Carle Illinois College of Medicine

About

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is the graduate medical school of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.” World’s First Engineering-Based College of Medicine,” got its name due to the training it provides to physicians and innovators by incorporating several engineering and entrepreneurial sciences into their medical training. The Carle Illinois College of Medicine was established on March 12, 2015, after the approval of the University of Illinois, Board of Trustees. The college welcomed its inaugural class of 32 students on July 2, 2018. The medical college offers an M.D. degree focused on medicine and engineering intersections. The college envisages a future where doctors provide more humanistic treatment for patients through the use of engineering and advanced technology. A world in which quality health care is available to those who need it – irrespective of who they are or where they live. The college is the world’s first college of medicine with a program that fuses engineering, medicine, and humanities.

Mission Statement

The College will educate exceptional physician-innovators to deliver high-value, compassionate health care through transformative solutions developed at the intersection of engineering, science, and medicine.

Vision

The College will be global leaders in transformative medical education, research, and clinical care innovation, designed to improve the health and well-being of patients and communities around the world.

The Four C’s

The college is guided by four main qualities that permeate society and result in a self-improving environment.

Compassion

The College focuses on improving the human condition through compassionate care for patients, society, and the world at large.

Competence

The College is confident in its capacity to prepare board-certified physicians who are also innovators who will revolutionize healthcare delivery.

Curiosity

Change doesn’t just happen. Through a unique blend of unwavering curiosity, determination, and a giant leap into new ways of thinking, the College challenges the status quo.

Creativity

The College aims to develop unprecedented solutions to society’s most challenging health care delivery problems by collectively building on each other’s creative ideas.

Partnership with Carle Health System

Carle Health System

The Carle Foundation, located in Urbana, IL, is a vertically integrated health care organization. It has more than 7,000 employees in its clinics, a community of doctors, health plan designing, and other related healthcare operations. The foundation provides patient-focused, world-class health care with a commitment to science and education. It is currently serving a population of over 1.4 million people, spanning 41 counties in Illinois and 5 in Indiana. The 413-bed Carle Foundation Hospital is the only Level I Trauma Center in the city, which also provides perinatal care of Level III. In 2018, Carle was listed by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals. It was also named a Best Hospital by a US World and News Report, and it received Magnet status, the highest distinction for nursing care in the country. Furthermore, it won the 2018 Best Place to Work in Healthcare honors. The system moreover includes the Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center which has 24-bed critical access, Carle Richland Memorial Hospital that has 134 beds, and the Carle Physician Group with over 500 physicians.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois is an original land-grant university that was founded in 1867. It continues its innovative traditions and excellent efforts to attain its missions that are education, research, and public engagement. In its 16 colleges and schools, and more than 80 research centers and labs, an estimated 1,800 faculty members tutor almost 45,000 undergraduate, doctoral and technical students in processes of discovery and development. The campus covers over 1,500 acres. Illinois faculty members are the recipients of the most prestigious national and international prizes. It is further renowned for its international connections and collaborations. Such foreign collaborations offer a growing array of opportunities for students, as well as faculty, to collaborate with respected peers around the world.

Location

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is located on the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois.

Address:

807 S Wright St, Champaign, IL 61820, United States. Champaign and Urbana are located near the center of the state, about two hours west of Indianapolis, two hours south of Chicago, and two hours northeast of St. Louis. The settlements were called “micro-urban” because they offer the big-city elements with the comfort of a local neighborhood. It is a very favorable location, easily accessible by plane, train, and cars.

Diversity Policy

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is committed to enrolling a vibrant and creative group of students, faculty, and staff which is key to achieving its mission and vision. Carle Illinois fosters an inclusive community in which students, faculty, and staff can study, teach, work, and support. The college believes that diversity includes the aspects of race, gender identification, nationality, age, religion, national origin, language, religious views, capacity, sexual orientation, socio-economic class, lifestyle choices, political affiliation, academic history, and veteran status. Carle Illinois strives to be constructive and deliberate in its attempts to create, foster, and preserve diversity and innovation while at the same time meeting changing federal and state expectations. Carle Illinois is committed to equal rights in work and education. Which is why all jobs, enrolment procedures, and events are carried out in a non-discriminatory manner.

LCME Accreditation

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits MD degrees in the United States and Canada. The scope of the LCME is restricted to rigorous and accredited medical education services for which graduates are supposed to be exclusively based in the United States or Canada enrolled in colleges and medical schools chartered in the United States or Canada. Carle Illinois obtained LCME’s preliminary accreditation in October 2017. They are currently working on obtaining the provisional accreditation.

M.D. Program

The curriculum of the M.D. breaks the traditional mold. It uses non-traditional approaches to learning which mold students that are future physician-innovators. The program provides active learning, where students can learn first-hand by immersing themselves in case-based studies that orient in problem-solving. Students are provided with clinical experience that is hand in hand with engineering-based training. The educators at UICOM-UC, are first-class facilitators who help students navigate through their courses with ease all the while providing them with medical education, developing their problem-solving capabilities, and facilitating them across many other challenges. One of the key features in the M.D. degree at UICOM-UC is the early clinical exposure that students do not get at any other college. Students start their clinical routine from their second week at UICOM-UC. This provides M.D. students with the opportunity to learn from real-life treatment situations and apply them in the course curriculum in class. Within the first-year students practice their diagnosis skills weekly in clinics, this is done under the mentorship of a physician preceptor. Students start their Family Medicine Clerkship in their second year at Carle Illinois. Furthermore, students are expected to generate new ideas via their IDEA projects in each year of their M.D. degree. One of these ideas will become the basis of students’ Capstone Projects.

How to apply

Step 1: Prepare to apply

Talk to your pre-health advisor and participate in research or gain volunteer experience in the clinical environment.

Step 2: Take the MCAT

Take the MCAT about 18 months before you anticipate enrolling.

Step 3: Submit application

Applications to the Carle Illinois College of Medicine are sent to AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) by AAMC.

Step 4: Complete your secondary application

The secondary application follows a non-traditional approach, where applicants must submit a video essay to fulfill their application. The purpose of the video essay is to provide applicants an opportunity to tell the board of admissions about themselves, and for them to observe how well applicants can perform under pressure. The video also helps the board identify how an applicant’s views align with UICOM-UC values and curricular approach. This submission is done by recording online in real-time. It will be to your benefit if the following question is answered in addition to your input in your recording. “Why is engineering-infused medicine right for you and how will you use it to change the world? “

Admission Requirements

Education

Applicants must have graduated from an accredited university or college before enrolment. Students are eligible if they have received a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or any other terminal degree from a U.S. or Canadian accredited college or university before enrolment in the MD program.

Academic Requirements

Applicants must have completed the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before their application. MCAT and GPA scores will be used as elements of the final testing of the student to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications to excel in their special program. For the MCAT, a minimum total score of 498 out of a possible 528 (highest of first two attempts; an average of three or more attempts) is expected and there is no minimum GPA requirement.

Suggested Experience

Candidates should hold a good background in genetics, chemistry/biochemistry, mathematics/statistics, physics, social sciences, and quantitative skills. Successful candidates have known to secure admissions at Illinois by also having some background of the following:

- Computer programming and languages
- Coding
- Modeling and/or data sciences
- Healthcare settings

Also, applicants who demonstrate the following characteristics are strong competitors for a place at the college:

- Strong interpersonal communication
- Service
- Leadership skills
- Innovation, design, entrepreneurial or industrial experience in medical or related industry

Suggested Courses and Labs

Expertise in the below-mentioned areas achieves after admission into one of the Illinois degree programs. However, certain courses help students in their studies during the program. Keeping this in view, applicants must show expertise in at least 9 out of 11 following areas to qualify for secondary applications.

- General/Organic Chemistry with Lab (3 semesters)
- Biochemistry (1 semester)
- Biology with Lab (2 semesters)
- Physiology, Systems Biology or another advanced biology course (1 semester)
- Physics with Lab (2 semesters)
- Humanities/Social Science course work as defined by the undergraduate major
- Calculus (2 semesters)
- Statistics (1 semester)
- Multivariable calculus
- Differential equations
- Linear algebra

Letters of Recommendation

For admission into Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the admission committee requires a minimum of three different letters of recommendation/ a maximum of four. Alternatively, a report by the Pre-Medical Committee or a combined letter of recommendation from the applicant’s primary college or university is also acceptable. Such students can also optionally submit a single, additional letter of recommendation.

Citizenship

Currently, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible.

Non-discrimination Notice

The dedication of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) to the basic values of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity demands that decisions affecting students and faculty to be based on solely merit and are free from any kind of discrimination. The University does not discriminate anyone based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, disability, national origin, nationality status, ethnicity, age, security status, genetic details, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, arrest status, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a protected veteran. The college meets all federal and state non-discrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action law legislation, directives, and regulations. If you have any queries regarding the non-discrimination policies feel free to contact the Director of the Office for Access & Equity.

Tuition Fee

The tuition for In-state is $46,718, while Out-of-state Tuition costs $58,958. Carle Illinois College of Medicine does not offer fixed-rate tuition because tuition and fees are accepted annually by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, normally at their January meeting. As such, students can experience a small cost increase throughout their studies. If applying for financial aid, no supplementary financial aid application is required. Only the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is to be submitted. All accepted students are automatically deemed to be qualified for merit scholarships. It requires no application. To be eligible for all other financial assistance, students must complete the FAFSA.

Curriculum

The M.D. Degree at UNICOM-UC is divided into three phases. The first phase spans over two years, the following two phases are one year each. The is a four-pillar approach adopted by the institution which infuses basic sciences, clinical sciences, engineering and innovation, and medical humanities into all four years. All education is centered on balancing clinical medicine and biosciences with engineering and humanitarian point of view. Curriculum values:

Patient-centered care
Systems-based delivery
Nexus of Engineering, Biology, Medicine, Humanities
Innovation and research focus
Early clinical exposure

Phases

Phase 1: Medical Engineering + Translational Sciences

The first phase is an innovative curriculum developed by Carle Illinois to concentrate on the specific experience and skills of student innovators. Within this accelerated course of 18 months, students develop their clinical skills by using already existing skills in technology, quantitative thinking, and engineering. This is achieved by working through a student’s clinic and family medicine clerkship.

Phase 2: Major Clinical Experience

In the second phase, students will apply clinical expertise to patient care alongside applying their knowledge of technology and engineering to recognize and create solutions for health problems in the course of six core workshops. Students will get substantial elective time during this year where they can explore clinical, scholarly, service, and entrepreneurial options that interest them much earlier than students at most schools.

Phase 3: Advanced Clinical and Engineering Education

The phase spans over a course of 14 months, which leads to residency. This phase helps individuals focus on their personal interests and individual career goals. Alongside students will continue to gain advanced clinical skills through electives, rotations and internships at sites around the country. During this year students complete their Capstone thesis using the skills learned throughout the four years. After completing these phases students are physician innovators and leaders that have remarkable characteristics which include the following Our graduates will be board-certified physicians and Physician-innovators who are:

- Creative problem-solvers who challenge the status quo
- Technology drivers and implementers
- Comfortable in the non-traditional team to create non-traditional solutions to healthcare challenges

Physician-leaders who are:

Clinicians with an even higher degree of professionalism and passion
Lifelong learners
Skilled in the discipline of leadership

There are some other significant characteristics that the curriculum at UICOM-UC includes

Case-Based Studies

This is a very non-traditional method of educating students. Students are given cases to study with from day one. These cases require an engineering point of view and students try to apply new ways of thinking by the problems represented in these cases. This helps them infuse engineering in their medical studies.

Problem-based learning

Problem-based learning is a pillar that helps construct the engineering-infused curriculum. For this student work in teams alongside Carle Illinois’ faculty to solve authentic, real-world healthcare problems.

IDEA Projects

The Innovation, Architecture, Engineering, and Analysis (IDEA) projects promote the use of imagination via clinical clerkship, where students develop new approaches to diminish health care concerns.

Capstone Project

Students use their fourth year to develop their Capstone Project. One of the students’ IDEA projects is selected as their Capstone Project that will potentially translate to new approaches, technologies, and treatments.

Carle Illinois College of Medicine Research Facilities

UICOM has state of the art research facilities.

Carle

Students’ immersion in clinical care settings starts with the Carle Health System. Carle is nationally known for its emergency, stroke, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal treatment facility. It is the leading facility in East Central Illinois. Students have full access to interconnected healthcare systems to gain experience and expertise.

JUMP Simulation Centre

JUMP Simulation Centre was developed specifically to train potential physician-innovators where students immerse themselves in three stages of the simulation. Their simulation systems, including structured patients, mannequin-based simulators and augmented reality simulators. Students are capable of experiencing the latest advances in technological technologies and science, which bring them up to date and trains them for the future of technology-driven medicine.

The Beckman Institute

The Beckman Institute focal point of engineering and medical breakthroughs for over 25 years. The facility provides comprehensive research subjects (such as biological intelligence) which is only possible by a combined experience in technology and medical practice available at the facility. Beckman’s collaborations have been crucial in shaping the future of medicine.

Maker Lab Network

Dream it. Make it. The lab aims to improve human health care. It is a fabrication lab, where students bring their ideas to life. The Illinois Maker Lab Network is a system of fabrication labs where the only limit to harnessing technology to improve human health is your imagination. At the facility, they engineer new solutions to global healthcare problems through forwarding the design and synthesis of frontier molecules, cells, tissues, and systems that translate to improve human health and well-being.

Blue Waters Supercomputer

Blue Waters is a powerful supercomputer on the university campus. Carle Illinois’ students can use this facility to gather and analyze massive, complex data sets. This is key to recognizing global patterns in health, the efficiency of medication across populations, and the detection of new DNA vulnerabilities in known diseases. Students’ research will draw on previous breakthroughs in science and medicine, including the discovery of the chemical structure of the HIV capsid that facilitates a new generation of antiretroviral drugs.

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

IGB focuses on ground-breaking studies in subjects of systems biology, cell, and metabolic engineering, and genome science. Carle Illinois’ students can learn about the institute’s groundbreaking research in regenerative medicine, drug development, and cellular cancer understanding.

University of Illinois Research Park

Students’ ideas and business plans become possible at the University of Illinois Research Park. It is a technology center for corporate research and development and ideal for start-up companies. The research park has Enterprise Works Incubator – an award-winning incubator focused on science and research-based start-ups that assist in commercializing Illinois’ technology.

Student Facilities

Students enjoy their life in Champaign-Urbana. With few disturbances and remarkably urban facilities, Champaign-Urbana is an inexpensive and multicultural city. There are many facilities available for an enjoyable and updated student life

Student Blog

The student blog has posts related to university activities and new research. This helps form a well-informed and connected updated student community. The blog also provides webinars aimed at admissions. This is for new students who intend to enroll at UICOM-UC.

McKinley Health Centre

Students fee includes health services that give you access to the McKinley Health Centre on Illinois’ campus. They take care of everything from flu-shots, physical, and more at McKinley.

Counselling Centre

Often tension gets the better of us, and modern life situations can have an unforeseen effect. Take full advantage of the Illinois Counselling Centre if these situations occur.

Student Insurance Office

Regarding your student insurance required in Illinois, you can get your concerns addressed here.

Tuesday @ 7 Workshops

Weekly seminars take place, arranged Paraprofessionals Counselling Centre to concentrate on numerous subjects that students can face, such as tension, anxiety, depression, long-distance relationships, and others.

UICOM-UC Survival Tips

Trying to survive medical school can be difficult, however, there are a variety of techniques that you can use to help stay on your path. Some of these approaches that will lead you to good medical school performance.

Learn to Organize

You’ll find it difficult to survive a medical school without at least having a way to keep your notes and books in order. Binders, color coding, and structured directories on your computer are only a few examples of how to do this. Schedule, please. Always know where you’re going to need to be and when. Carry a calendar with you at all times, including your lesson calendar, tests, rotation schedule, meeting times.

Figure out how you learn best

Developing your study tools during medical school is very significant. Everybody has a different approach or a different kind of thing that helps them, so don’t mislead yourself into thinking that you’re doing something wrong if you do something different. Have a method of analysis, and stick to it. Also, consider studying with people that belong to your study area.

Create a study schedule

It lets you schedule your activities. It helps you schedule weeks before your actual engagement. This helps you stay ahead, which is a must in med school. Scheduling will also encourage you to enjoy your free time. Schedule for yourself off-time and breaks every once in a while, this will keep you away from being exhausted.

Dr. Najeeb’s Lectures

Even if most schools follow the same coursework, they do not end up ranking equally. Likewise, not every med student winds up as a great doctor. The difference lies in the consistency of their ideas and concepts. Medical School is a full-time job, so you’re just going to do it once. Why don’t you do that right? If you have any trouble upholding difficult concepts included in your curriculum, you should refer to Dr. Najeeb’s lectures for support. Dr. Najeeb’s lectures are a valuable tool that helps students understand complicated concepts. These lectures are capable of raising your aptitude for almost all the subjects in existing medical education. He has the most popular lectures on Gross Anatomy, Neuro-anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, and much more. Using these lectures, students may visualize the procedures written in their length books. Often, hand-drawn sketches provided by Dr. Najeeb helps to grasp difficult hypotheses. These lectures are trusted by 80 percent of students in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Pharmacy who swear by their extremely clear medical concepts. You can watch these lectures and take advantage of them anywhere, at any time after downloading his app. Wishing you the best of luck! Hope we have helped.