Eighty-three prospective students from 29 states came to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus Monday for a first-hand look at what sets apart the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
In addition to learning about Carle Illinois’ early clinical exposure, which begins in the students’ second week on campus, prospective students gained insight into the college’s innovative, engineering-infused curriculum and Problem-based Learning approach.
“We want you to not only know what an MRI does, we want you to know how it works, so you can innovate,” said Stephen Boppart, M.D., Ph.D., Interim Executive Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Officer for Carle Illinois. “Innovation will advance healthcare, lower costs and make care more accessible for more people.”
At the Showcase, panels of current first- and second-year students also fielded questions from the audience. When asked what stands out about the Carle Illinois experience, the responses ranged from the smaller class size, which means more faculty and staff support and a closer sense of community with peers, to the diverse academic backgrounds and life experiences of fellow students.
“My classmates bring a huge range of knowledge and amazing experiences. We’re all learning from each other,” said Jan Lee, class of 2023.
Prospective students also participated in a Project-based Learning exercise led by Carle Illinois faculty, and were introduced to what innovation looks like at Carle Illinois—what it means to be medical students who are “future physician-innovators.”
“Everyone agrees that healthcare has problems,” said Judith Rowen, M.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. “The difference is that our students will be equipped to do something about them, besides complain.”
Carle Illinois Showcase events are invitation-only.