Georgetown SMP 2013-2014

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SrootsWwings said:
I am currently deciding between G'town and Tufts.
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Me too.

From what it looks like, there's somewhat of an advantage in terms of the grades you receive at Tufts.

Basically, Tufts med students are graded Pass/Fail, with that borderline being a "B-" in the Tufts MBS program. The average medical student at Tufts will get a B+/A-. That means that you can get a 3.5 or above without having to get "Honors" "High Honors" "High Pass" or whatever else that correlates to the top 0-30% or so at other SMPs.

See this thread from a Tufts alumni:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=13772612&postcount=30
"I am a slacker who coasted through college, and definitely in terms of MBS I didn't study nearly as much as others. With that said, I got around a 3.6 GPA which probably put me in the top half of the class.

The great thing about Tufts is that EVERYTHING IS CURVED! The medical students are straight Pass/Fail with no class rankings, and their "Pass" is a 65% on the tests. So what the MBS does is they set a 65% as a B- (3.0), and make 6 divisions for up to 100 (ie. a 65-71 is a B-, 71-77 B, 77-83 B+ etc.). Most averages on the tests were around 83%, so the grades are really inflated!! At the medical school interviews this year, most ADCOMS don't know this and so were "impressed" with my 3.6 thinking that we had a standard 90-100 = A etc scale!"

For me, though, I like that there is an option for a health-related MBA during the second year at Tufts.

However, I finished my app at Georgetown last week, and I do believe that there are advantages to going there since their name has the best reputation; or, at least, it's the most well known. I have friends that have gotten into University of California medical schools from Georgetown.

Georgetown is in DC, though, and it might get nuked by Lil' Kim Jong Il. So, this may be something to think about, as well.

Just thought I'd put all this other stuff out there.
 
MDforMee said:
Me too.

From what it looks like, there's somewhat of an advantage in terms of the grades you receive at Tufts.

Basically, Tufts med students are graded Pass/Fail, with that borderline being a "B-" in the Tufts MBS program. The average medical student at Tufts will get a B+/A-. That means that you can get a 3.5 or above without having to get "Honors" "High Honors" "High Pass" or whatever else that correlates to the top 0-30% or so at other SMPs.

See this thread from a Tufts alumni:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=13772612&postcount=30
"I am a slacker who coasted through college, and definitely in terms of MBS I didn't study nearly as much as others. With that said, I got around a 3.6 GPA which probably put me in the top half of the class.

The great thing about Tufts is that EVERYTHING IS CURVED! The medical students are straight Pass/Fail with no class rankings, and their "Pass" is a 65% on the tests. So what the MBS does is they set a 65% as a B- (3.0), and make 6 divisions for up to 100 (ie. a 65-71 is a B-, 71-77 B, 77-83 B+ etc.). Most averages on the tests were around 83%, so the grades are really inflated!! At the medical school interviews this year, most ADCOMS don't know this and so were "impressed" with my 3.6 thinking that we had a standard 90-100 = A etc scale!"

For me, though, I like that there is an option for a health-related MBA during the second year at Tufts.

However, I finished my app at Georgetown last week, and I do believe that there are advantages to going there since their name has the best reputation; or, at least, it's the most well known. I have friends that have gotten into University of California medical schools from Georgetown.

Georgetown is in DC, though, and it might get nuked by Lil' Kim Jong Il. So, this may be something to think about, as well.

Just thought I'd put all this other stuff out there.
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The grading information is useful - the apparent magnanimity of the grading system was tempered by another MBSer a couple of posts down that thread, however. It's still a good grading system, but it seems that fella/lady may have been slightly overenthusiastic in describing it.

The big decider for me (3.3c, 3.2s, 35R) is whether one program actually is better than the other for same-year admission. I know that G'town recommends same-year application and Tufts does not, but I do not know if that translates to greater success for G'town over Tufts applicants, or maybe if it just goes against the department's personal philosophy.

Otherwise, I find Tufts to be a better fit for me (mostly due to the program design and class size). I am excited by the prospect of both programs.
 
Just got in today. Waiting to hear back from Tufts and U of Cincinnati...Anyone else faced with similar upcoming decisions?
 
Can anyone from class of 2013 comment on how their med cycle went?
 
Jovon Re: got into GU. Waitlisted at UC. Didn't apply to Tufts
 
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Is there a thread for the ABS program? I've only seen threads for GEMS and SMP, but not G2S or ABS...
 
Hi, I know it's a bit late but I'm applying to GT's SMP at the moment and I was just wondering if anyone knew if they'll look at my application even if not all of the "supplementary" materials have arrived. I only ask because I took some summer courses overseas and getting the original transcript for them might take some time...
 
taeyeon12 said:
Can anyone from class of 2013 comment on how their med cycle went?
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Mine personally went very well. Overall, I was invited to 7 interviews and received my first acceptance back in mid-December. I just had my interview at Georgetown and am hoping to get good new from them soon. A lot of my classmates have also received interviews and have been accepted, although not all have. It should be interesting to see where we all end up.
 
sec81 said:
Mine personally went very well. Overall, I was invited to 7 interviews and received my first acceptance back in mid-December. I just had my interview at Georgetown and am hoping to get good new from them soon. A lot of my classmates have also received interviews and have been accepted, although not all have. It should be interesting to see where we all end up.
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Did you apply during the same year as the SMP or did you apply after finishing the SMP?

Georgetown gave an April interview? That's really late!

I'm also guessing that if you got accepted as early as mid December, you were a compelling candidate to begin with! I'm not sure how much the program helps that early in the game.

These are just my thoughts - I sometimes play devil's advocate to help me decide my own SMP plans.
 
common man said:
Did you apply during the same year as the SMP or did you apply after finishing the SMP?

Georgetown gave an April interview? That's really late!

I'm also guessing that if you got accepted as early as mid December, you were a compelling candidate to begin with! I'm not sure how much the program helps that early in the game.

These are just my thoughts - I sometimes play devil's advocate to help me decide my own SMP plans.
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I'm a current student as well (2013), applied this year during the program and I can comment on a few of these things.

1. Georgetown interviews all their SMPs in early April. If you're in the program you won't get an earlier date from them, the interview invite is mostly dependent on your performance in the SMP year to my understanding.

2. I was invited to 3 interviews including Georgetown and just got accepted at one school, haven't heard back from Georgetown or the other school. I probably had fewer interviews than my fellow classmate who posted because of my "low" uGPA (cGPA and sGPA = 3.1). However, since I did very well in the program I was able to get some late interviews.
 
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IrishCogs said:
I'm a current student as well (2013), applied this year during the program and I can comment on a few of these things.

1. Georgetown interviews all their SMPs in early April. If you're in the program you won't get an earlier date from them, the interview invite is mostly dependent on your performance in the SMP year to my understanding.

2. I was invited to 3 interviews including Georgetown and just got accepted at one school, haven't heard back from Georgetown or the other school. I probably had fewer interviews than my fellow classmate who posted because of my "low" uGPA (cGPA and sGPA = 3.1). However, since I did very well in the program I was able to get some late interviews.
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May I ask what your MCAT score was?
Thank you
 
If have a 3.4sGPA and low MCAT score, do you think it's beneficial to apply and attend the program?

I understand that I have to raise my MCAT no matter what, but do you think this program will still benefit me if I apply for med school this summer?
 
your mcat isn't that low, but you're right it would be a good idea to retake it. As far as smp programs go...It looks like you have a 3.7 cum and 3.4 sci. Your bcpm is low, but not terribly low. You are probably better off taking some upper division sci courses rather than dishing out >$50K on GU or any smp for that matter.

iTobiasFunke said:
If have a 3.4sGPA and low MCAT score, do you think it's beneficial to apply and attend the program?

I understand that I have to raise my MCAT no matter what, but do you think this program will still benefit me if I apply for med school this summer?
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I was accepted to the SMP yesterday, but haven't received the official email yet. I know there is a lot written about this program on SDN, but much of it seems to be from several years ago. I wanted to ask a few questions of current students :

I am current deciding between this program and BU MAMS. The major draw for me to the SMP is that they encourage same-year application while MAMS prefers students to wait until after the first year. I'd rather not put off applying to med school for another year (I'm already 2 years out of undergrad). However, I've read some negative reviews about the advising being impersonal. Are current students happy with the program? Do you have much of a social life (even if social life revolves around study groups) in the program?

Also, how is it living in DC? Is it easy to get around and explore the city when you're not studying (which I'm guessing is not often)?

Thank you.
 
I second the above! I just received my acceptance but am still trying to decide between Georgetown and NYMC and could use to here from some students or people who have went through the program and give insight on student life, program involvement, access to advisors etc....
 
Hey,

I PM-ed a current student in the program and here is what he had to say:

" The staff at GU are amazing and VERY personable. Don't let that sway you. As far as applications, they don't say one way or another. They let you make that decision. There are plenty of people that applied this year, and plenty that didn't. If you attend, they will send a letter to all the school's you applied to telling them to wait for a progress report that they'll send around Xmas. That makes you a late applicant, which I think is a disadvantage.

I haven't been accepted yet, but school's definitely look favorably on your performance in the program. I'm not sure what BU has to offer in their program, but feel free to ask me about GU stuff.

And DC is great. I've been here for 5 years though, so nothing new to me. I certainly remember the move though. "
 
roswell66 said:
I second the above! I just received my acceptance but am still trying to decide between Georgetown and NYMC and could use to here from some students or people who have went through the program and give insight on student life, program involvement, access to advisors etc....
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I private messaged another SDN member who did the program last year, and this is what they said:

"I did the program last year and although I did apply the year I was at georgetown, I didn't get in. I did get several interviews and at georgetown but got wait listed.

I like living in DC, although it is pretty expensive. You'll definitely have to pay $1100 plus for living with a roommate and that's only your half each month. There's a lot to do but I doubt you'll have time. The program is pretty hard because you have to really try your best in all the classes. You're going to be graded against the med school students and they are all gunners. I managed to get a 3.8 gpa in the end, but I also stayed in the library all day. Georgetown also interviews people who get 3.6-7 or higher. I think the program was pretty helpful because a lot of schools know about it. I don't know about Boston's one but I think that's 2 years? My friends in med school from the smp program are acing their classes because we've all studied it once. So that's a plus.

The advising is a little impersonal, but they try to get you into med school so they write you a lot of rec letters. There were people who dropped out because they were doing badly...and I know some who didn't even do well and they got into med school or DO schools this year.

It's pretty competitive but I've met some great friends and my boyfriend here."
 
So did this person eventually get in somewhere? Pretty scary to think they got a 3.8 and didn't get in same year!

swimmergirl2010 said:
I private messaged another SDN member who did the program last year, and this is what they said:

"I did the program last year and although I did apply the year I was at georgetown, I didn't get in. I did get several interviews and at georgetown but got wait listed.

I like living in DC, although it is pretty expensive. You'll definitely have to pay $1100 plus for living with a roommate and that's only your half each month. There's a lot to do but I doubt you'll have time. The program is pretty hard because you have to really try your best in all the classes. You're going to be graded against the med school students and they are all gunners. I managed to get a 3.8 gpa in the end, but I also stayed in the library all day. Georgetown also interviews people who get 3.6-7 or higher. I think the program was pretty helpful because a lot of schools know about it. I don't know about Boston's one but I think that's 2 years? My friends in med school from the smp program are acing their classes because we've all studied it once. So that's a plus.

The advising is a little impersonal, but they try to get you into med school so they write you a lot of rec letters. There were people who dropped out because they were doing badly...and I know some who didn't even do well and they got into med school or DO schools this year.

It's pretty competitive but I've met some great friends and my boyfriend here."
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reebok80 said:
So did this person eventually get in somewhere? Pretty scary to think they got a 3.8 and didn't get in same year!
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Yes, this person said they are going to med school in the fall.

Just keep in mind that the SMP GPA is only part of the application. It doesn't make up for late AMCAS submission, low MCAT scores, or poor LORs.

I'm fairly certain, however, that a >3.7 GPA in the SMP can at least get you interviews you wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and a very good chance of acceptance the year after finishing the SMP. Think about it: when med schools see A/A-'s in med school classes, they are going to take a second look at your application.

Ultimately, I'm still very undecided about this program. It's expensive and I'm not convinced it's worth it. Anyone else want to chime in?

Thank you.
 
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I PM'ed a former SMPer and she had good things to say about the program. She didn't get in the same year, but eventually got into a well respected MD program and is matriculating this fall. I would post the actual message, but I deleted it on accident.

Basically, she said the program helped her get interviews and ultimately an acceptance. She had ~3.4 gpa in the program.
 
I don't know why everyone always says such negative things about the advisors. Also, I don't really understand why everyone is so concerned with advising. When you're in the SMP your number 1 priority should be to ace your classes. They send out a letter to your med schools in the beginning of the program and are always available to answer questions if you need extra attention. I'm not someone who feels like they need much support so I don't really approach the advisors frequently. On the other hand, I know people who speak with their team leaders/the director of the program for advice all the time. In the end, they can only do so much for you: providing medical schools with your fall grades in November, maintaining a program with a great reputation, and attempting to keep the class sane throughout the year. It's a lot of work, but you can do it if you're willing to focus for just 1 year. Hardest but most rewarding year of my life that's for sure.
 
hey guys, current Gtown SMP here, heading to med school this fall <-- proof the system works.

main things to keep in mind during this program:

Take your MCAT (if you have to retake it) and submit your primary and as many secondaries as possible before school starts. It will be such a drag to do it while also studying, and I personally ending up getting my amcas verified at the end of october, which probably reduced the number of interviews I ended up getting.

Study. Study more than the M1s. Find a study buddy, and make a schedule. Try to keep up with lectures. They do record the lectures so you can watch them at home, but coming to class keeps me accountable.

Definitely talk to the advisors/directors of the program if you feel you need to, but keep in mind that they don't have any influence over other admissions directors (or even Georgetown's) so they can only give you general advice about what has worked for SMPs in the past. SDN was slightly more useful for me than the advisors, frankly.

Did I mention you should study? I am studying right now.
 
musicmuse1122 said:
hey guys, current Gtown SMP here, heading to med school this fall <-- proof the system works.

main things to keep in mind during this program:

Take your MCAT (if you have to retake it) and submit your primary and as many secondaries as possible before school starts. It will be such a drag to do it while also studying, and I personally ending up getting my amcas verified at the end of october, which probably reduced the number of interviews I ended up getting.

Study. Study more than the M1s. Find a study buddy, and make a schedule. Try to keep up with lectures. They do record the lectures so you can watch them at home, but coming to class keeps me accountable.

Definitely talk to the advisors/directors of the program if you feel you need to, but keep in mind that they don't have any influence over other admissions directors (or even Georgetown's) so they can only give you general advice about what has worked for SMPs in the past. SDN was slightly more useful for me than the advisors, frankly.

Did I mention you should study? I am studying right now.
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Congrats! I'm a little confused, how many classes are you taking at one time? And which classes do you take first? I have gotten the impression that classes are staggered throughout the semester, and you already have final grades in some classes by September. Is this true?
 
swimmergirl2010 said:
Congrats! I'm a little confused, how many classes are you taking at one time? And which classes do you take first? I have gotten the impression that classes are staggered throughout the semester, and you already have final grades in some classes by September. Is this true?
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The medical school curriculum is a module system. You will take 2 medical modules to start the year. So yes, by mid-September you will have 2 final grades. In this first 2 months you are in 1 class at a time. Keep in mind this sounds light but the classes are intense and require studying every day in order to keep up with the large amounts of information each day.
 
when IrishCogs says "1 module" you should NOT read that as "one class at a time", but rather 4-5 hours of lecture PER DAY that you need to go home and absorb via diffusion before going back the next day for more. So 5 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 4 weeks. That's a whole semester's worth of class in a month, so be prepared to work really hard.

You do have final grades by the end of September, and you can send them to schools yourself but the grades with the rec letter from Gtown will go out in December. I kept updating schools every time I got a grade anyway.
 
musicmuse1122 said:
when IrishCogs says "1 module" you should NOT read that as "one class at a time", but rather 4-5 hours of lecture PER DAY that you need to go home and absorb via diffusion before going back the next day for more. So 5 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 4 weeks. That's a whole semester's worth of class in a month, so be prepared to work really hard.

You do have final grades by the end of September, and you can send them to schools yourself but the grades with the rec letter from Gtown will go out in December. I kept updating schools every time I got a grade anyway.
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Something I didn't know when I came into SMP was how easy it is and how receptive medical schools are to informal grade updates. I sent grade updates throughout the year before the letters of rec went out in November as well.

PS if anyone is concerned about making friends, living in DC, balancing with studying: it's not so bad. YES there is A LOT of studying and the first 2 modules will be hard to get adjusted/figure out your best way of studying. Don't get me wrong though, I had a social life, I met lots of new people, I trained for a half marathon, I watched lots of Netflix, I went out to restaurants, I was a generally happy person! It's all about balance!
 
swimmergirl2010 said:
I was accepted to the SMP yesterday, but haven't received the official email yet. I know there is a lot written about this program on SDN, but much of it seems to be from several years ago. I wanted to ask a few questions of current students :

I am current deciding between this program and BU MAMS. The major draw for me to the SMP is that they encourage same-year application while MAMS prefers students to wait until after the first year.

It really shouldn't matter as long as BU lets you release your fall grades to med schools like GT does (which they should...) You should also update med schools w grades as you get them (ie Sept for GT) like others have mentioned no matter where you go.

I'd rather not put off applying to med school for another year (I'm already 2 years out of undergrad). However, I've read some negative reviews about the advising being impersonal.

Dr. Mulroney (Its been a few years, assuming she's still there?) is very supportive and knows her stuff. She doesn't sugar coat it though and will give you her honest opinion. The advisers are almost always available to help if you need them, but honestly, you shouldn't need to meet with them more than a 2-3 times esp if you already applied to med schools before starting the program.

Are current students happy with the program? Do you have much of a social life (even if social life revolves around study groups) in the program?

You will be spending the majority of your time studying (lol partay up in DML or your apt's study space). Typically, the students who get Honors/As were studying at least 4+ hrs a day everyday on top of lecture. On average, I prob devoted about 8hrs/day to school between lectures and studying (10hrs/day before exams). The GT students know how to have fun though, and a bunch of SMPers, M1s, and some M2s would always go out together after exams and commonly on the weekends too. Kind of a party hard-study hard mentality. The school has BBQs outside when its nice weather and used to put on holiday parties as well. Many of the students are into running too, and one of our profs, Dr. Sherman, always organized runs around DC once or twice a month.

Also, how is it living in DC? Is it easy to get around and explore the city when you're not studying (which I'm guessing is not often)?

DC is awesome, esp the GT area. There is tons to do, great shopping/nightlife/restaurants/outdoor activities etc... However, the area is very expensive and its kind of a pain in the ass getting around bc there's no metro stop so you have to take GUTS bus to either the Rosslyn or Dupont circle metros.

Thank you.
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Both are very strong, highly respected programs. If you do well in either one, you'll have a great chance of getting in somewhere provided the rest of your application is solid. Go to whichever is cheaper. Or, if the money is not important go to whichever city you like better.

Good Luck! If you do your best and work hard, everything should turnout fine. Lol you can then pay a med school thousands of dollars to sit around during M1 year and basically be bored most of the time...
 
Hey guys,

A quick question to those of you who have already applied: when you were filling out the online application, did you fill out the awards/honors, work, personal statement, etc sections in addition to providing your AMCAS report (if you had one)? The instructions page isn't very clear about this. If anyone has any insight about this, please share. Thanks a lot for your help in advance!
 
How do you exactly update the med schools?
Do you send them emails? snail-mail?
Who do you address it to?
Do you send it with any supporting documents?

Thank you in advance!
 
alpinism said:
Both are very strong, highly respected programs. If you do well in either one, you'll have a great chance of getting in somewhere provided the rest of your application is solid. Go to whichever is cheaper. Or, if the money is not important go to whichever city you like better.

Good Luck! If you do your best and work hard, everything should turnout fine. Lol you can then pay a med school thousands of dollars to sit around during M1 year and basically be bored most of the time...
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Well, another issue with BU is that they require you to stay the summer. It seems like it's really supposed to be a 2 year program. When I spoke to a few students, they didn't recommend applying during the first year. It seems like Georgetown just encourages same year application a lot more. Also, I don't think BU MAMS students actually take classes with med school students? I think they might be in similar classes taught by med school professors.
 
alpinism said:
Both are very strong, highly respected programs. If you do well in either one, you'll have a great chance of getting in somewhere provided the rest of your application is solid. Go to whichever is cheaper. Or, if the money is not important go to whichever city you like better.

Good Luck! If you do your best and work hard, everything should turnout fine. Lol you can then pay a med school thousands of dollars to sit around during M1 year and basically be bored most of the time...
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thank you for the very thorough response! Have you received any MD interviews and/or acceptances this year?

Any tips for looking for housing in DC??

Current students: when should we start looking for housing? There seem to be very few listings on Georgetown's off campus housing site.
 
alpinism said:
Both are very strong, highly respected programs. If you do well in either one, you'll have a great chance of getting in somewhere provided the rest of your application is solid. Go to whichever is cheaper. Or, if the money is not important go to whichever city you like better.

Good Luck! If you do your best and work hard, everything should turnout fine. Lol you can then pay a med school thousands of dollars to sit around during M1 year and basically be bored most of the time...
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Have you received any MD interviews and/or acceptances this year?

Any tips for looking for housing in DC??

Current students: when should we start looking for housing? There seem to be very few listings on Georgetown's off campus housing site.
 
swimmergirl2010 said:
Any tips for looking for housing in DC??

Current students: when should we start looking for housing? There seem to be very few listings on Georgetown's off campus housing site.
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Hawking, and I mean hawking Craigslist is your best bet for DC housing outside of SMP or personal connections (which can obviously be better-than-market deals/setups). Set up an RSS feed, check regularly, and reply QUICKLY to places that interest you. And once you find a place, lock it down or lose it quickly. Doing this, you can find an awesome place for an awesome price. It happens.

Essentially, pretend you are finding an escape pod on the USS Kelvin.
 
SrootsWwings said:
Hawking, and I mean hawking Craigslist is your best bet for DC housing outside of SMP or personal connections (which can obviously be better-than-market deals/setups). Set up an RSS feed, check regularly, and reply QUICKLY to places that interest you. And once you find a place, lock it down or lose it quickly. Doing this, you can find an awesome place for an awesome price. It happens.

Essentially, pretend you are finding an escape pod on the USS Kelvin.
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Thanks, what about the Georgetown off campus housing listings? There are only a few on there. will more listings go up in the summer?
 
SrootsWwings said:
Hawking, and I mean hawking Craigslist is your best bet for DC housing outside of SMP or personal connections (which can obviously be better-than-market deals/setups). Set up an RSS feed, check regularly, and reply QUICKLY to places that interest you. And once you find a place, lock it down or lose it quickly. Doing this, you can find an awesome place for an awesome price. It happens.

Essentially, pretend you are finding an escape pod on the USS Kelvin.
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Which neighborhoods would you recommend to look for housing in?
 
Izziee said:
Which neighborhoods would you recommend to look for housing in?
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First of all, please note that I am not currently an SMP student, just someone who lived in DC for 1.5 years (during which I lived, and thus played the housing game, three times, plus helping find my girlfriend a place).

Short answer: in Gtown/Foxhall/Burleith. Immediately surrounding neighborhoods will also work (Glover Park/Palisades/Rosslyn), - past that you are getting into a hefty commute (unless you have an awesome parking spot situation). Georgetown is the exception to the rule that DC is a fun and easy place to get around thanks to a great metro station and bike-friendly setting.

Long answer:

A little geography and history goes a long way in explaining where to live if you need to be in Gtown on a regular basis (please also note that I do not take myself for an expert, but no one else is piping in, so here's a few cents). First of all, Gtown (University) has the Potomac River to its south, Gtown (the shopping/froo-froo mecca) to the east, and neighborhoods northwest and north (starting west and going clockwise, Palisades, Foxhall, Burleith, Glover Park, and Georgetown to the east).

Georgetown, due to developmental conservatism (to put it nicely - some might say socioeconomic self-segregation, to put it rudely), successfully prevented its inclusion into the metro-served part of DC during the system's planning and construction. Therefore, none of the aforementioned areas have a metro stop in sniffing distance. Add this to the resultant cluuuuuusterboo-booword of parking since so many people drive there, and a parking spot is only for those willing to pay (I just craigslisted and saw one for $150/month on T Street, which is a killer deal for anyone considering). If you can drive, that opens you to a much larger area that can work for you upon which I will not expound here, except to say that it is a matter of preference (mine would be 17th Street or Mount Pleasant).

For those who won't be driving with a sweet parking spot (the majority), the remaining options are walking, biking, and bussing. The aforementioned neighborhoods, plus Rosslyn if you are close enough, about do it for walking distance. You can live way farther out and bike - something I would ideally like, but there are always going to be days when conditions preclude your ability to bike to class, in which case, you need a back-up plan.

For bussing, there's a bus/shuttle to take you from Rosslyn to Gtown; there's also one from Dupont Circle (which is east of Gtown the neighborhood, has a metro and is closer to and considered the boundary between "real" DC and Georgetown by those who display neighborhoodism, which is many in DC). The Rosslyn one would be shorter, and I would wager you could live in Rosslyn and have a short commute to campus. If you want to live in another DC neighborhood past Dupont (anywhere from N to, CW to S), getting to campus will involve walking/metroing to Dupont and taking the shuttle from there to campus. The ride can vary with traffic - I would not count on any briefer than 30 minutes consistently for the commute if you live past Dupont.

In terms of $$$, you're going to cringe, and that's that. Sharing with people, living on or beyond the gentrification boundary (which is, thesedays, I believe somewhere along Shaw/Petworth in northern NW), and, as mentioned before, hawking craigslist, will lower rent - the second option will put you at a serious commute.

That all boils down to my short answer - living in Gtown (University area) or surrounding neighborhoods will give you less commute time, the slightly more distant neighborhoods + Rosslyn across the way being the next best options.

The good news - I just made it sound awful to get around - it's not!!! That was written with the mentality of "It's 8:00AM and I need to get to this test" - in which case, that's how I think about it - a long daily commute is a no-no for me. If I'm in "It's 10:00AM on a Saturday, and I want to lollygag the day away at the National Museum for the American Indian!", it is nooo problemooo to shuttle over to Dupont and get where you need to (say, the National Museum for the American Indian, which has some righteous art), and have an awesome day! And DC is a coooooooooooooool city to live in and explore... you know, for aaaaaaaall that time for that between doing the SMP, interviewing, and crying yourself to sleep in the fetal position. Vooooooweeels.
 
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swimmergirl2010 said:
thank you for the very thorough response! Have you received any MD interviews and/or acceptances this year?

Any tips for looking for housing in DC??

Current students: when should we start looking for housing? There seem to be very few listings on Georgetown's off campus housing site.
Click to expand...

Haha not this year, I was at GT 3yrs ago.

Interviewed at >10 schools and was accepted to 6.

FWIW, I was a non-trad student w/ a higher ugrad GPA (about 3.45) plus good post bacc grades and tons of ECs so my application cycle went better than most. I also had over a 3.9 GPA at GT.

The GT off campus housing website should pick up in June when people start comitting to the school.

If you haven't joined the FB group yet, I'd start asking around there.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/GUSMP2014/?fref=ts

Most people live just north of the campus in Foxhall/Glover Park or in NOVA by one of the metro stations. NOVA is usually a little cheaper, but a longer commute (15-30min).
 
I guess that this program will take anyone, they accepted me. Haha!

Just kidding. I'm a closet gunner. But yeah, I really like this program.

I did some loan research, and will just say this: Wells Fargo was going to give me a 12% fixed interest loan... Discover gave me 7.5% fixed with no cosigner required. USC has a good lenders list. Hope this helps someone on the fence about attending, like me.
http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/loans/private.html
 
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MDforMee said:
I guess that this program will take anyone, they accepted me. Haha!

Just kidding. I'm a closet gunner. But yeah, I really like this program.

I did some loan research, and will just say this: Wells Fargo was going to give me a 12% fixed interest loan... Discover gave me 7.5% fixed with no cosigner required. USC has a good lenders list. Hope this helps someone on the fence about attending, like me.
http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/loans/private.html
Click to expand...

can't you pay for the whole thing with Stafford and grad plus loans? especially since this is a master's degree program. please educate me on this because I plan on doing Drexel IMS and need a loan of 30K. I was hoping to pay with federal loans and avoid private. in fact, if it is private, I cannot afford it. I don't want to commit financial suicide.
 
common man said:
can't you pay for the whole thing with Stafford and grad plus loans? especially since this is a master's degree program. please educate me on this because I plan on doing Drexel IMS and need a loan of 30K. I was hoping to pay with federal loans and avoid private. in fact, if it is private, I cannot afford it. I don't want to commit financial suicide.
Click to expand...
As far as I know you can.

2 friends here at med school went to georgetown and paid via federal loans
 
common man said:
can't you pay for the whole thing with Stafford and grad plus loans? especially since this is a master's degree program. please educate me on this because I plan on doing Drexel IMS and need a loan of 30K. I was hoping to pay with federal loans and avoid private. in fact, if it is private, I cannot afford it. I don't want to commit financial suicide.
Click to expand...

Private is actually better if you can qualify for lower than 7.9% interest. Plus, there aren't any origination fees. All federal loans, stafford and grad plus, are now unsubsidized. So, it doesn't matter if your loan is private, or not. It's not financial suicide.

Stafford Loan: Fixed interest rate of 6.8% APR (unsubsidized) through 2013, borrow up to $20,500 per year. I suspect that there's a 1.something% origination fee, too.

Grad Plus: Fixed at 7.9 percent. There is a 4 percent origination fee. You can borrow the difference between cost of attendance (housing, tuition) and the Stafford Loan amount.

Private: Fixed as low as 6.8%. No origination fees!

I was approved for a 40k private loan at 7.4%. That's better than the Grad Plus interest rate. With a cosigner, I would have gotten a 6.9% rate. Plus, there isn't that mysterious origination fee.
 
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robflanker said:
As far as I know you can.

2 friends here at med school went to georgetown and paid via federal loans
Click to expand...

that's what I thought. thanks. private vs. federal - absolutely no question - federal loans are better.
 
common man said:
that's what I thought. thanks. private vs. federal - absolutely no question - federal loans are better.
Click to expand...

Strongly consider the following regarding loans...

Private loans are NOT eligible for income based repayment or public service loan forgiveness. I graduated in 2011 and am thankful that all my loans were federal because it looks like much will be forgiven so long as I practice at a non-profit hospital once I graduate from medical school. Based on my calculations - I might wind up paying a grand total of about $130,000 over ten years for my MS and MD by taking advantage of such programs (despite graduating with over $300,000 in debt). This would not be possible if my loans were private.

Private loans may have slightly lower interest rates but your payback options are considerably more limited. This should be the biggest concern for anyone eventually going to medical school as your resident salary will be modest.
 
gridguy said:
Strongly consider the following regarding loans...

Private loans are NOT eligible for income based repayment or public service loan forgiveness. I graduated in 2011 and am thankful that all my loans were federal because it looks like much will be forgiven so long as I practice at a non-profit hospital once I graduate from medical school. Based on my calculations - I might wind up paying a grand total of about $130,000 over ten years for my MS and MD by taking advantage of such programs (despite graduating with over $300,000 in debt). This would not be possible if my loans were private.

Private loans may have slightly lower interest rates but your payback options are considerably more limited. This should be the biggest concern for anyone eventually going to medical school as your resident salary will be modest.
Click to expand...
+1

You also cannot defer private loans either, and must start paying them back much sooner than federal.

Its not all about interest rates
 
Is there anyone here who did the SMP, and ended up at Georgetown Med in the MD program? It'd be great to hear your experience and why you thought you were ultimately successful as compared to those who were not accepted to the MD program after the SMP.
 
grapeworthy said:
Is there anyone here who did the SMP, and ended up at Georgetown Med in the MD program? It'd be great to hear your experience and why you thought you were ultimately successful as compared to those who were not accepted to the MD program after the SMP.
Click to expand...

I'll come from the otherside. I am a current SMP. I had an average MCAT and slightly lower uGPA than the rest of the SMPs. I have around a 3.75 from the program and was rejected. I have great/unique clinical, volunteering, and leadership experience, research + publication, and really focused on human rights and was raised in the Jesuit ideals (8 years of jesuit education + SMP year). Moderate interview from my perspective.

It really shows how very variable it is. There is no real magic answer on to how to get in. I worked as hard as possible, saw the great grades, and still didn't get in. The only answer I'd say is just study as hard as you can from the get go. You need to more or less alter your study habits if they aren't working, because the first exam comes very quickly. The difficult part is recognizing why/how they aren't working and coming up with solutions.
 
six9silver said:
I'll come from the otherside. I am a current SMP. I had an average MCAT and slightly lower uGPA than the rest of the SMPs. I have around a 3.75 from the program and was rejected. I have great/unique clinical, volunteering, and leadership experience, research + publication, and really focused on human rights and was raised in the Jesuit ideals (8 years of jesuit education + SMP year). Moderate interview from my perspective.

It really shows how very variable it is. There is no real magic answer on to how to get in. I worked as hard as possible, saw the great grades, and still didn't get in. The only answer I'd say is just study as hard as you can from the get go. You need to more or less alter your study habits if they aren't working, because the first exam comes very quickly. The difficult part is recognizing why/how they aren't working and coming up with solutions.
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for sharing. I was wondering if you've received any acceptances to other MD programs while in the SMP?
 
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