What is Rosalind Franklin University (RFU)?

Rosalind Franklin University (RFU) is a US health sciences university built around six distinct colleges and an interprofessional education model. It is relevant to you if you are considering a career in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, health professions, or graduate/postdoctoral research, and you want training that puts you on teams with students from other health disciplines rather than in a single silo.

Six colleges under one university

RFU organizes its academic offerings into six colleges:

• Chicago Medical School
• College of Health Professions
• College of Nursing
• College of Pharmacy
• Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine
• School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

The university describes its faculty as educators and scientists with national and international reputations in their fields, and emphasizes mentoring students. You can search programs of study directly on the site to find the specific degree or track that fits your goals.

Interprofessionalism is the organizing idea

The core educational mechanism at RFU is interprofessional education: students from different colleges learn with — and from — each other. The stated purpose is to prepare you to work inside interdisciplinary teams and to develop a holistic view of patient care.

A concrete example from the site: RFU's work in the fields of Georgia uses small teams that often include medical, nursing, and physical therapy students, plus fellows and alumni from Emory Healthcare, clinicians, interpreters, and partners from regional universities. That is what the model looks like in practice — one patient goal, multiple disciplines contributing.

Ways to engage before you apply

If you are exploring whether RFU fits you, the site points to several entry points:

• Open house — connect with the community, take a student-led campus tour, and get your questions answered.
• Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC) — a student-led clinic described as one of many programs promoting collaboration among learners, educators, clinical partners, and community leaders.
• Institute for Interprofessional Education and Research — the hub for this side of the curriculum.
• Innovation Sandbox — a new learning environment intended to strengthen partnerships, spark creativity, and improve health across the region.

Recent developments worth knowing

RFU has been expanding its training infrastructure. Recent news items include the opening of a virtual hospital training facility and a virtual health system designed to prepare students for emergency scenarios and next-generation healthcare delivery. The university also reports research funding, such as a five-year, $2.3 million NIH grant to study COVID-19's impact on adolescent brains.

How to decide if RFU is right for you

Use these conditions to judge fit:

• Choose RFU if you want a health sciences university where interprofessional teamwork is central to the curriculum, and you value learning alongside students from nursing, pharmacy, podiatry, medicine, and other fields.
• Look elsewhere if you want a single-discipline focus without cross-college coursework, or if you need program-specific details (tuition, prerequisites, deadlines) that are not covered here — those should be checked directly with the relevant college.

The most reliable next step is to search programs of study on the RFU site for your intended field, then attend an open house or student-led tour to see the campus and ask about the interprofessional components of your specific program.