Rush Medical College

Welcome from the Dean

As a student at Rush, you have joined an historic institution that 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. Times have changed since then, and medicine and health care have evolved. However, 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 more than 2,600 faculty and staff, 515 medical students and 678 residents and fellows.

Rush has produced skilled leaders in medicine and science, including thousands of excellent physicians. Explore the Rush University and Rush University Medical Center websites 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.

Dino P. Rumoro, DO, MPH, FACEP

Acting Dean of 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.

Vision

Rush Medical College will be the global leader in student-centered, future-oriented medical education. 

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Rush Medical College embraces the Rush University Medical Center Diversity Leadership Council vision for diversity and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) commitment to increasing diversity in medical schools. As a member of the AAMC, we are further guided by the AAMC’s Group on Diversity and Inclusion definitions*:

*”Diversity as a core value embodies inclusiveness, mutual respect, and multiple perspectives and serves as a catalyst for change resulting in health equity.” Recognizing the importance of addressing the issues related to those historically underrepresented in medicine and never losing sight of the ultimate goals of providing care to the underserved, promoting health equity and eliminating health disparities, Rush Medical College seeks to recruit, retain and develop a student body and physician workforce that will advance diversity across the entire professional spectrum of medical education.  

*”In this context, we are mindful of all aspects of human differences, such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geography, disability and age. Inclusion is a core element for successfully achieving diversity. Inclusion is achieved by nurturing the climate and culture of the institution through professional development, education, policy and practice. The objective is creating a climate that fosters belonging, respect and value for all and encourages engagement and connection throughout the institution and community.”

Rush Medical College, appreciating that diversity and inclusion enhances the medical education environment and ultimately the overall health of our community, strives to create and support an environment where faculty, residents, fellows, 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 quality care. It is our goal to improve the health of the individuals and diverse communities we serve with a critical focus on the benefits of diversity in medicine and biomedical sciences. We believe this is an important factor in meeting our mission - not only by creating a diverse environment but also by influencing the potential for our students and physicians to succeed in our rapidly changing and diverse society.

Utilizing information provided by the Office of Integrated Medical Education and other data, Rush Medical College’s Faculty Council is committed to implementing institutional policies, procedures, programs and initiatives designed to meet these stated diversity goals.

Program Objectives

By the time they graduate, a Rush Medical College student will achieve the RMC Program Objectives, which are key tasks essential to success as a physician. Our curriculum is designed to support the objectives.  The objectives represent RMC’s commitment to our students and are written as task statements deemed critical to a successful physician. The course and session objectives ultimately serve the program objectives, and they are used to develop curriculum and assessments. Program objectives are grouped under eight roles. 

The RMC Program Objectives are organized around the following eight roles that a physician plays and the foundational role of medical knowledge that supports them: 

Medical Knowledge: 

Develop foundational knowledge in order to practice effective medicine. Understanding these foundations is critical to performing the various roles of a physician as delineated below.

1. Apply the concepts of anatomy to medical practice
2. Apply the concepts of biochemistry to medical practice
3. Apply the concepts of embryology to medical practice
4. Apply the concepts of genetics to medical practice
5. Apply the concepts of histology to medical practice
6. Apply the concepts of immunology to medical practice
7. Apply the concepts of microbiology to medical practice
8. Apply the concepts of pathology to medical practice
9. Apply the concepts of pathophysiology to medical practice
10. Apply the concepts of pharmacology to medical practice
11. Apply the concepts of physiology to medical practice

Advocate: 

Develop partnerships with patients and families to navigate the health care system to improve individual health outcomes. Promote public good through awareness of important health issues, including disease prevention, health promotion, health protection and health equity.

1. Recognize and respond to a patient’s health needs by advocating for the patient within and beyond the clinical environment  
2. Recognize and respond to societal factors that impact the health communities and populations

Collaborator: 

Pursue common goals with other professionals in the health care environment and community through relationships based on trust, respect, willingness to learn from others and effective communication.

1. Work with colleagues to promote mutual understanding, manage differences and resolve conflicts 
2. Coordinate patient care through participation on intraprofessional and interprofessional teams 

Communicator: 

Form strong therapeutic alliances with patients and their families by finding common ground, sharing information and managing care with the patient’s needs, values and preferences in mind. Engage the patient and families in their health care choices.  

1. Establish professional therapeutic relationships with patients and their families
2. Engage patient and families in developing and implementing treatment plans that reflect their needs and goals  

Educator: 

Demonstrate a lifelong commitment to continually enhancing practice. Implement an active, planned approach to fill gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes required to deliver care. Educate peers, patients and families, the public, colleagues and other health care professionals using methods appropriate for each audience. 

1. Establish self-directed learning practices to continually monitor for and address gaps in skills and knowledge throughout one’s career 
2. Conduct an educational activity

Leader:

 Engage others to implement high-quality, future-oriented and innovative health care practices.

1. Contribute to the improvement of health care delivery in teams, organizations and systems 
2. Organize and lead a team to enhance success 

Practitioner: 

Apply medical knowledge, clinical skills and professional values in their provision of high-quality care. Collect and interpret information, make clinical decisions, and carry out diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. 

1. Gather a history and perform a physical examination 
2. Create and prioritize a differential diagnosis 
3. Create and implement a treatment plan 
4. Summarize and share a clinical assessment and management plan 

Professional: 

Demonstrate a commitment to ethical practice, high personal standards of behavior, accountability to the profession, ongoing professional development and maintenance of personal well-being. Develop the identity of a physician. 

1. Act in accordance with the professional conduct, legal and ethical standards expected of the medical profession 
2. Develop your professional identity as a physician
3. Promote the emotional, physical and spiritual elements needed to maintain personal well-being in the service of one’s self, colleagues and practice 

Scholar: 

Seek out and use scientific evidence to inform decision-making and develop the potential to contribute to original research.  

1. Retrieve, appraise and apply valid evidence to answer a question about patient care
2. Design a research study to address a gap in the medical literature

Professionalism Statement and Standards

Overview: “Professionalism is recognized as the basis of the medicine’s contract with society.” So begins the preamble to the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Physician Charter, a widely recognized and endorsed document detailing the roles and responsibilities of modern physicians in practice toward their patients, profession and society. It has been recognized for decades in U.S. undergraduate medical education that not only does professionalism need to be modeled in the clinical setting but also taught and assessed throughout training, starting from entry to medical school. Developing and refining behaviors consistent with exemplary medical professionalism is an acquired skill, which requires teaching from the time of entry into medical school. 

The expectations for trainees, whether in the undergraduate medical program or graduate medical program, are closely aligned. Furthermore, the expectations of students should be similar but level-appropriate to those for attending physicians with regards to medical professionalism and ethically sound behavior. 

This document specifically defines (1) the value of professionalism in the Rush Medical College (RMC) curriculum, (2) RMC student expectations for professionalism and (3) methods for reporting concerns on student professionalism. 

Professionalism in the RMC Curriculum: The Professional Role curriculum is designed to introduce students to both the fundamentals of medical professionalism and medical ethics, as well as provide guidance on both exemplary professional behavior and unprofessional student behavior. The teaching in the four-year curriculum is parallel to the routine professional expectations RMC has of students in both clinical practice, administrative responsibilities and interpersonal interactions. 

Professionalism Standards for RMC Students: The following expectations are based on medical professionalism guidelines as set forth by the American Board of Internal Medicine Physician Charter. Students are expected to strive to, and model, commonly accepted the highest standards of professionalism as members of the Rush community. Student professionalism is regularly assessed throughout the curriculum in end-of-course evaluations, including narrative evaluations. Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism in the following ways: 

Classroom/Clinical Experiences: 

• Being adequately prepared for learning activities in the classroom, laboratory, research and clinical settings.
• Attending and participating in learning activities in an engaged, punctual and reliable manner.
• Completing all course and administrative requirements as defined by the Office of Integrated Medical Education (OIME), course directors and faculty in a timely manner.
• Dressing and conducting themselves appropriately to the activity in which they are participating that is in a manner becoming of a member of the Rush community.

Feedback and Evaluation: 

• Actively and appropriately seeking feedback to improve their own performance, and to accept constructive feedback openly and without hostility and accept responsibility for missteps.
• Reflecting on their performance and educational experiences to inform their self-directed learning and study.
• Recognize personal limitations in knowledge, skills and attitudes, and to seek help from faculty and peers as appropriate.
• Providing constructive feedback and evaluation about the learning environment and educational experiences.

Interpersonal Behaviors: 

• Treating faculty, residents, staff and fellow students with respect and collegiality, both in person and via social media and other digital platforms.
• Resolving conflicts in an appropriate and professional manner.

Patient Care:

• Treat patients with kindness, compassion and respect, both in person and via social media and other digital platforms.
• Respect and preserve patient confidentiality as appropriate for patient care through the electronic health record and other digital platforms, and in person.

Personal Integrity and Academic Honesty: 

• Adhering to the Rush University Honor Code and the Rush University Medical Center Code of Conduct.
• Adhere to the ethical standards of our profession as described by the American Medical Association.
• Act as models of honesty and integrity at all times in all interactions with patients, faculty and colleagues.
• Refrain from using illicit substances, in accordance with the law. Avoid using legal or prescribed substances to the point of impairment or dependency.

Methods for Reporting Professionalism Concerns: Various RMC personnel and committees work closely together in the evaluation and remediation of student professionalism concerns. The following are the different methods through which professionalism concerns are reported. 

• RMC Honor Code Council: The Honor Code Council is a group of peer-elected medical students who review reports of potential Honor Code violations and recommends action as appropriate. As per the Honor Code Council Policies and Procedures, reports cannot be anonymous; they must contain the name of both the reporter and the student named in the violation. If an Honor Code violation is found to have occurred or if the Council is unable to reach a conclusion, the report is passed directly to the Committee on Student Evaluation & Promotion (COSEP) for further evaluation and final decision.
• Special Committee on the RMC Environment (SCORE): SCORE is another student-run organization, which evaluates a wide range of reports regarding the learning environment. SCORE reporting can be anonymous, as per the SCORE Policies and Procedures, although submitters are encouraged to identify themselves to the committee. Occasionally, students submit reports of unprofessional behavior of other students to SCORE. If SCORE deems appropriate, these reports may be passed on to OIME for further evaluation and subsequently reported to the COSEP. 
• RMC Early Concern Note (ECN): Faculty may submit an Early Concern Note (ECN) if they observe or learn of a minor professionalism lapse. ECNs are reported through a portal to the OIME and are reviewed by either the assistant dean of preclerkship or clerkship curriculum. The relevant dean will discuss the issue with the student. If the professionalism lapse is significant or is considered to be a part of a pattern of behavior, it may be referred to the COSEP for evaluation, as deemed appropriate by the relevant dean. 
• RMC Formal Student Evaluations: Student professionalism is routinely assessed via end-of-course evaluations, narrative evaluations and student performance evaluations.  If there are reports of unprofessional behavior on any of these evaluations, these reports will be evaluated and addressed in the same manner as ECNs.  
• Rush University Student Complaint Portal: Any Rush University student can report complaints to the Rush University Student Complaint Portal. Rush University will review or refer the complaints submitted through this portal to determine the appropriate follow-up.
• In addition to the above methods, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to report any concerns regarding professionalism to the relevant course/clerkship director or any OIME dean. Major lapses in professionalism should be immediately reported to an OIME dean.  

Conclusion: This document stands as a comprehensive overview of the role of professionalism in the Rush Medical College curriculum and student promotions. This document will be reviewed and updated periodically by the college’s professional role leader.

Graduation Requirements (Class of 2023)

The following are prerequisites to the granting of the Doctor of Medicine, or MD, degree by Rush University for students graduating in 2023. 

• The student must have successfully completed the medical college curriculum or its equivalent in accordance with the requirements of the medical college and the Committee on Student of Evaluation & Promotion (COSEP).
• The student must pass USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills by deadlines set by the Office of Integrated Medical Education (OIME).
• The student must complete requirements for graduation within a maximum of 58 months of active enrollment (excluding leave of absence) beginning from the time of matriculation.
• For students entering as transfer students at the third-year level from other medical schools, a minimum of 78 weeks of clinical instruction must be taken at Rush  Medical College, with the exception of approved away electives. 
• As a part of any remedial plan, COSEP may require additional weeks of instruction depending upon the progress made by a Rush Medical College student.
• By Nov. 30 of the calendar year prior to the year of expected graduation, students must have met the following:
  • Passed all required M3 core clerkships  
  • Scheduled all elective clerkship requirements
• Approval for graduation from COSEP.  

Notification of Failure to Meet Graduation Requirements:  If the student is reasonably expected not to be able to fulfill the graduation requirements, OIME will notify the residency program director(s) where the student has matched. If the inability to graduate is determined prior to the match, the student and OIME must notify the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) that the student is withdrawing from the match. Students must notify all of the programs to which they applied that they are withdrawing from the match.

Admissions Requirements

Each Rush Medical College applicant must meet the following: 

• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent U.S. resident or of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university that is accredited in the United States or a Canadian-based institution. 
• Have taken the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
• As applicable, for postbaccalaureate coursework: through AMCAS, have grades submitted for at least 24 hours of postbaccalaureate coursework achieving a strong academic foundation in the basic sciences.

Information on the admissions process can be found on the Rush Medical College website at  www.rushu.rush.edu/rush-medical-college/doctor-medicine-md-program.

Prerequisites/Recommendations and Competencies

Rush Medical College does not require specific coursework for admission. We strongly encourage applicants to follow their own interests and passion, whether in the liberal arts, social or basic sciences. We value students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, with evidence of broad training and in-depth exploration and achievement in a particular area or areas of knowledge. 

The curriculum at Rush Medical College is academically challenging, rigorous and integrates all basic sciences and clinical components in a flipped classroom method without lectures. It is learner-centered, competency-based and requires mastery of academic content. We therefore focus on a competency-based model for requirements where emphasis is placed on mastery rather than number of courses. We recommend that applicants have a strong foundation in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology and engagement in the social and behavioral sciences. We recommend applicants seek exposure and engagement in the following core competencies:

• Intellectual engagement in the humanities (which may include coursework or research, for example) that emphasizes the written and verbal communication of ideas and concepts with an understanding of their historical and societal background and relevance.
• Intellectual engagement in the field of biology (includes coursework and may include laboratory experience) that encompasses the core concepts of cell and developmental biology, molecular biology and genetics.
• Courses offering a social science or philosophical context (such as philosophy, history, anthropology or psychology) can provide future doctors with insights that are crucial to the discharge of their professional responsibilities.
• Intellectual engagement in the field of chemistry that encompasses core concepts of biochemistry and biologically applicable elements of inorganic and organic chemistry.
• Analytical thought and problem-solving skills as an integral and pervasive part of the majority of the curricular and extracurricular experiences.

The AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students also offers additional information.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening

During Admission and Matriculation: As a medical school located in Illinois, Rush Medical College enforces the Medical School Matriculant Criminal History Records Check Act, which states the following: 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. This criminal background check will occur through AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) once an applicant has been offered an acceptance of admission.

In preparation for clinical rotations at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, all Rush Medical College students are also required to submit a urine sample under conditions arranged by Rush Medical College for a drug screening. This is completed during orientation through a process coordinated by the Student Health Service (Lifetime Medical Associates). After completion of the testing process, a report will be released to Rush Medical College.

All positive results on the criminal background check, the sex offender assessment, and/or the drug screen are reviewed by the Office of Integrated Medical Education (OIME) in consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs and may result in the applicant’s file being presented to the Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) for review and action. COSEP may recommend the Rush Medical College may rescind the student’s acceptance.

Current Students: 

• Current students may be required to submit to either a criminal background check and/or drug screening for a clinical experience (Rush or non-Rush) that requires such verification.  
• Enrolled students must inform OIME of any criminal convictions (other than a minor traffic offense) while enrolled at Rush Medical College.
• Students returning from a leave of absence must inform OIME of any criminal convictions (other than a minor traffic offense) while on leave of absence. 

Refusal to comply with a required criminal background check and/or drug screening will result in a student’s file being presented to COSEP for review. A positive result from any criminal background check or drug screening will result in the student’s file being presented to the COSEP for review. Notification of criminal conviction (other than a minor traffic offense) or failure to notify OIME of criminal conviction (other than a minor traffic offense) will result in the student’s file being presented to the COSEP for review.

Immunization Requirements 

Proof of immunity per Illinois state law College Immunization Code (effective August 2016): Immunization regulations for the state of Illinois require new students at Rush University born after Jan. 1, 1957 to show proof of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and meningococcal conjugate, and all new admissions under the age of 22 shall show proof of having at least one dose of the vaccine on or after 16 years of age.

Additional RMC Immunization Requirements: 

To prepare for work in clinical settings, Rush Medical College students must meet special compliance requirements. Immunization requirements follow national and regional recommendations for health care workers. The requirements include a documentation of positive serum titers to measles, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis B and varicella. Students also must have annual TB screening (Quantiferon Gold or PPD) and documentation of tetanus (Tdap) vaccination within the past 10 years.  

Technical (Non-Academic) Standards

Rush Medical College offers an undifferentiated MD degree affirming the general knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and the capacity to enter residency training and qualify for medical licensure. 

A candidate for the MD degree must have abilities and skills in six areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual (conceptual, integrative and quantitative), behavioral and social, and demonstrate ethics and professionalism.

Essential abilities and characteristics required for completion of the MD degree consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities and emotional characteristics to assure that candidates for admission, promotion and graduation are able to complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Rush University is committed to diversity and to attracting and educating students who will make the population of health care professionals representative of the national population.

Our ICARE core values - innovation, collaboration, accountability, respect and excellence - translate into our work with all students, including those with disabilities. Rush actively collaborates with students to develop innovative ways to ensure accessibility and creates a respectful accountable culture through our confidential and specialized disability support. Rush is committed to excellence in accessibility. We encourage students with disabilities to disclose and seek accommodations.

Observation: Students should be able to obtain information from demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. Students should be able to assess a patient and evaluate findings accurately. These skills require the use of vision, hearing and touch, or the functional equivalent.

Communication: Students should be able to communicate with patients in order to elicit information, detect changes in mood and activity, and to establish a therapeutic relationship. Students should be able to communicate via English effectively and sensitively with patients and all members of the health care team both in person and in writing.

Motor: Students should, after a reasonable period of time, possess the capacity to perform a physical examination and perform diagnostic maneuvers. Students should be able to execute some motor movements required to provide general care to patients and provide or direct the provision of emergency treatment of patients. Such actions require some coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements balance and equilibrium.

Intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities: Students should be able to assimilate detailed and complex information presented in both didactic and clinical coursework, and engage in problem solving. Students are expected to possess the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize and transmit information. 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 and modalities.

Behavioral and social abilities: 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, professionalism, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that are expected during the 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. The student is expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine and function within the law and ethical standards of the medical profession.

The technical standards delineated above must be met with or without accommodation. Students who, after review of the technical standards, determine they require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program should contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services to confidentially discuss their accommodations needs. Given the clinical nature of our programs, time may be needed to create and implement the accommodations. Accommodations are never retroactive; therefore, timely requests are essential and encouraged. Contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services to learn more about accommodations at Rush University.  

    Marie Ferro-Lusk, MBA, MSW, LSW, Director, Office of Student Accessibility Services

    Rush University, 600 S. Paulina St., Suite 440, Chicago, IL 60612     

     (773) 942-5237, Marie_S_Ferro-Lusk@rush.edu 

Process: 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 seeking accommodations describes the process for requesting an accommodation and is available in the catalog and on the website.

Programs

• Doctor of Medicine