Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Had a great time at this school. This school focuses on collaboration so for my first year of core classes we were taking courses with other majors like physician assistants and med students. I though this was a great way to start my professional education in grad school as it helped me collaborate with students of other degrees and I actually made a few friends that I still communicate with well after graduating that are in different fields and I can bounce ideas off of. The environment was always... Read More welcoming and friendly.

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) has successfully prepared me for a career in mental health counseling. Professors are available to students and offer them the help they need to become excellent clinicians. The available practicum locations provide students with hands on clinical experience. A unique aspect of our counseling program is that it is housed within a larger medical campus allowing us to work with several aspiring professionals from various fields. We learn... Read More how to effectively communicate with other healthcare professionals in order to provide our clients with the best care. A negative aspect of our program is the lack of financial aid available to students. The cost of education is steadily rising and becoming a burden to individual's seeking higher education. I have enjoyed my time at RFUMS and am eager to pursue a doctoral degree to become the best possible clinician that I can. Thank you for your consideration.

The University and program had its ups and downs. I felt that a class or two was not very relevant to the field of a Pathologist's Assistant, and it was packed into our busiest quarter (interesting class, but a lot of information from Neuroscience does not directly apply to a Path Asst). The department unfortunately had a rough year while I was attending. There was a lot of staff turnover, which was disappointing to see some people leave. There was also a great lack of communication among staff and... Read More between students and staff, including class scheduling/cancellations, how to appropriately answer exam questions, grading system for exams and assignments, and information about clinical rotations. The positive aspect over this experience was the feedback we were able to provide for the current staff; we were assured that these issues would be addressed for future classes. The staff (including those that left, those that joined, and those in other departments) were all great! They were willing to answer any questions, had an open door policy, were very approachable, and most of all extremely intelligent. They were able to challenge the way students learn and think about concepts, and apply concepts to everyday practice. Classes offered through the department (vs those outside the department) were excellent in making connections to everyday practice and job skills. For example, Clinical Correlations tied together Embryology, (Medical school-based) Pathology, and certain aspects Structure and Function/Histology into the daily practices of a Pathologist's Assistant. The assigned worksheets were simple, yet also provided a study guide for exams. The department also provides sites to complete the second year clinical rotations. Although my class had issues with this part of the program, it is nice to know that sites are provided that are willing to take students. This is, however, an expense the students takes on themselves; expenses for housing, travel, food, and rent are not provided by the university. Also, there are a limited number of sites within Illinois; students will have to travel out of state to complete this part of the program. The experience gained, though, is highly valuable!

Pros-Our program has the first entire year of classes only. Even though it is very grueling and long I think the program does a good job preparing you for you clincal this way. I was not afraid nor did I ever have no idea what was going on during my clinicals. The practicals are difficult and the instructors and very good at letting you know what to expect when entering them. They are just like working with a real patient when you begin treatment as a student. Cons-The research aspect of the school... Read More is very tedious. Research is important for every physical therapy school but the process is very picky and time consuming. Due to our interprofessional classes sometimes the information may not and will never be pertinent to Physical therapists. Other times is it very valuable.

This school is located on a school campus that has only graduate degree programs. It is an excellent environment for beyond undergraduate studies with easy access to professional students and teachers. It is a lock down building and therefore extremely safe. My fellow classmates are from various backgrounds. This includes those whom are already working in the pathology assistant field and need to complete an accredited program to be eligible to sit for the national certifying exam. Their working... Read More experience is invaluable to the rest of the students. Students that have recently graduated from an undergraduate institution are well represented and their energy and enthusiasm is welcomed. The clinical rotation sites to gain working knowledge are top notch. The downside of attending Rosalind Franklin Univ. School of Medical Sciences is the cost. Tuition is one of the highest in the country and the cost of living is high. Students do not get very much bang for the buck.