Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science — Attraction in North Chicago

As a recent graduate from the PhD program at RFUMS (2012), I can say that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone interested in a PhD. Podiatry, and the College of Health Professions seem to do quite well.

Since 2004, the Medical School has been put on probation twice by the main accrediting body of U.S. and Canadian med schools, the LCME. The current president and CEO maintained his title and position after the first probation period, and the school again sank into probation in 2013. The school does have a decent matching record, and continues to put out a lot of stellar MD's, however I believe that it is due to quality students and teaching, in spite of the administrations failings.

The graduate school is a whole other issue where very few faculty have funding available, but they still keep accepting students even though there are very few spaces available. One of the most important things I tell potential PhD candidates is to identify a mentor and start a correspondence before applying to a graduate school. With an interdisciplinary program like RFUMS, it may look like there are a lot of options for faculty mentors, but once you get there, you are told that they aren't taking students due to money or space constraints. I was lucky as I was one of the first class of interdisciplinary students 6 years ago, but it has consistently gotten worse as the funding situation has declined nationwide. One of the other issues that has been ignored is the graduate schools overall lack of concern for students after they graduate. The school has an alumni association for each of the other schools (Podiatry, Health Professions, Medical), but does not track or organize graduates of the PhD program. This significantly limits the networking available to graduates, but it also speaks to the lack of concern the school exhibits. Without adequate tracking of PhD alumni, there is no way to determine how successful they are at training students, and empirically I would say RFUMS isn't very successful at training PhDs.

Teaching opportunities for graduate students and post-docs are limited, and historically have been frowned upon by faculty. There are also very few solid ties to the local pharmaceutical companies in the area and no one that I am aware of has been able to secure a position at one of these companies following completion of their PhD.

Personally, I had a lot of bad experiences as a PhD, but despite a lot of frustration, and attempts to help with strategic planning, very few of these issues have changed or been resolved to satisfaction in my opinion, and resolution, if any is...

I received my podiatry training at Scholl College several years ago. Unfortunately, my experience there was negatively impacted by the attitude of some faculty members who appeared indifferent to student well-being. During my time at the college and clinicals, I endured significant mental stress.

One particularly troubling event took place at a rotation in Cook County Hospital, where an OR nurse harshly reprimanded me for minor issues, such as not visibly wearing my ID and having my T-shirt collar exposed under my scrubs. She shouted at me in front of a large group, removed me from an ongoing surgical procedure that I was shadowing, and physically grabbed me by my collar while escorting me out.

Following this incident, I reported the matter to Dean Parsley, the Dean at the time. Although she and the committee members met with me and listened as I told them my experience, they took NO meaningful action to protect me and just watched me sob during the meeting. This lack of support deeply affected me, and even years later, the memory remains vivid.

At the time, I was 23, burdened with student loan debt, and felt completely unsupported by the school's leadership. Today, as a successful professional and millionaire, I have decided not to donate to Scholl College. I sincerely hope things have changed for the better and the conditions have improved for the students there. They deserve respect, care,...

My experience with the MENP program at Rosalind Franklin University was deeply disappointing. While the university presents itself as a prestigious institution, the structure and execution of the nursing program fell far below the standards I expected at the graduate level. From the beginning, communication was inconsistent and often unclear. Important updates were shared last minute, making it difficult to plan or feel secure in the process. Many students, including myself, felt unsupported both academically and emotionally despite the demanding, fast-paced nature of the program. Instead of fostering a collaborative and uplifting environment, it often felt disorganized and rigid. Some instructors were helpful and genuinely cared, but others seemed disconnected or indifferent to students struggles. The curriculum felt rushed and lacked the kind of depth and practical application you would expect in a program designed to prepare future nurses at the master’s level. There was little room for feedback or flexibility, and concerns often went unheard or unresolved.

I ultimately decided this program was not the right fit, and I wouldn’t recommend it to others without major changes being made. If you’re looking for a program that truly supports your growth, offers clear communication, and prioritizes student success, I strongly encourage you to explore...