Help Our Students Travel – HOST Program
“The HOST Program allowed me to reconnect with the COM and be a mentor to
the next generation of physicians. I highly recommend participating.”
-Katherine Ruiz-Mellott, ’94, MD ’98
The College of Medicine HOST Program (Help Our Students Travel) is committed to helping to match fourth-year medical students and alumni from across the United States as these students travel for residency placement interviews. Each fall M4 students begin their quest for the perfect match as they look to the next step in their career, often interviewing at more than 15 programs around the country.
“Being part of the HOST Program was a great experience that allowed me not only to
connect with COM alumni but to get a better idea of the city,
and make the interview trail less stressful.”
-Alejandra Cano, MD ’15
In 2015, College of Medicine graduates matched to residency programs in 37 states across the country. This highly competitive process can be fostered through your participation. Travel expenses can rapidly mount up and add to a student’s post-graduation debt. The cost of travel often is the deciding factor for where our students apply for residency.
Our alumni volunteers provide students with a place to stay during the interview process as well as additional advice about the community and, if possible, the organization with which the student is interviewing. Even if you are unable to host a student in your home, there are alumni options to meet students for dinner or provide guidance and counsel from afar via phone/email correspondence. Alumni participation in this part of a student’s residency search will ease the financial burden, help to orient students with the community and the candidate organization and affirm the strong network of Illinois Medicine alumni we have across the country.
Become a COM Alumni Host today!
Students requesting an Alumni Host can sign-up here.
Currently, alumni hosts are living in the following cities. As we grow our program, we hope to have representation in all states.
AR – Little Rock
AZ – Tucson, Mesa, Phoenix
CA – Los Altos, Portola Valley, Cupertino, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Daly City, Sacramento
CO – Longmon
CT – New Haven
FL – Lakewood Ranch, Saint Petersburg, Longwood, Key Biscayne, Miami
HI – Kailua
IA – Iowa City
IL – Chicago, Arlington Heights, Champaign, Springfield, Inverness, Batavia, Cherry Valley, Rockford, Mohmet, Columbia, Congerville
IN – Carmel, Indianapolis
KY – Louisville
MA – Jamaica Plain, Boston
MD – Hanover
MI – Portage
MN – Saint Paul
MO – Saint Louis, Creve Coeur, Kansas City
MS – Ridgeland
NC – Chapel Hill, Charlotte
NM – Albuquerque
NY – Hilton, NYC, Yonkers, Hopewell Junction
OH – Cleveland
OK – Edmond
OR – Portland
PA – Conshohocken
TN – Nashville
TX – Corpus Christi, Southlake, Austin
UT – Salt Lake City
VA – Alexandria, Glen Allen
WA – Seattle, Vancouver
WI – Madison, Fitchburg, Marshfield, Milwaukee, Shorewood
If you have additional questions about the COM HOST Program or are experiencing issues with the form submissions, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at comHOST@uic.edu, (312) 996-6815 or review the HOST Program FAQ.