2016-2017 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Rush Medical College
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As a student at Rush, you have joined a historic institution which has contributed greatly to the development of medicine and health care. Rush is a caring institution that serves the needs of patients, students, faculty, staff and our community. Rush is committed to excellence in all that it does.
Chartered in 1837, Rush Medical College has been a part of the Chicago landscape longer than any other health care institution. Since then, times have changed and medicine and health care have evolved. Rush’s best traditions continue: hands-on learning, an unparalleled commitment to community service and experiences supported by outstanding role models. Rush Medical College is a family of over 2,600 faculty and staff, 520 medical students and 620 residents and fellows.
Rush has produced skilled leaders in medicine and science, including thousands of excellent physicians. Explore our website and that of Rush University Medical Center to discover the myriad of opportunities that Rush Medical College offers in medical education, clinical care and biomedical research. Please let us know if we can help you in any way.
K. Ranga Rama Krishnan
Henry P. Russe, MD,
Dean of Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College: Mission
Through a supportive and dynamic learning community, Rush Medical College nurtures the development of empathic, proficient physicians dedicated to continuous learning, innovation and excellence in clinical practice, education, research and service.
Rush Medical College will be the global leader in student-centered, future-oriented medical education.
Rush Medical College: Terminal Objectives
The Rush Medical College terminal objectives are key learning objectives that students achieve by the time of graduation from the medical college program.
Terminal objectives illustrate Rush Medical College’s commitment to our students, and are written as outcome statements of competencies deemed critical to a successful physician. The terminal objectives direct all curriculum and assessment, as all course and session objectives ultimately serve the terminal objectives.
The terminal objectives are grouped under six domains which parallel those used by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The domains and terminal objectives include:
- Patient Care
In their patient care, students must:
- Complete comprehensive evaluations
- Develop appropriate treatment plans
- Apply the principles of health promotion
- Medical Knowledge
Students must:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic, clinical and social sciences related to medical practice
- Apply the knowledge of basic, clinical and social sciences to patient care
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Students must:
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with patients, families and other health care providers
- Function as a member of the health care team
- Putting Care in a Practical Context
Students must:
- Be respectful of the diversity of patient backgrounds, beliefs and values
- Analyze the environmental and contextual factors that influence a patient’s health, disease and access to health care
- Engage the resources of the health care system to enhance patient care
- Self-Directed and Lifelong Learning
Students must:
- Address personal learning needs
- Appraise scientific evidence that supports patient care practices
- Professionalism
Students must:
- Display compassion and empathy when interacting with patients and their families
- Adhere to the professional responsibilities outlined by Rush Medical College
- Demonstrate the professional values of medical practice
The terminal objectives are supported by year-specific objectives so that course work in each year of the curriculum builds upon skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to achieve the terminal objectives. A review of the terminal objectives can help students gauge their progress in the curriculum, and potentially guide elective selection when the time comes.
Rush Medical College: Admissions Process
Applying to Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College utilizes the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) for its primary application. Detailed information and application materials are available on the Association of American Medical Colleges’ website (https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/). Each applicant who submits an AMCAS application to Rush Medical College will receive a secondary application invitation by email. The secondary application requires a nonrefundable fee of $100.00 and must be submitted in its entirety no later than December 15.
Required Criminal Background Check
As a medical school located in Illinois, Rush Medical College will enforce the Medical School Matriculant Criminal History Records Check Act, which states: a medical school located in Illinois must require that each matriculant submit to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check for violent felony convictions and any adjudication of the matriculant as a sex offender conducted by the Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the medical school admissions process.
Each year beginning January 1, an applicant screening provider will procure a background check on applicants at the point of their first acceptance. Upon completion of this process, the report procured during the process will be released to Rush Medical College.
Required Drug Screening
In preparation for clinical rotations at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, all Rush Medical College students are required to submit a urine sample under conditions arranged by Rush Medical College for a drug screening (effective with the first year class entering in 2015). First year students will be tested during orientation through a process coordinated by the Student Health Service (Lifetime Medical Associates). Upon completion of the testing process, a report will be released to Rush Medical College.
A positive result from the Criminal Background Check, the Sex Offender Assessment and/or the Drug Screen will result in the applicant’s file being presented to the Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) for review and action. If the COSEP verifies there is a positive result on the Criminal Background Check, the Sex Offender Assessment and/or the Drug Screen, Rush Medical College may rescind the student’s acceptance.
For additional information, visit the Rush Medical College Admissions website at http://www.rushu.rush.edu.
Rush Medical College Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Rush Medical College embraces the Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) Diversity Leadership Council vision for diversity and the American Association of Medical Colleges’ commitment to increasing diversity in medical schools. Recognizing that diversity and inclusion enhance the medical education environment and ultimately the overall health of our community, Rush Medical College seeks to create and support an environment in which faculty, staff and medical students combine their differing backgrounds, diverse perspectives and unique skills as they work with peers to solve problems, enhance their ability to work with patients and develop new, effective ways to manage health, conduct research and deliver care.
Rush Medical College strives to enroll a highly qualified and richly diverse student body through holistic review and individual consideration of the potential contributions that applicants with different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, races, ethnicities, characteristics and personal experiences would make to the educational experience of all students and to the school’s cultural, social and learning environment. Rush Medical College seeks to attain a learning environment that better reflects its community through increased representation of groups that are underrepresented in medicine in Rush Medical College’s surrounding communities. Along with remaining committed to applicants from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine, Rush Medical College considers diversity in economic, geographic, gender, age, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic backgrounds as important factors in not only creating a diverse community but also influencing an applicant’s potential to succeed as a physician in our rapidly changing and diverse society.
To this end, the Rush Medical College Committee on Admissions annually identifies factors for consideration in building a diverse student body. Further, Rush Medical College’s Faculty Council, utilizing information provided by the Committee on Admissions and other data, is committed to implementing programs and initiatives designed to meet these stated diversity goals.
Technical (Non-academic) Standards for Admission and Promotion
Reviewed by Committee on Admissions, 2012
Reviewed by Legal Affairs, 2012
Reviewed and Approved by THE COSEP, May 2, 2012
Final Document Reviewed by Committee on Admissions, May 9, 2012
The following technical guidelines have been adopted by Rush Medical College Committee on Admissions. A candidate for the MD degree must have abilities and skills in the areas of observation; communication; sensory and motor coordination and function; intellectual-conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social attributes as described below.
Observation. Students should be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. Students should be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of vision, auditory and somatic sensation. It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.
Communication. Students should be able to speak and hear English and to observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. Students should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, their family, healthcare team members, their peers, faculty and the public. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing. Students should be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written forms of English with all members of the health care team.
Motor. Students should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. Students should be able to perform basic laboratory tests, carry out diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and read graphic images. Students should be able to execute motor movements required to provide general care to patients, and to either provide or direct the provision of emergency treatment of patients. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities. Students should be able to engage in problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, which requires the intellectual abilities of measurement, retrieval, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. In addition, students should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures and to adapt to different learning environments.
Behavioral and Social Attributes. Students should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients, fellow students, faculty and staff. Students should be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. They should be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that are assessed during the admissions and education processes.
Ethics and Professionalism. Students should maintain and display ethical and moral behaviors commensurate with the role of a physician in all interactions with patients, faculty, staff, students and the public. Students should understand the legal and ethical aspects of medical practice and strive to abide by these principles throughout their time in training.
Requests for accommodation by individuals with a disability as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disability Act will be considered on the basis of their abilities and the extent to which reasonable accommodation, if required, can be provided. The Rush University Policy for Students with Disabilities describes the process for requesting an accommodation and is available on the University’s web site.
Graduation Requirements
The following are prerequisites to the granting of the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) by Rush University for students graduating in 2016. Each student’s progress in each year of the Rush Medical College curriculum will be evaluated by the Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP).
- Successful completion of the first and second year curricula in accordance with the Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) Policies and Procedures.
- Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 per the dates set by the Office of Medical Student Programs (OMSP) guidelines.
- Pass USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Clinical Skills (CS) per the dates set by the OMSP guidelines.
- Attend and complete the Clinical Resources and Skills for the Hospital (CRASH) course prior to beginning the third year.
- Pass all required third year core clerkships.
- Pass all required fourth year clerkships.
- Pass all fourth year electives.
- Be scheduled for completion of all elective clerkship requirements by the beginning of the second semester of the student’s fourth year in order to graduate in the next calendar year.
- Successfully complete the Clinical Skills Assessment.
- Successfully complete the Capstone Project.
- Successfully complete the Rush Medical College Service Learning requirement.
- Successfully complete all additional weeks of instruction required by the COSEP depending upon the progress made by the student.
- Attain the level of achievement required by the faculty for the degree of MD within 60 months from matriculation.
Graduation Requirements and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
The OMSP will immediately notify future residency program directors when a student who has matched will not complete graduation requirements by their graduation date. If the inability to graduate is determined prior to the match, the student and the OMSP must immediately notify the National Resident Matching Program that the student is withdrawing from the match. The student must notify all of the programs to which they applied that they are withdrawing from the match.
Rush Medical College: Academic Program
Curriculum: First and Second Years
Curriculum: First Year
The first year basic science content is integrated into seven blocks taught in sequence through the academic year.
Electives
Elective courses may be taken in parallel with the required first year curriculum. Four first year electives are offered: Humanities in Medicine, Basic Biomedical Research, Sonographic Anatomy and Medical Spanish. Due to limited enrollment for these courses, registration is determined through a lottery.
Curriculum: Second Year
The second year basic science content is integrated into blocks taught in sequence through the academic year that focus on the study of the causes and effects of disease and therapeutics. Second year students also complete two courses in Evidence-Based Medicine which focus on epidemiology, biostatistics and the evidence-based practice of medicine. The Physicianship and Capstone Programs continues in the second year to complement the courses listed.
Grading - First and Second Years
Students in the first and second years will receive a grade of honors, pass, fail or incomplete for each of the blocks. The Physicianship and Capstone Programs are graded pass/fail or incomplete.
USMLE Step 1
Prior to the start of the third year, students must take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. Students who do not pass USMLE Step 1 are required to discontinue the third year curriculum for remediation (please refer to section on USMLE Step 1 failure for additional information).
Curriculum: Third and Fourth Years
The curricula of the third and fourth years provide students with additional training in clinical skills, diagnosis and patient management in a variety of patient care settings.
Prior to the start of the third year, students participate in the Clinical Resources and Skills for the Hospital (CRASH) course, which Is an intensive review of clinical skills.
Clinical experiences primarily take place at Rush University Medical Center and the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Students request a schedule of the third year required clerkships and electives through a lottery toward the end of the second year and request a schedule of the fourth year required clerkship, sub-internship, and electives through a lottery toward the end of the third year.
Curriculum: Third Year
The third year involves 42 clinical weeks in required core clerkships in internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery and primary care. The final two courses of the Capstone sequence are also taken during this year.
There are 6 weeks of time (4 before or after the Primary Care clerkship, and 2 following the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship) which students may use to take certain elective courses.
Curriculum: Fourth Year
The fourth year involves a required emergency medicine core clerkship, a required senior sub-internship and a series of elective clerkships which ultimately comprise a minimum of 36 total weeks. Required senior core clerkships total 12 weeks. The remaining 32 weeks required of the fourth year consist of elective study in areas of special interest to each student. The choice of electives is guided by the goal of an educationally balanced undergraduate experience. Of the 32 weeks of required student-chosen electives, up to 12 weeks of elective study may take place at other Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) - or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited institutions and a maximum of eight weeks of elective rotations may be taken in a single subspeciality. Faculty may recommend that students take additional elective weeks to enhance their preparation for residency.
Electives
Students are required to take 32 weeks of electives
Grading - Third and Fourth Years
In the third and fourth years, students will receive a grade of honors, high pass, pass, fail or incomplete for each of the clerkships and electives.
Clinical Skills Assessment
In preparation for the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills exam, fourth-year students complete the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) with standardized patients at the start of the fourth year. This experience is designed to aid in self-evaluation of one’s clinical skills (communication and interpersonal skills, attitudes and procedural skills). Successful completion of the CSA is a graduation requirement.
Academic Policies
Definition of Student Status
The status of a student shall be determined in accordance with the Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) Policies and Procedures.
Full-time Student. Any student enrolled in Rush Medical College, paying tuition or appropriate fees and scheduled to take courses leading to the MD degree is a full-time student. Rush Medical College does not have a part-time student option available for students.
Leave of Absence. A student who, for a predetermined period of time, is not paying tuition and not actively enrolled at Rush Medical College will be on a Leave of Absence (LOA).
Dismissal. Dismissal is the permanent administrative termination of a student.
Withdrawal. Withdrawal is the voluntary termination of enrollment by a student.
- A student who withdraws from the college and subsequently seeks reinstatement must submit a written petition for reinstatement to the Committee on Admissions of the College if withdrawal took place before the completion of the student’s first term of enrollment. If the student withdrew subsequent to the first term, the student must submit a written petition to the COSEP for reinstatement.
- A student who fails to engage in registration for courses or who fails to engage in a course according to the policies of the college will be considered to have withdrawn. A student withdrawing under this provision may submit a written petition to the Office of Medical Student Programs (OMSP) for reinstatement. The OMSP shall determine whether special circumstances existed which justified the student’s failure to engage or whether the student’s petition should be forwarded to the COSEP.
Please see the COSEP Policies and Procedures for full details about student status.
Course Credit
Rush Medical College assigns no credit hour value to its courses. First- and second-year courses are recorded on the transcript according to the semester in which the courses are given; clinical courses/clerkships are recorded on the transcript according to the dates when the course is taken.
Grades and Examinations
The grading system for Rush Medical College shall be established by the COSEP and adhered to by course directors. Please see the COSEP Policies and Procedures for details about course grading.
Recording and Notification of Grades
Please see the COSEP Policies and Procedures for details about notification about grades.
Student Performance Assessment in a Course
Please see the COSEP policies and procedures for details on the following:
- Performance evaluation
- Absences from Examinations
- Failed courses in first and second years
- Status of students with course failures
Academic Dismissal
Grounds for dismissal are outlined in the COSEP Policies and Procedures.
Remedial Programs
Failure in First or Second Year Curriculum
The Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) establishes requirements for remedial work for students with more than one outstanding course failures in the first or second year. Remedial work requirements will be reasonably related to the seriousness of the student’s deficiencies. Such requirements may include but need not be limited to the following: study with re-examination, retaking failed courses during the next academic year and retaking all courses including those satisfactorily passed.
Failure in Third or Fourth Year Curriculum
A failure in a required clerkship must be remediated in a manner prescribed by the course director in consultation with the Office of Medical Student Programs (OMSP), and approved by the COSEP and consistent with the reasons for the student’s failure. A student required to repeat any component(s) of a required clerkship must complete the failed course prior to beginning another core rotation. In developing requirements, the COSEP will consider the needs of the individual student and will endeavor to develop a program that, if successfully completed, will strengthen the student’s prospects for successfully completing the program.
United States Medical Licensure Examinations (USMLE)
USMLE - Step 1
All students must take and pass USMLE Step 1 at the completion of the second year curriculum. Permission to defer taking this examination must be granted by the OMSP. Students who defer Step 1 beyond the established deadline must take the exam within nine months of completing the second year, and defer clinical rotations until a passing score is achieved. Students who fail the USMLE Step 1 are removed from clinical rotations and placed on a LOA until a passing score is achieved. Students who fail the USMLE Step 1 three times are recommended to the COSEP for dismissal.
USMLE - Step 2
All students must take and pass both the Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS) components of USMLE Step 2 during the student’s fourth year by a date determined by the OMSP. Failures on either component are reported to the COSEP. Students who fail either component of the USMLE Step 2 three times are recommended to the COSEP for dismissal.
Advisor Program
Incoming Rush Medical College students are assigned to faculty advisors who will provide support and guidance throughout their academic career. Small groups of students work with pairs of advisors, creating an opportunity to develop meaningful longitudinal relationships. Students meet with their advisors regularly, both as groups and individuals. Early on, advisors assist students with all aspects of their transition to medical school. During the second and third years, the focus shifts to guidance regarding career exploration and career choice. In the fourth year, advisors support students in developing a plan for residency specialty choice and preparing for the residency match. Advisors also serve as professional role models and sounding boards, and are available to guide students to medical college resources and support services when needed. New students are also assigned a group of Peer Advisors from the second, third, and fourth years who work with the faculty advisors to provide advice, provide a student perspective about life, ensure student success and enhance student learning. New students are also assigned a group of peer advisors from the second, third, and fourth years who work with the faculty advisors to provide advice, a student perspective about life, ensure student success and enhance student learning.
Student Research Opportunities
Students are encouraged to pursue additional research experience beyond their work on their Capstone projects. Research opportunities range from laboratory experiences in the biomedical sciences to clinical investigation and fieldwork in epidemiology, preventive medicine and primary care. Such research can be carried out during the summer between the first and second years or during the time allotted for elective experiences in the fourth year.
The Dean’s Office Summer Research Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis to students between the first and second years to work on research projects with Rush faculty in basic science, clinical research and community service arenas. Students accepted in the program are provided a paid position to work fulltime during the summer before the second year on their research project. Many students continue on and participate in these projects after the summer.
First-year medical students have the opportunity to enroll in the elective course, Introduction to Biomedical Research. This is a year-long course consisting of lectures, journal club and one-on-one work with a faculty mentor to develop a research proposal.
Students who are interested in a more in-depth research experience may request a Leave of Absence from the Medical College curriculum to pursue an MS or PhD degree.
Rush Medical College Committees
Committees exist within the structure of Rush Medical College to assure the appropriate involvement of faculty and students in the various activities of the college. Except for the Rush Medical College Student Council, each committee includes representation from both faculty and students.
Faculty Council
This committee is the senior representative body within Rush Medical College. The membership includes professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors or assistants and one student from each of the four classes, each chosen by vote of the corresponding constituency.
Committee on Committees
This committee has as its primary responsibility the nomination of individuals to serve on the various standing committees of Rush Medical College. The committee is also responsible for dealing with grievances presented by members of the Rush Medical College community.
Committee on Admissions (CoA)
Members of this committee are responsible for admissions to the Rush Medical College. The duties of the committee members include but are not limited to setting the admissions criteria that will enhance academic excellence, interviewing candidates and selecting the applicants who will be offered acceptance to Rush Medical College.
Committee on Curriculum and Evaluation (CCE)
This committee is responsible for the design, content and evaluation of the courses and curriculum. With the assistance of course directors, the committee administers surveys to the students that evaluate course content, delivery and faculty performance.
Committee on Senior Faculty Appointments and Promotions (COSFAP)
The function of this committee is to review recommendations submitted by chairpersons for appointments or promotions of faculty members to academic ranks of indefinite terms in Rush Medical College. Recommendations for appointments or promotions are then submitted to the Office of the Dean for further action.
Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP)
This committee is responsible for developing policies concerning student status, evaluation and promotion; reviewing the academic performance of Rush Medical College students; making recommendations to the Faculty Council and Dean concerning promotion, graduation and dismissal of students; and determining requirements for remedial action for students who have failed medical college courses.
Programs
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