Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s MD/PhD program is preparing an elite group of Physician Innovators equipped to lead the fight against disease in the research lab and at the bedside. The Medical Scholars Program (MSP) offers unique engineering-informed medical training through CI MED’s MD program, and world-class scientific research experience through the PhD programs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The program’s earliest trainees are already building solutions to advance how we diagnose and care for patients with heart and kidney disease, neurological injury, and limited access to care.

MD candidates interested in pursuing a dual degree may apply to become MSP candidates any time after their first year of medical school. For the PhD portion of their program, students must be admitted to one of the U. of I.’s more than 70 doctoral programs. After completing their PhD program, students return to CI MED to complete the requirements of the MD program. This includes the major clinical training phase. Starting in 2027, applicants will be able to apply directly to the MD/PhD program during the medical school application process.

“CI MED’s location within a premier research university is a major differentiator: trainees can learn medicine while simultaneously gaining the technical depth to invent what medicine needs next,” said MSP Director Dr. Dan Llano, a Carle Health physician who earned his MD/PhD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, which ended its operations on the Urbana-Champaign campus in 2022. 

Parallel Preparation

Llano says cross-disciplinary training produces innovative clinicians who are also trained as research scientists. Their unique skillset will equip them to build solutions ranging from new devices and diagnostics to data-driven clinical tools and scalable health innovations.

“Dual-degree trainees gain the ability to identify unmet clinical needs at the bedside and then develop mechanistic or technological solutions to those needs. I expect CI MED’s MSP trainees to become clinicians who are also builders — people who can practice excellent medicine while driving discovery and innovation in parallel,” Llano said.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (WLS) — The success of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini so far in the March Madness NCAA men’s basketball tournament has provided a lot of excitement for people in the Chicago area, but especially for sports bars owned by Illinois alumni, like the Orange and Brew in Downers Grove.

The party was on Saturday night as Illinois fans watched their team secure a spot in the Final Four.

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“Saturday was bedlam,” Orange and Brew owner Eric Schmidt said. “We were absolutely jam-packed two hours before the game.”

The watch party was hosted by Orange and Brew in Downers Grove, owned by Eric and Carrie Schmidt, Illinois alumni who met in school and are now married. In fact, they attended the last time the Illini were in the Final Four in 2005.

They opened their bar eight years ago, catering to some of the more than 50,000 fellow Illini graduates in the Chicago area.

“Illinois has some thing that was very meaningful to my wife and me, and we wanted to make sure we created a space that was welcoming to other Illinois grads,” Schmidt said.

RELATED | Illini merch in demand at Chicago stores as fans prepare for Final Four match

The Chicago Illini Club Is hosting eight different watch parties in the Chicago area for the Final Four on Saturday, including half a dozen city locations as well as the suburbs.

Stefanie Boucher with the Chicago Illini Club graduated in 2007, and now has a daughter in the Marching Illini. She is hosting a watch party at Rep’s Place in Rolling Meadows.

“It has brought in a lot of new business people who didn’t know of Rep’s before the watch parties,” Boucher said.

She says Rep’s was also packed with fans last weekend, and the Final Four party should be even bigger. They expect the same at Orange and Brew.

“Just kind of a slice of Champaign if you will,” Schmidt said. “Someplace Illinois grads and fans can be comfortable.”

At Orange and Brew, they specialize in selling locally crafted beer, but the number one selling beer these days is the I-L-L IPA.

READ MORE | March Madness: Illinois to face UConn in first Final Four in 21 years after teams beat Iowa, Duke

Will two Big Ten teams face off with a national championship on the line? No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 Michigan are on opposite sides of the Final Four in 2026, and could guarantee the Big Ten the NCAA Tournament championship with wins in the national semifinals.

The Fighting Illini take on No. 2 Connecticut, while the Wolverines face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona, each on Saturday, April 4. The winners will move onto the national championship game on Monday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

REQUIRED READING: Final Four predictions: Who will advance to national championship game?

The last Big Ten school to win a national championship was Michigan State in 2000, Tom Izzo’s fifth season at the helm. The Huskies, meanwhile, are looking for their third national championship in four seasons under Dan Hurley, who’s quickly rising the all-time coaching ranks.

The Wildcats have won one national championship in their history, which came in 1997. They last made the Final Four in 2001, and are looking to get back to college basketball’s mountaintop.

What does Artificial Intelligence think about the Final Four in 2026? Here’s how AI predicted the two matchups to go:

AI predicts Final Four games

No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn

Microsoft Copilot is impressed with Illinois’ offense, but also thinks UConn’s veteran presence and ability to win games late is important.

“Best offense left in the tournament,” Copilot said of Illinois. “Illinois brings elite scoring versatility, with multiple shooters and one of the nation’s best offensive rebound rates.”

The AI was also complementary of true freshman Keaton Wagler, one of the top remaining players in the NCAA Tournament.

“Since their November loss to UConn, Wagler has become a top‑10 NBA prospect and a dominant scorer — far more impactful than in the first meeting,” Copilot said.

On the other hand, Copilot acknowledges Tarris Reed Jr. could be a matchup problem for Illinois, and that UConn wears teams down defensively.

“He’s averaging dominant numbers inside and could force Illinois into foul trouble or defensive adjustments,” Copilot said of Reed. “They just survived Duke on a last‑second 3 and have shown resilience in multiple close games.”

Copilot actually predicts an upset, taking Illinois in a close one.

“Illinois’ offensive versatility, improved defense, and Wagler’s rise give them the edge in a matchup where UConn’s inconsistent perimeter shooting could finally catch up to them,” Copilot said.

• Score prediction: Illinois 76, UConn 71

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan

Copilot noted both teams’ dominance in the Men’s NCAA Tournament as reasons to be excited for the Final Four matchup between Michigan and Arizona, noting Michigan outscored its opponents by 90 points in March Madness to Arizona’s 82 points.

Copilot also noted Michigan’s balance, acknowledging the Wolverines rank No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. It also is impressed by Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American who scored 27 points against Tennessee in the Elite Eight.

But Copilot likes Arizona’s balance and interior scoring a bit more than Michigan.

“Their starting lineup is the deepest and most balanced in the Final Four,” the AI said. “Analysts consistently note Arizona’s edge on the glass and at the rim will be key in a game this evenly matched.”

Ultimately, Copilot is going with Arizona to take down mighty Michigan for a spot in the national championship.

“This is the heavyweight fight everyone expected, but Arizona’s superior rim finishing, rebounding edge, and deeper scoring options give them a slight advantage,” Copilot predicts.

• Score prediction: Arizona 78, Michigan 74