I e-mailed a few current UIC-Chicago students about housing and other general information. I'm cc-ing the reply here:
> i had a few questions i was hoping you could answer. i
> was looking as housing options and it would be great
> to get your opinions on the dorms at uic. i haven't
> heard the best things about them, but perhaps they
> aren't as bad as rumor has it. i was also looking at
> the medical district city apartments near the uic
> campus..any thoughts on those?
As for housing- I had many friends live in the dorms first year. If you
don't care about where you live, don't mind small dorm rooms- than it'd be
ok for you to live. There are lots of benefits to the dorms- cheap
($600/mo), Very close to campus- less than 5 min walk, connected to the
student union- so connected to the cafeteria, gym, and the bookstore, and
small food shop, and I think most utilities are included. But, then again, it is a dorm, so it's a bit dingy, and SMALL. Parking is available on the campus lots a few blocks away from the dorm for about $230 per semester, and then $180 or so in the summer. I personally, hate dorms, and I wanted my own apartment- I went for housing at the Medical district city apartments- although back then- it was called something else. Anyway, I had a convertible studio which I rented for $800/mo, and then paid about $100 for all my bills, and then $100 for parking. It's much more expensive, but I liked having my own spacious apartment, and they have a gym downstairs, it's only a 10 min walk to campus, and much nicer than the dorms. Now, I'm pretty sure the rent has gone up- something near $1000 for the convertible studio, but it really depends on what you prefer. Of course- if you have a roommate, living will be MUCH cheaper, and you could probably get a two bedroom at the Medical District apts for about $1600.
>general info about uic, the different tracks, etc.
Choosing between the sites really depends on your personality. If you're a small town person, and prefer smaller rural areas, than you should choose the Peoria campus. But, if you prefer larger cities, and don't mind traffic, and lots of bustle, than Chicago is for you.
Me, personally, I prefer Chicago, but I'm biased because I'm from here. I love Chicago because I think it has so much to offer anyone. We have tons of things to do around here, museums, tons of restaurants, great theatre/opera/symphonies, and zoos, fun parks, and a navy pier which you
can go and tour on any weekend. The Navy Pier is right off lake Michigan,
and there's tons of attractions there, a ferris wheel, lots of little shops, restaurants, bars, a children's museum, the Shakespeare Theatre, and large cruise ships that go out on dinner cruises often. So, needless
to say, we have a lot here in Chicago.
The medical school campus is also the largest in Chicago, and I think we have a lot to offer our medical students here beacuse we are affiliated with so many hospitals that we rotate our medical students through. We have over 8-10 hospitals that I can think of off the top of my head. This is a huge bonus. And yes! We do start rotating medical students through the hospital as early as the 1st year of studies. 1st and 2nd year your hospital exposure and patient exposure is limited compared to 3rd and 4th, but we definitely do try and get you in there as soon as possible, and pair you each up with a primary care physician to shadow throughout your first year. At those sessions, you will have the opportunity to practice you patient history taking skills. And then during your second year, you'll have opportunities (6wks) dedicated to time for you all to go into the hospitals and start working with
patients, taking histories and physical exams. It's a lot of fun.
The class size at the Chicago campus is so large that I really feel anyone can make tons of friends and find numerous groups and student organizations to participate in. I sure took advantage of that, and got really involved and met so many different people.
One major downfall of the Chicago campus is that it is very expensive. It runs about $800-$1,000 for a one bedroom apt. Sometimes you can get lucky and find something for a bit cheaper.... or if you have someone you want to live with, you could definitely find something for $600-$700 per month. Parking is also expensive and usually runs between $75-$150 per month. Depending on where you live. We do offer student dorms which many students take advantage of during their first year because it's cheap, and right across the street from the medical school building. It's about $600 per month, but again... it's a dorm, so you can't expect too much.
The area is gernerally pretty safe if you're smart about it. Don't go walking around at night by yourself, and don't leave all your bags open, especially when you're taking public transportation. Our school offers student parking for about $250 per semester. It's the luck of the draw pretty much which parking lot you get. The sooner you sign up the better the spot. The most desired lot is the Wood Street Parking Structure- covred parking close to school.
There are a lot of hospitals around here that have their own Children's hospital. The most famous of Chicago is the Children's Memorial hospital, located in Lincoln Park. You can rotate there during your 3rd and 4th years if you apply. We also have Advocate Christ's Children Hospital in Oak Lawn- approx 30 min from campus. It's also a VERY good Children's hospital. And every hospital has a children's unit, but those are the two best that stand out in my mind. We do rotate our studetns through Advocate Christ, so if you're lucky you may get assigned there during your 3rd year pediatrics rotation. I loved it!
The curriculum does do it's best to prepare you, and UIC Chicago medical students have always been commended on our outstanding clinical skills. We are very prepared clinically, and as for the knowledge component... you get out of it what you put in. If you study hard and pay attention to lectures, you will come out an excellent physician. If you study enough just to pass... well, you'll still be an M.D., but will have a harder time out in the wards. But yes, our curriculum does prepare you well.
oh i think i will
