Established in 2008, the HOST (Help Our Students Travel) Program provides assistance to current Rush Medical College M4s during the students’ residency interviews. RMC alumni volunteer to provide Rush M4s with overnight accommodations, assist with students’ travel or provide insight into specific residency programs. In addition to reducing students’ interviewing costs, the HOST Program builds relationships between current students and Rush alumni.
Questions or suggestions about the program? Please contact Kali Drews in the Office of Alumni Relations at kali_h_drews@rush.edu.
What students say about the HOST Program
“My hosts put me up in their home for five nights and treated me like their own daughter, which was a great support and comfort during a hectic interview process!"
"Without the HOST Program I could not have attended all the interviews I did. Coordinating was easy, and staying with current residents or older alumni provided insight into the town and program that I would not have had otherwise. I cannot say enough about how beneficial the program was."
"Not only was the HOST program free and convenient, I also received an unbiased perspective on the area and the hospital from the host who is a Rush alum from a different specialty."
What alumni say about the HOST Program
"The HOST Program allows medical students to save money while gaining additional information about the city or program where they are visiting." — David Hulata, MD '08
"I loved the sense of connection to my medical school, and it was fascinating to learn about the harrowing interview process students must go through these days. My student was terrific, and we were more than happy to give her a place to stay, to help her save some costs, and to make the interviewing process more 'homey.'" — Lisa Plymate, MD '75
"Excellent experience. Its been over 30 years since I graduated from Rush so it was interesting to hear how things had changed both at the school and in medical student training in general." — Brian Kelly, MD '85