll just be like, "I know you, just pay me next time you come in"

Personally, I think there is alot of racism in Chicago and people like to perpetuate the myth that all Mexican neighborhoods are scary, but thats another story...BACK TO FINALS!

 

[listentoFresh]

To anybody who's already at Rush...are there many Mac users? I'm pretty devoted and I'm hoping to get a new MacBook this summer. I can't really see any reason for switching to a PC, especially since the new Macs can run Windows (both XP and Vista... score), unless there are serious compatibility issues.

Everything Bobby said is true, and if you plan on installing Windows on it then you really won't have any problems at all. Keep in mind we're only speaking from the perspective of 2 quarters (so 2/3 of the first year).

So far the only programs you wouldn't be able to install/run have to do with Histology. One is called "HistoTime" and the other allows you access to the slides Rush has via the internet. But for the latter you can stream through a browser so you don't really need the program. As for HistoTime, it's a good program but they're on all the computers in the lab so you have that.. and if you install Windows then you won't have a problem running it.

Off the top of my head I would say there are about 8 or 9 people that are exclusively Mac users (Bobby and AgraWarga included). Unfortunately none of the computers in our labs are Apple computers. Rush is slow with technology. I hate Macs so I'll probably never buy one, but I think an effort should be made on Rush's part to include Mac computers in the lab.

 

[listentoFresh]

Do any of you use UIC's gym and is it good? How much does it cost and is it convenient to get there?

Okay so I am now a member at UIC's gym. An annual membership is $450, but you submit the receipt to Rush and get a $150 reimbursement (cash!!) and so you actually only pay UIC $300, for 365 days.. pretty good! You can also sign up by quarter but then Rush reimburses you accordingly (piecemeal).

You sign up as a "UIC Affiliate," so you can only use UIC's west campus gym. That's OK though because the East Campus gym (although much bigger, and in my opinion better) is about a mile away and there isn't any parking over there (unless you want to pay for it).

The gym itself is nice, it has machines and free weights, enough treadmills and ellipticals. The staff is pretty nice, showers are good. Yeah, it's a good place and it's cheap.

The walk from Rush is about 10min, but the walk from the gym to Center Court (or the Blue Line, or the cheap $1/month parking I mentioned earlier) is 15min. See Rush is in between the gym and the center court apartments or the blue line stop or the parking spot. This is why most people work out after their day at Rush is over.

Oh I went to UIC for undergrad so as an alumni member I paid $400 and then got the $150 reimbursement. Also I have access to both gyms.

 

[IntoTheWild]

Where exactly is the Teamsters Lot? Being the dork I am, I want to Google earth it/map it out...

Thanks

 

[listentoFresh]

Where exactly is the Teamsters Lot? Being the dork I am, I want to Google earth it/map it out...

Thanks

Not very far at all. It's on the corner of Jackson and Paulina. So that's like 1700W Jackson? Between 1700 and 1600W Jackson, but closer to 1700.

 

[IntoTheWild]

Not very far at all. It's on the corner of Jackson and Paulina. So that's like 1700W Jackson? Between 1700 and 1600W Jackson, but closer to 1700.

Thanks! Is it a first come first serve sign up process for a spot? You can't beat $1/month.... I don't want to miss out!

 

[listentoFresh]

Thanks! Is it a first come first serve sign up process for a spot? You can't beat $1/month.... I don't want to miss out!

You can't sign up until orientation, but I think they want to offer spots to students first. Reason being during my orientation they really pushed this $1/month parking on us, and I was like, "eh I'm not sure" because I thought there was a catch or something. Anyway I got it anyway (and paid the one-time $24 to get the transponder for parking in the bigger lot on weeknights and weekends). A couple of months later when I went to the parking office to pay up the next few months in advance ($5 whole dollars!) I saw that there was a waiting list to get the $1/month lot and it was mostly Rush employees that were on it. Had I not signed up during orientation I think I would've been on that list (if later I changed my mind). I doubt they would've bumped me to the top just because I'm a student.

I think they'll offer these spots next year but I'm not sure, this was the first year I think (because they made a big deal about the $1/month parking) and it may be due to all the construction that is going on in/around the parking lot. It doesn't look like that'll be done within the year so hopefully this deal will continue. They never told us but my guess is most if not all of the construction jobs went to Teamster union construction workers, so this is Teamsters way of saying thanks?

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Hey guys!
Just found out I'm accepted to Rush So glad that I might end up in chicago!! I'm from Cali, anyone else from the west coast thinking they may be at Rush come September?

 

[jrock32]

Hey guys!
Just found out I'm accepted to Rush So glad that I might end up in chicago!! I'm from Cali, anyone else from the west coast thinking they may be at Rush come September?

Ok.. this might be long as I haven't replied in a bit due to exams and trying to catch up to Fresh in Smash Bros Brawl (not even close)

First, Congrats to Daydreamer. Rush is a cool place and we have quite a few Cali people here. All I'm gonna say is enjoy whatever free time you have.

Regarding Housing - Wicker park and pilsen seem to be areas students are concentrated in if not living at Center Court. Either way, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. For me, I live at Center court and the biggest advantage is living only a block away from school. Makes it easier for me to come home for about 1/2 hr and have lunch or just chill for a few minutes. I usually end up studying at school so its easier to just walk over whenever I want. I hate commuting, especially during bad weather when traffic gets worse and I also hate apartment and roommate hunting. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about paying rent or what else. The only bills I have to worry about is Internet and electricity. The disadvantage is that its a little harder to get away from everything. There are times I feel like I've been at Rush all day even at home.

Computer: I have both a Mac laptop (with Windows boot camp) and a windows desktop. I haven't had any major issues yet although we don't really use our computers for "rush" stuff that much.

Parking: Even though I live at center court, I have parking at the teamsters lot just in case I have a friend or family stay over (in my studio apt... yeah right). Its $1 a month... there's no way to beat that.

Before I end, I just want to say that your first term might seem "easy" and you'll feel like you've too much time on your hand...just don't forget that 2nd and 3rd term aren't the same. I'm sure w/ our recent set of exams and the upcoming term schedule just released, the rest of M1s will agree. Having said that, enjoy your free time now and the first term b/c it only gets harder.. much harder.

J

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Hi guys! I'm gonna start a group on facebook so we can get to know each other Please join!!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9662498087

 

[listentoFresh]

Hi guys! I'm gonna start a group on facebook so we can get to know each other Please join!!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9662498087

Good idea.

Also Daydreamer, in response to one of your first posts about the abysmal matching at Rush... I'll try to find out how the current crop of M4s did in their matching. We'll find out soon enough.

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Good idea.

Also Daydreamer, in response to one of your first posts about the abysmal matching at Rush... I'll try to find out how the current crop of M4s did in their matching. We'll find out soon enough.

ya, that was just heresay from 1 person, the "abysmal" was their wording... I think it was a bit harsh... While I was at Rush I actually asked about their match list, and was told that Rush has its students aim very high, so sometimes they don't always get their 1st choices. I was impressed by the fact that they urge their students to reach for those dream residencies even if they may not get them. Honestly, I have come to realize that the match list should not really have an affect on where I attend medical school. It is a very subjective measure and depends highly on the interests and aspirations of that class. I mean, do any of us really know what specialty we are going to do?

 

[listentoFresh]

ya, that was just heresay from 1 person, the "abysmal" was their wording... I think it was a bit harsh... While I was at Rush I actually asked about their match list, and was told that Rush has its students aim very high, so sometimes they don't always get their 1st choices. I was impressed by the fact that they urge their students to reach for those dream residencies even if they may not get them. Honestly, I have come to realize that the match list should not really have an affect on where I attend medical school. It is a very subjective measure and depends highly on the interests and aspirations of that class. I mean, do any of us really know what specialty we are going to do?

Glad to hear that your issue was addressed during the interview processes. And also, I forgot to say, congratulations on your acceptance.

The 4 or 5 people I know who are originally from Cali don't really like Chicago, which is too bad I think. The weather was getting colder the day they got here so I don't think they've seen all of Chicago yet. I was born and raised here so I love the city, cold or hot. It seems you're not one to be pessimistic so my hope is you'll give the city a year to grow on you. Anyway you'll have lots of people from Cali here so you won't be alone in the adjustment.

 

[shiftingmirage]

I heard somewhere that Rush's match list often looks less than stellar because everyone wants to stay at Rush and Rush only has X number of spots so basically it gets full and M4's are left with their 2 or 3 pick. Again, just what I heard, have no actual reference.

 

[listentoFresh]

I heard somewhere that Rush's match list often looks less than stellar because everyone wants to stay at Rush and Rush only has X number of spots so basically it gets full and M4's are left with their 2 or 3 pick. Again, just what I heard, have no actual reference.

That's entirely possible.. it's only my first year but I already am pretty sure I want to do my residency at Rush. The atmosphere and philosophy here is more in line with what I personally believe and want out of my medical career.

 

[cushie]

.

 

[ArgaWarga]

So far the only programs you wouldn't be able to install/run have to do with Histology. One is called "HistoTime" and the other allows you access to the slides Rush has via the internet. But for the latter you can stream through a browser so you don't really need the program. As for HistoTime, it's a good program but they're on all the computers in the lab so you have that.. and if you install Windows then you won't have a problem running it.

Off the top of my head I would say there are about 8 or 9 people that are exclusively Mac users (Bobby and AgraWarga included). Unfortunately none of the computers in our labs are Apple computers. Rush is slow with technology. I hate Macs so I'll probably never buy one, but I think an effort should be made on Rush's part to include Mac computers in the lab.

I just want to mention one last thing before letting this die: I don't have XP installed, nor do I have any intention of doing so. I get by just fine without, and can't really foresee a situation where getting XP would be worth the effort compared to just using one of the busted computer lab PCs for the hour. Oh, and if it's your first mac, give yourself a month or so to learn the basics and adapt, it's more different than you might realize.

Congratulations to the new acceptees, to anyone who is still on the wait list, good luck. The last few weeks have been very difficult, but at the same time I'm very glad I went to Rush. I have gotten so much support from the faculty and staff here that I'm just not sure I would have gotten anywhere else.

A quick story. One of our anatomy professors is named Dr. Thorp, and as any (and I do mean any) M1 will tell you, she rocks the heezy for sheezy. She is, in my opinion the best lecturer we've had so far, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help you if you need it. Not only that, she really enjoys teaching, and is very interested in improving her teaching method. I asked her to come into lab and go through the entire (!) batch of material since midterms on one of the study days; she did, and was tremendously helpful. Along with that, she and I have been having a running discussion of the "logic of anatomy," what I fear is the last breath of my philosophy minor–we've been looking at how we go about learning anatomy in very epistemological ways, and I'm planning on throwing the phrase a priori at her sooner rather than later. As tedious as I can only imagine all of this would be to someone who doesn't like philosophy, she doesn't brush me off, but instead holds an active conversation with me on the subject.

That's the kind of place Rush can be if you're open to it, and I'm glad I'm here.

 

[listentoFresh]

I got a 'save the date' email a few days ago for the second look day in April. What happens that day? I go to school far away and I'm not sure it would be worth the money and effort. Did anyone go last year?

The only reason you may want to come is if you're not sure about Rush. I wasn't sure so I went, and it convinced me to choose Rush over the other schools. I live in Chicago so it was no big deal for me. If I had to come from out of town and I'm sure I want to go to Rush, I wouldn't bother coming.

Basically on the 2nd look day you hear a couple speeches on what Rush's philosophy is, what they're planning for the future (in terms of the curriculum, and physically for the building in terms of construction), and they get a few of the current M1s and M2s so you can have a Q&A session. Then in the latter half of the day you tour Center Court and some other areas that you normally don't get on an interview. I was only around for the first half of that day, I think I had work in the evening or something.. or no wait I was sick that day. Anyway going just convinced me that the people that go to Rush are happy that they chose Rush.

If it costs too much or it's a hassle, then it's probably not worth it. It's really not worth if you know you want to come here.

 

[listentoFresh]

One of our anatomy professors is named Dr. Thorp, and as any (and I do mean any) M1 will tell you, she rocks the heezy for sheezy. She is, in my opinion the best lecturer we've had so far, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help you if you need it.

Yup, true story. Rocks the heezy for sheezy.

And I once e-mailed her a question on a Saturday, but I remembered (after hitting "send") that said she'd be out of town that weekend. So I didn't get a reply and come Monday it wasn't that big of a deal really because I figured I could ask one of my classmates. So I'm sitting outside our lecture hall, and keep in mind that she and I never spoke in person (this was around our first mid-terms), mostly because I'm kind of shy and didn't really have a need to talk to her ever. Anyway she was passing by, saw me sitting outside of the lecture hall reading a book and she stopped by sat down and was like, "you e-mailed me a question right?" and I was pretty impressed. The thing is that the anatomy teachers have your ID pictures posted in the lab so they can learn your name and stuff, and obviously she read the e-mail and knew who I was by face.

I went to UIC so it was very rare for a professor to know you by name.. I'm not use to how private schools work, so I don't know if that's to be expected or if it's out of the ordinary but I think a big reason as to why I liked anatomy so much is because of her lectures which were so well organized and taught. And if you do the reading beforehand (which I didn't always do) you get so much more out of her lectures.

 

[Zendoc]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for some time now...I was accepted back in December. I really loved it there too...The story is, my husband and I are applying together this year. (Tough situation by the way...) I got an invitation to interview back in September and was accepted about three weeks after my interview. I called one of the profs and mentioned my husband/asked if the committee would PRETTY PLEASE consider our situation. The prof said sorry, but no can do...long story short--my husband got an interview invitation in February for early March!!! He went and absolutely loved it there too. Now we are anxiously awaiting his decision. My point: if he gets in, it will be our first acceptance in common and I will be the happiest woman ever. We really hope we can join you guys next year. I especially, feel very warm and fuzzy feelings about you all already just after reading this whole thread. I am blown away at how consistenly helpful the med students have been and how nice and fun the incoming class seems. Anyway, congrats to all who have been accepted, good luck to those waiting and hopefully my man and I will be classmates of yours in the fall. Peace out y'all!

P.S. - Daydreamer2008--We are from Northern Cali (I've lived in Davis for the last 1.5 years but I was in SF for college and I grew up in LA. My husband grew up in Oakland, or as he calls it "The TOWN." He has a lot of pride, coming from the same place as TOO $hort and all...) Where are you coming from?

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for some time now...I was accepted back in December. I really loved it there too...The story is, my husband and I are applying together this year. (Tough situation by the way...) I got an invitation to interview back in September and was accepted about three weeks after my interview. I called one of the profs and mentioned my husband/asked if the committee would PRETTY PLEASE consider our situation. The prof said sorry, but no can do...long story short--my husband got an interview invitation in February for early March!!! He went and absolutely loved it there too. Now we are anxiously awaiting his decision. My point: if he gets in, it will be our first acceptance in common and I will be the happiest woman ever. We really hope we can join you guys next year. I especially, feel very warm and fuzzy feelings about you all already just after reading this whole thread. I am blown away at how consistenly helpful the med students have been and how nice and fun the incoming class seems. Anyway, congrats to all who have been accepted, good luck to those waiting and hopefully my man and I will be classmates of yours in the fall. Peace out y'all!

P.S. - Daydreamer2008--We are from Northern Cali (I've lived in Davis for the last 1.5 years but I was in SF for college and I grew up in LA. My husband grew up in Oakland, or as he calls it "The TOWN." He has a lot of pride, coming from the same place as TOO $hort and all...) Where are you coming from?

awww good luck! I really really hope he gets in. It would be great to have you guys as classmates. I grew up in Northern Cali, and now live in LA. I'm really gonna miss Cali, but mostly because I will leave behind all my friends, family and boyfriend Chicago seems amazing though and I'm sure med school will be busy as it is! Let us know what happens!

 

[listentoFresh]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for some time now...I was accepted back in December. I really loved it there too...The story is, my husband and I are applying together this year. (Tough situation by the way...) I got an invitation to interview back in September and was accepted about three weeks after my interview. I called one of the profs and mentioned my husband/asked if the committee would PRETTY PLEASE consider our situation. The prof said sorry, but no can do...long story short--my husband got an interview invitation in February for early March!!! He went and absolutely loved it there too. Now we are anxiously awaiting his decision. My point: if he gets in, it will be our first acceptance in common and I will be the happiest woman ever. We really hope we can join you guys next year. I especially, feel very warm and fuzzy feelings about you all already just after reading this whole thread. I am blown away at how consistenly helpful the med students have been and how nice and fun the incoming class seems. Anyway, congrats to all who have been accepted, good luck to those waiting and hopefully my man and I will be classmates of yours in the fall. Peace out y'all!

P.S. - Daydreamer2008--We are from Northern Cali (I've lived in Davis for the last 1.5 years but I was in SF for college and I grew up in LA. My husband grew up in Oakland, or as he calls it "The TOWN." He has a lot of pride, coming from the same place as TOO $hort and all...) Where are you coming from?

That'd be pretty awesome, I wish you guys all the best.

 

[Zendoc]

Aw, hey you guys! Thanks! You are both very sweet. Daydreamer, I promise if we end up there, you can come over for dinner and we will cheer you up with ridiculous quantities of soul food. (We love to cook)....I know what it's like to move away from everyone and everything.

Fresh, I was telling my husband about you last night and he said he thinks you were his tour guide. He was there on March 12th and he was the only one not wearing a black or blue suit. He said he was cracking jokes during the tour also. Do you remember him? He said you were very nice and made him feel so comfortable on interview day.

Thanks again for the positive vibes and good luck daydreamer, you seem very cool and I am sure you will adjust to Chicago. I hope we'll be there to adjust with you, we can all freeze our asses off togehter.

 

[listentoFresh]

Fresh, I was telling my husband about you last night and he said he thinks you were his tour guide. He was there on March 12th and he was the only one not wearing a black or blue suit. He said he was cracking jokes during the tour also. Do you remember him? He said you were very nice and made him feel so comfortable on interview day.

I wish I could say that might be me, as I was trying really hard to get a position as a tour guide person .. but I think only the student council reps are the ones that get to do that.

But whoever it was, i'm glad they made him feel comfortable that day. I admire that your husband didn't wear the black or blue suit, as I'm sure he stood out and made an impression.

 

[TikiTime]

Are the apts in Center Court furnished? If so, is it nice furniture or kind of gross dorm furniture? Is there a good grocery store/drugstore nearby? I think I might want to live there as a 1st yr and then move away after...

Are most preceptor sites accessible by public transportation or could you ask to be set up with one that is? I'm debating whether or not I should bring a car up there since I don't know how to drive in Chicago weather.

What's the average age or age range of the students? And how is the dynamic?

Hope all of your finals go well/did go well!

 

[listentoFresh]

Are the apts in Center Court furnished? If so, is it nice furniture or kind of gross dorm furniture? Is there a good grocery store/drugstore nearby? I think I might want to live there as a 1st yr and then move away after...

Are most preceptor cites accessible by public transportation or could you ask to be set up with one that is? I'm debating whether or not I should bring a car up there since I don't know how to drive in Chicago weather.

What's the average age or age range of the students? And how is the dynamic?

Hope all of your finals go well/did go well!

The Center Court apartments are not furnished, so you'll need to get sofas and beds and tv stands and tables and chairs and blah blah. There are grocery stores and drugstores nearby, actually about 1/2 a mile from Center Court is a big complex that has a Jewel-Osco (kind of like an Albertsons, is that what you have out there?) which is a grocery store and pharmacy/drug store in one. But if you want to support the community shops you have those too, if you drive a bit.

Some preceptors are accessible via public transportation, but they really want you to list whether or not you have a car because not every preceptor is in Chicago and so they can give the people who have cars a preceptor that's further out of the city. Even if you have a car you can request a preceptor that's nearby, but you don't always get what you want so it's the luck of the draw I guess. I live on the north side of the city, and it would be somewhat of a pain for someone who lives in Center Court to drive up here for preceptor, but I told them that since I live here I'd love to get a preceptor nearby and that it would be to their benefit because that frees up one preceptor near Rush that may have gone to me and so my request was accepted.

My advice to you is if you can bring your car, you should. Chicago weather is tough to drive in, but only for about 30-35 days out of the year. Salt trucks come out in reasonable time and so even if it snowed 8-12 inches you can expect the major streets to be cleared within 24 hours. Once you get use to the driving you'll be fine year round. Your car is front wheel drive right? That's important.

I'd say the average age is probably 23 or 24. There are, I think, about 8 or 9 people that are either 28 or older, and there are a few people who are less than 22, but for the most part we all are between 22-26. The dynamic ... well it actually feels a little bit like high school. I mean a few "circles" have developed, and I'm careful to use that word and not cliques because even though you eventually form a circle of friends, it is not at all like you exclusively hang out with that circle. I have 6 or 8 people that I talk to more than anyone else in the class, but it's because we've become good friends. Everyone else is a friend too and I enjoy their company. Everyone is friendly to each other, everyone is helpful to each other. It's a great atmosphere. However each class is different, so just be aware that the dynamic in your class could be different. My hope is that it's the same or better than ours.

 

[listentoFresh]

Are the apts in Center Court furnished? If so, is it nice furniture or kind of gross dorm furniture?

The Center Court apartments are not furnished, so you'll need to get sofas and beds and tv stands and tables and chairs and blah blah.

OK wait, I don't live in the Center Court apartments so I'm not the best person to answer this. I'm under the impression they're not furnished but I've been in 3 apartments and I seem to recall that each apartment had an eerily similar couch, so maybe some basic essentials are the same.. I'm not sure. I think, given some time, a few of the other M1s on this board can respond. I know jrock lives in Center Court, he's on a road trip (spring break ends this weekend) but I bet he'll respond sometime next week. Tomorrow and Sunday I'm meeting some M1s to volunteer at a clinic so if I remember I'll ask them and let you know.

 

[ArgaWarga]

On Preceptors: If I had to be completely upfront, I would say that my preceptor is the worst part of my education to date. I have no car, and I mentioned this, but it wasn't taken into account. Every preceptor day I have to take the train to the suburbs where my parents live, borrow a car, then drive to a different suburb 30 minutes away to follow around a doctor who doesn't teach me, doesn't allow me to participate, and never washes his hands.

To be fair, this is just my experience, and it seems like most people really like their preceptors. But honestly, (and this is a notion that was first brought up by faculty during a conversation about preceptors) for the amount of money I pay to attend Rush having a negative experience is just silly.

For added insult, a friend of mine who has a car goes to an office that's like 8 miles away, inside the city. Moral of the story: speak spanish, or claim you do

 

[jrock32]

Zendoc...Congratulations to you and best of luck to your husband in getting into Rush. Hope everything works out for you two. I interviewed around the end of February as well and it worked out well.

Regarding center court: Fresh was correct in his initial statement... the apartments are not furnished. You need your own furniture and whatever else. Although, I'm not sure why all the couches Fresh has been were that similar. I am pretty sure he need to get new prescription for this glasses b/c lately he's been losing at Smash Bros to me pretty badly. I had a spare couch from home (parents close by) which I brought with me. I live in a studio so I don't have too much room but its not that bad. Ikea (schaumburg) becomes your best friend for the first few weeks and for me it was a decent place for dinning tables, computer desk and such. Also as people move out sometimes you are able to get used furniture for cheap but that is not so common as most people move out way before you move in. Also, only the two bedroom apts have dishwasher installed. The only bills you have to pay are electricity and residential phone/internet if you choose to get one. Starting 2008, comcast basic channels are included in the rent so if you want to get more channels (why???) you'll have to pay for cable. Rent gets deducted as fin aid stuff is applied to your account.

Regarding 2nd look: I was in Philly at the time and I actually ended up flying in to go for that. I think I was just excited that I got into A med school so I thought this would cap it pretty well. It was helpful in getting few questions answered face to face. Everyone was very helpful and I think I just need some type of confirmation that I was making the right choice. I agree w/ Fresh that if you are not sure about which school to pick, it is very helpful. If you know for sure where you are going and have to spend some money in getting here, it might not be that helpful.

Feel free to fire off any questions you guys have.. if you guys want to contact us through email and don't want to post your questions though the forum.. I'm sure none of us would be hesitant (at least I won't be)to give our email address. just send us a quick message.

Fresh: Please don't ever repeat this sentence ever again "Rocks the heezy for sheezy." I can see Arga saying it but not you.

JJ

OK wait, I don't live in the Center Court apartments so I'm not the best person to answer this. I'm under the impression they're not furnished but I've been in 3 apartments and I seem to recall that each apartment had an eerily similar couch, so maybe some basic essentials are the same.. I'm not sure. I think, given some time, a few of the other M1s on this board can respond. I know jrock lives in Center Court, he's on a road trip (spring break ends this weekend) but I bet he'll respond sometime next week. Tomorrow and Sunday I'm meeting some M1s to volunteer at a clinic so if I remember I'll ask them and let you know.

 

[listentoFresh]

"Rocks the heezy for sheezy." I can see Arga saying it but not you.

JJ

I'm going to repeat that statement over and over as we cry and try and cry and learn neuro next quarter... which is in less than 48 hours! Except it'll be something like, "Neruo fails to rock the heezy for sheezy."