About the School

The Personal Side of Health Care

We have been educating physician leaders who have distinguished themselves in their profession for more than a century. Our students experience a variety of clinical environments and models. These include inner-city hospitals that help the underserved, the Federal Health Care Center that provides medical care to U.S. military personnel, and private clinics and practice settings.

We teach that patients are the center of the model of care, and also an active member of the healthcare team. Our students learn that outcomes improve through positive patient interactions and clear communication. During their didactic training, our students sharpen those interactions, along with their critical reasoning and communication skills, in our simulation labs. Additionally, our students have early clinical contact, experience a supportive environment and can count on faculty committed to student success.

Rich Research Opportunities

Chicago Medical School offers multiple avenues for pursuing research. We support an annual summer fellowship program that involves students conducting research either with a CMS faculty member or via one of our affiliated programs. We also have three elective courses — two sophomore-level and one senior-level — that provide opportunities to perform research in students’ chosen areas.

Additionally, we offer two degree programs with a research focus:

• MD with Distinction in Research (MDDR), which is given to students who conduct, present, and defend an original project involving basic or clinical research. 
• MD/PhD, which is operated in conjunction with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and given to students who exemplify RFU’s commitment to training physician-scientists for careers in academic medicine and biomedical research.

Contemporary Curriculum

Future physicians must be able to engage in preventive and personalized patient care while also adapting to new technologies, working on interprofessional healthcare teams, and delivering care in multiple settings, including virtual ones .

Our four-phase curriculum for our allopathic medicine degree (MD):

• Integrates clinical and basic sciences
• Engages our students in active learning
• Provides early opportunities for clinical experiences in the community
• Ensures students have the skills they need for lifelong, independent learning
• Builds on our experience and strength as an interprofessional university

Healthcare will continue to grow and evolve, and we’re ready to do the same to prepare our students for what’s ahead.