UIC medical students to graduate early amid COVID-19 pandemic

Nearly 200 medical students at the University of Illinois at Chicago will graduate early Friday to help meet demand for health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A third of the 192 early graduates have already been matched to residency programs in Illinois, according to a statement from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. They will still have to work directly with their residency programs to determine whether they’ll be able to start work early.

“This is a very dynamic time for these graduates to be entering into the medical profession,” Dr. Robert Barish, vice chancellor for health affairs at UIC, said in the statement.

“We are proud of the enthusiasm that these young doctors have shown to make a difference in our communities already. Now, they are sure to directly apply what they have learned in their studies and clinical experiences to this historic time in medicine.”

The early graduates represent about two thirds of UIC Medicine’s 2020 graduating class and met all of the college’s graduation requirements, including completing required course and clinical rotation objectives, officials said.

They will join their classmates who are graduating on schedule for a virtual commencement ceremony in May.