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Hi everyone,
I am a current GW student and I think it is important to put a few more facts in this thread. The fact that GW is on probation has very little to do with our curriculum and a lot to do with administrative details. The crux of the issue has to do with a move toward stating learning objectives in a more explicit way and also making the curriculum track-able. Let me give you an example. Currently GW states its learning objectives like this "Students will be proficient in performing a breast exam." LCME wants the objectives to be more specific including what specific skills we should have, how to palpate for masses etc. They also want our the objectives to be linked throughout so if in your fourth year if an attending says wow Katie you really suck at breast exams the school can go back and know exactly where and when I learned breast anatomy and physiology, where I learned a clinical exam, where I learned breast pathology etc. So they can evaluate and make program changes to make sure everyone is learning what they need to learn.
It has nothing to do with the actual teaching but the structure of how the administration follows the objectives integrated in all aspects of the curriculum. As others have pointed out, GW continues to be an excellent school with high board scores and students who match very well. The issue that has been mentioned about classes being over crowded is absolutely not true. Our class size has remained around 170 for a long time. None of the classrooms are cramped and there is plenty of interaction with professors, deans, etc.
I think its important to evaluate a school based on if it is a good fit for you. For me the things that make GW a great place to learn medicine are its location in DC, where we have access to everything from the Pan American Health Organization to the NIH. GW also has many different hospitals to rotate through. You can treat a gunshot patient at Washington Hospital Center, see incredible and unique infectious diseases at GW Hospital and deliver four babies in one night at Virginia Hospital Center. I saw my first patient within a month of starting medical school. My peers spent summers in Ethiopia, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador, South Africa etc. Others worked at the NIH, Harvard, or worked with GW physicians doing research for the summer.
I also appreciate that my peers are supportive of one another. We work together and motivate each other to get through the tough parts. When I was looking at medical schools I had plenty of other offers but made my decision based upon where I saw myself being happiest. I am sure that anyone who really will fit in to GW will be able to see this probation for what it is-- nothing of any real importance. If you want to be a great physician, learn from some of the best that are leaders in their fields and have access to all that DC has to offer then GW could be the right place for you. But believe me if you are more worried about rankings and 15 minutes of bad press you probably wouldn't fit in very well here.
Anyone who interviews and comes to visit our school will see it for what it is - an incredible and unique place to learn medicine. Good Luck to everyone in the application process. I can only hope that you each find a place you love as much as I love GW.
I would be more than happy to answer questions about GW about the probation etc as would anyone else.
I am a current GW student and I think it is important to put a few more facts in this thread. The fact that GW is on probation has very little to do with our curriculum and a lot to do with administrative details. The crux of the issue has to do with a move toward stating learning objectives in a more explicit way and also making the curriculum track-able. Let me give you an example. Currently GW states its learning objectives like this "Students will be proficient in performing a breast exam." LCME wants the objectives to be more specific including what specific skills we should have, how to palpate for masses etc. They also want our the objectives to be linked throughout so if in your fourth year if an attending says wow Katie you really suck at breast exams the school can go back and know exactly where and when I learned breast anatomy and physiology, where I learned a clinical exam, where I learned breast pathology etc. So they can evaluate and make program changes to make sure everyone is learning what they need to learn.
It has nothing to do with the actual teaching but the structure of how the administration follows the objectives integrated in all aspects of the curriculum. As others have pointed out, GW continues to be an excellent school with high board scores and students who match very well. The issue that has been mentioned about classes being over crowded is absolutely not true. Our class size has remained around 170 for a long time. None of the classrooms are cramped and there is plenty of interaction with professors, deans, etc.
I think its important to evaluate a school based on if it is a good fit for you. For me the things that make GW a great place to learn medicine are its location in DC, where we have access to everything from the Pan American Health Organization to the NIH. GW also has many different hospitals to rotate through. You can treat a gunshot patient at Washington Hospital Center, see incredible and unique infectious diseases at GW Hospital and deliver four babies in one night at Virginia Hospital Center. I saw my first patient within a month of starting medical school. My peers spent summers in Ethiopia, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador, South Africa etc. Others worked at the NIH, Harvard, or worked with GW physicians doing research for the summer.
I also appreciate that my peers are supportive of one another. We work together and motivate each other to get through the tough parts. When I was looking at medical schools I had plenty of other offers but made my decision based upon where I saw myself being happiest. I am sure that anyone who really will fit in to GW will be able to see this probation for what it is-- nothing of any real importance. If you want to be a great physician, learn from some of the best that are leaders in their fields and have access to all that DC has to offer then GW could be the right place for you. But believe me if you are more worried about rankings and 15 minutes of bad press you probably wouldn't fit in very well here.
Anyone who interviews and comes to visit our school will see it for what it is - an incredible and unique place to learn medicine. Good Luck to everyone in the application process. I can only hope that you each find a place you love as much as I love GW.
I would be more than happy to answer questions about GW about the probation etc as would anyone else.
