UIC Medical School – Insider Review

UIC Medical School – Insider Review

UIC Medical School is one of the best medical schools in the United States, ranking number 56 in the 2011 US World and News Report medical school rankings.

uic medical school
 

If you are interested in getting accepted to the University of Illinois College of Medicine, there are a lot of things that you will

need to do to make you a competitive applicant. Probably the best resource to really understand the UIC medical school admissions process is my eBook, 10 Steps to Accepted. I draw from my experience on the UCLA admissions committee to tell you exactly what you need to do to get accepted to medical school.

You can also check out my page on admissions to understand what the University of Illinois medical school is looking for.

Now back to information about UIC medical school!

  • Basic Information

    • Name: The University of Illinois College of Medicine
    • Location: Chicago, IL (also has campuses in Peoria, Rockford and Urbana)
    • Public or Private: Public
    • School Website: Click here

 

  • Admissions

    • Competitive. As with any of the best medical schools in America, UIC medical school admissions are very competitive. There were 7,909 applications for the 318 available seats.
    • Average MCAT: 32
    • Average GPA: 3.69 (science 3.62)
    • Selection Factors. The selection factors for UIC medical school are very similar to those of other good medical schools and top medical schools in the US. They look for academic achievement, motivation, and communication skills, among others. Also, as with other public schools, Illinois residents are given preference in admission. Click here for a detailed explanation of criteria schools are looking for. Click on these links to find out how to make these characteristics stand out on your interviews and personal statement.
  • Multiple programs available. As other good medical schools do, UIC Medical School offers various combined degree programs for those interested. These include MD/MPH, MD/MBA, and MD/PhD. There are also various programs for specific interests in medical practice, which will be described below.
  • Accepts international students: No
  • For full information from the admissions page, click here
    • Financial

      • Tuition: UIC medical school is $17,000 for IL residents/$35,500 for non-IL residents.
      • Loans: Federal loans are available as with other US medical schools.
      • Scholarships: As with other medical schools, there are not a lot of scholarships available, and those that are available are need-based. There are, however, a few programs that will help with the cost, which are explained below.
      • Cost of Living: The cost of living is very expensive in Chicago. You can expect to pay around $1200 for a 1 bedroom apartment near campus. In Peoria, look for something around $500. Rockford, $400 to $500. Urbana $400 to $500.
      • Insider Information

  • UIC medical school has a good mix of primary care and research. This is a medical school that has both a solid research ranking and great programs for working with underserved groups. So, on your application, you’ll want to make one or both of these characteristics stand out. If your interest is research, make that stand out. If it’s working with underserved, make your community service stand out. Check out my eBook to understand how to do that.
  • Four main campuses. UIC medical school has four separate campuses. One is in in Chicago, one in Rockford, one in Urbana and one in Peoria. UIC’s Chicago campus has some great features. One is the opporutnity to take part in a curriculum focused on urban medicine. Another is a guaranteed acceptance program run in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Chicago. In this program, freshmen at the college are guaranteed admission to the school of medicine at the end of their four years. To apply for this program, students must have a 28 ACT, be in the top 15% of their class, and be an Illinois resident. Any time you have the chance for guaranteed acceptance to a medical school, particularly a top medical school like UIC, you should take it! For more information about this program, click here .
  • Early clinical exposure. UIC medical school gets you seeing patients as early as your first year! This is a big benefit and will prepare you well for your clinical years.
  • The curriculum is organ-system based. This means that you study, for example, the musculoskeletal system for 5 weeks, including the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of that system.
  • Different tracks available. If you are interested in working in rural areas, there is a program called RIMSAP (Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program) that provides low interest rate loans and gets you working in rural areas ASAP. If you are interested in Global medicine, check out the Global medicine track. There is also a rural medicine track through Rockford and an urban medicine track in Chicago. So, no matter your interest, you’ll find ways to explore it at UIC medical school!
  • Grading system is letter grades. This means that you might find the school a little more competitive than a pass/fail school.
  • Interviews are individual. This gives you an advantage if you can really win your interviewer over! Check out my eBook on how to do this!
  • Summary

    UIC Medical School offers great programs and earns its title as one of the best medical schools in America. This school has many opportunities to pursue your passion. Whether you are interested in research, urban, global or rural medicine, there is a program in place for you. There’s even financial assistance if you’re looking for a career in rural medicine! UIC accepted 64 out of state applicants, so there’s still a chance to get in if you’re not an Illinois resident. If you are an Illinois resident, this is a definite must-apply!

    Get Accepted to UIC Medical School

    The medical school admissions process can be very difficult. Getting into your best medical school is not something that you should leave to chance! This site is designed to help you get into the school of your choice, maybe that’s UIC medical school! Check out my admissions page for understanding the admissions process. And, check out my eBook to understand exactly that it takes to be accepted!

    Some students find it useful to employ a service to help them with getting into medical school. I offer editing services of your AMCAS and personal statement here. There are also many companies that will help you with this, but my recommendation is MedSchoolCoach.

    MedSchoolCoach is run by doctors with experience on admissions committees. This makes a big difference as many companies are run by business people or others without this essential experience. They also have an excellent track record, placing 100% of students in an MD or DO program and 87% in an MD program for those who sign up for their gold package. They also offer help with personal statements , interviews and help on choosing which schools to apply to. They are the company I recommend.

    I also like them because their prices are very affordable compared to other companies you could choose. Also, click here for current deals from MedSchoolCoach.


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