Chicago, IL
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How did the interview impress you?
No change 😐
What was the stress level of the interview?
3 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
What are your general comments?
The student body is very diverse, both in background and also academic interests and capability. I like that. There is an opportunity to come to UIC and really earn one of the top residency spots in the most competitive specialties. In other words, it's really what you make out of your time here that determines what happens to you. The clinicals undoubtedly will be great in Chicago, although I think the first two years are not (teaching is not up to par and the environment is not great.) Chicago... great city, would be hard to pass up an opportunity to be there.
💬 Interview Process
What was the most interesting question?
How will you balance your personal and professional lives as a physician? Do you think this will be a problem for you?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Prepared answers to 10 common questions, read up about UIC on their website, SDN.
What was the most difficult question?
What have been your best and worst experiences with medicine? (I listed a couple but it did not seem to satisfy the interviewers and they kept on pushing for more and more personal family information.)
What impressed you positively?
Enjoyed being interviewed by 2 MDs and a 4th year. Had an opportunity to ask a few questions to them, which was refreshing. Friendly staff and students in Rockford. Good diversity and great clinical facilities in Chicago. Also very convenient to the subway stop in Chicago.
What impressed you negatively?
Rather old facilities in Chicago and Rockford. Rockford site is really too small for a med school environment, even though the people are great (only about 150 students total). I just feel like I would be missing out on the collegial med school environment because few schools have fewer than 350 students. The campus in Chicago is a little like a prison. The students seem to think of med school as just four years of torture they need to get through. Also, it's amazingly difficult to get placed at the site you desire even though I interviewed in January and was accepted by February.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
How Rockford is not really a city -- it doesn't have a vibrant downtown area and is more a suburb with one main road with lots of strip malls. How important it is to schedule your interview as early as possible to be placed where you want to. (Probably before Christmas in order to get a Chicago spot.)
📍 Travel and Logistics
Who was the tour given by?
Student
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