Georgetown SMP Application Thread 2019- 2020

[keelhaul]

I'm using Interfolio to submit my recommendation letters for my application, does anyone know what email address I should have them sent to?

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[Gill_97]

Based on their FAQ's, the acceptance rate in their own MD school is very low. "Although there is no formal agreement between our program and the medical school, historically, about 15% of SMP students have been accepted to Georgetown each year.
University of Cincinnati however is stating that "Beginning with the graduating class of 2019, UC SMP graduates who submit a medical-school application to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine will be invited for interview "
Which is a better program. Those already in the programs or those who researched can you please share ?

 

[deleted289061]

Based on their FAQ's, the acceptance rate in their own MD school is very low. "Although there is no formal agreement between our program and the medical school, historically, about 15% of SMP students have been accepted to Georgetown each year.
University of Cincinnati however is stating that "Beginning with the graduating class of 2019, UC SMP graduates who submit a medical-school application to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine will be invited for interview "
Which is a better program. Those already in the programs or those who researched can you please share ?

Look at the class size of Cincy’s SMP. It’s like 30-35 if I remember correctly. So if they interview everyone in their SMP, that’s even less than what GUSOM interviews from our SMP class, which is around 80 plus or minus 10 from what I’ve heard. Of those that interview, around 30 plus or minus 5 will be accepted into GUSOM. Hope that helps.

 

[G. Trek]

Submitted 1/22, Accepted 1/29. Can anyone provide any information on where most people live during the year? I would prefer to be close to the school but am struggling to find housing options.

Thats a super fast turn around, mind if I ask your stats? I just submitted stats 3.45 515

 

[John Wick]

Thats a super fast turn around, mind if I ask your stats? I just submitted stats 3.45 515

You'll catch an acceptance in the next week or two. I'm ~3.4 / 516.

 

[Gill_97]

Once you are accepted to the SMP, how much days do they give you to accept the offer ?

 

[John Wick]

Once you are accepted to the SMP, how much days do they give you to accept the offer ?

April 15th

 

[a-robit]

I graduated from the SMP in 2018, and was just accepted to GUSoM this cycle! If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

I loved my time at the SMP and felt very well supported by the faculty. After finishing, I retook the MCAT, and felt very prepared for it. I probably would not be going to med school next year if not for the faculty and support that I had!

Just to clarify a few things about interview&acceptances to GUSoM: people who apply via AMCAS during the cycle are put into a separate pool that interviews in early April. This is after GUSoM has finished their interviews for the regular cycle, and your interview day consists of just the 1 on 1 interview. They interview roughly the top 40% of the class, which usually corresponds to a ~3.7 SMP GPA cutoff and about 75-80 people. The admissions committee looks at your app as well to make sure that you have all the other necessary parts of a good medical school applications. From that pool of 75-80 interviews, you'll have roughly 30-35 people accepted. Hope this is helpful!

 

[TripleHBK]

I graduated from the SMP in 2018, and was just accepted to GUSoM this cycle! If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

I loved my time at the SMP and felt very well supported by the faculty. After finishing, I retook the MCAT, and felt very prepared for it. I probably would not be going to med school next year if not for the faculty and support that I had!

Just to clarify a few things about interview&acceptances to GUSoM: people who apply via AMCAS during the cycle are put into a separate pool that interviews in early April. This is after GUSoM has finished their interviews for the regular cycle, and your interview day consists of just the 1 on 1 interview. They interview roughly the top 40% of the class, which usually corresponds to a ~3.7 SMP GPA cutoff and about 75-80 people. The admissions committee looks at your app as well to make sure that you have all the other necessary parts of a good medical school applications. From that pool of 75-80 interviews, you'll have roughly 30-35 people accepted. Hope this is helpful!

Hey thanks for your reply!
I was wondering why you didn't apply the same time as enrolled in the SMP? It seems that they encourage people to do so?

 

[G. Trek]

I graduated from the SMP in 2018, and was just accepted to GUSoM this cycle! If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

I loved my time at the SMP and felt very well supported by the faculty. After finishing, I retook the MCAT, and felt very prepared for it. I probably would not be going to med school next year if not for the faculty and support that I had!

Just to clarify a few things about interview&acceptances to GUSoM: people who apply via AMCAS during the cycle are put into a separate pool that interviews in early April. This is after GUSoM has finished their interviews for the regular cycle, and your interview day consists of just the 1 on 1 interview. They interview roughly the top 40% of the class, which usually corresponds to a ~3.7 SMP GPA cutoff and about 75-80 people. The admissions committee looks at your app as well to make sure that you have all the other necessary parts of a good medical school applications. From that pool of 75-80 interviews, you'll have roughly 30-35 people accepted. Hope this is helpful!

Thanks for answering questions! Are advisors readily available/helpful in your experience and an asset for helping to improve your overall app? I currently go to a rather large public uni where its pretty difficult to get any pre-med advising help, so if the SMP has good opportunities for that I'd be super stoked.

 

[a-robit]

Hey thanks for your reply!
I was wondering why you didn't apply the same time as enrolled in the SMP? It seems that they encourage people to do so?

I did apply while I was enrolled in the SMP! I had only applied to Georgetown while I was in the SMP because I had wanted to apply to other schools with a full set of grades. Schools can be kind of crappy about accepting updates, so I did not want to spend more money than I had to that cycle. After graduating, I retook the MCAT, and reapplied to 23 schools. My first cycle, I had only received 1 II, and this cycle, I've received 5.

From what I understand, Georgetown doesn't actually set aside seats for SMP students, so by the time you interview as a SMP, they've finished their regular cycle interviews. Make of that what you will.

Thanks for answering questions! Are advisors readily available/helpful in your experience and an asset for helping to improve your overall app? I currently go to a rather large public uni where its pretty difficult to get any pre-med advising help, so if the SMP has good opportunities for that I'd be super stoked.

I thought that the advising from the SMP was really good. They were very clear on the timeline for application and overall very supportive. Additionally, they had a presentation in the second block with Donna Sullivan, one of the ladies who works in the admissions office, where she more or less outlined exactly what Georgetown was looking for in its secondary "Why Georgetown" essay.

Overall, I thought that the SMP was a great resource. The program's been around for ~40 years, and there are a LOT of doctors out there who are graduates, and at least in my experience, SMP grads are always happy to help out other grads.

 

[TripleHBK]

I did apply while I was enrolled in the SMP! I had only applied to Georgetown while I was in the SMP because I had wanted to apply to other schools with a full set of grades. Schools can be kind of crappy about accepting updates, so I did not want to spend more money than I had to that cycle. After graduating, I retook the MCAT, and reapplied to 23 schools. My first cycle, I had only received 1 II, and this cycle, I've received 5.

From what I understand, Georgetown doesn't actually set aside seats for SMP students, so by the time you interview as a SMP, they've finished their regular cycle interviews. Make of that what you will.



I thought that the advising from the SMP was really good. They were very clear on the timeline for application and overall very supportive. Additionally, they had a presentation in the second block with Donna Sullivan, one of the ladies who works in the admissions office, where she more or less outlined exactly what Georgetown was looking for in its secondary "Why Georgetown" essay.

Overall, I thought that the SMP was a great resource. The program's been around for ~40 years, and there are a LOT of doctors out there who are graduates, and at least in my experience, SMP grads are always happy to help out other grads.

That's awesome! Congratulations! I'm glad it worked out haha!
From the SMP faq I see it says, " Over 50% of our students are accepted to medical school while they are enrolled in the Special Masters Program" how true is this statement? What do you think makes these students get in over others besides I'm guessing "academic success" in the program itself?

 

[usctrojans24]

That's awesome! Congratulations! I'm glad it worked out haha!
From the SMP faq I see it says, " Over 50% of our students are accepted to medical school while they are enrolled in the Special Masters Program" how true is this statement? What do you think makes these students get in over others besides I'm guessing "academic success" in the program itself?

I'm very interested in this as well if former SMPers could comment on how successful the class is who applied concurrently? Also how big is the class size?

 

[a-robit]

That's awesome! Congratulations! I'm glad it worked out haha!
From the SMP faq I see it says, " Over 50% of our students are accepted to medical school while they are enrolled in the Special Masters Program" how true is this statement? What do you think makes these students get in over others besides I'm guessing "academic success" in the program itself?

I would say that having actual experience with what med school classes are. Since you take med school classes, and are graded against other med students, there's really no ambiguity surrounding how you'd do in medical school for better or worse. SMP's are good for a very small subset of students in my opinion: people who have the MCAT score, extracurriculars, and letters, but are just missing the grades. These applicants are usually borderline cases, and just need the extra push to get them over the edge for the acceptance, and I think that this program is able to do that, granted that the student works hard and does well.

I'm very interested in this as well if former SMPers could comment on how successful the class is who applied concurrently? Also how big is the class size?

Class size is about 180 at GUMC, and 25 at GTDT.

 

[usctrojans24]

I would say that having actual experience with what med school classes are. Since you take med school classes, and are graded against other med students, there's really no ambiguity surrounding how you'd do in medical school for better or worse. SMP's are good for a very small subset of students in my opinion: people who have the MCAT score, extracurriculars, and letters, but are just missing the grades. These applicants are usually borderline cases, and just need the extra push to get them over the edge for the acceptance, and I think that this program is able to do that, granted that the student works hard and does well.



Class size is about 180 at GUMC, and 25 at GTDT.

A-robit can you comment on how successful people were who applied to medical school right before the program started and how many got in?
Is the average GPA in the program still a 3.2-3.4

 

[a-robit]

A-robit can you comment on how successful people were who applied to medical school right before the program started and how many got in?
Is the average GPA in the program still a 3.2-3.4

Majority of the people I knew who applied right before the program started ended up getting in somewhere. The advisors will work with you on the timeline while you are in the program, and advising remains accessible after graduation. I have personally met with my old team leader for mock interviews, and I have friends who have organized skype sessions to figure out future plans.

I am not sure what the average GPA for the program is, since I've never really asked the administration for that. You really want to be scoring above a 3.6-3.7 in this program to show schools that you can handle med school. IIRC, it wasn't super difficult to get a B/B+ in classes, but the A- and A margins were usually pretty thin due to the way the M1 averages broke down.

 

[Raito Medical]

So I was very happy to be accepted into Georgetown's SMP, but also was accepted into NYMC's 1 year accelerated masters SMP program. Its closer to home for me (as I'm in New York) and it boasts a 80-85% acceptance rate (although wording is vague on their website). I've read several blogs and accounts of the NYMC program and it seems that about 80% of students get into a medical school in the fall directly following the end of the program (no glide year). What do you guys think? I'm leaning towards NYMC as the cost is lower, ability to opt out of classes in M1 year depending on how you do during the SMP, requirement GPA for an interview is 3.4, and the matriculation rate into a MD school after the program is much higher. Would love some insight on this!

 

[deleted289061]

So I was very happy to be accepted into Georgetown's SMP, but also was accepted into NYMC's 1 year accelerated masters SMP program. Its closer to home for me (as I'm in New York) and it boasts a 80-85% acceptance rate (although wording is vague on their website). I've read several blogs and accounts of the NYMC program and it seems that about 80% of students get into a medical school in the fall directly following the end of the program (no glide year). What do you guys think? I'm leaning towards NYMC as the cost is lower, ability to opt out of classes in M1 year depending on how you do during the SMP, requirement GPA for an interview is 3.4, and the matriculation rate into a MD school after the program is much higher. Would love some insight on this!

I’d be wary of programs like this. It sounds great on their website but you have to ask some questions. How long has this program been in operation? I’ve never heard of this SMP. I’ve heard of Cincy, BU, and Gtown. There are probably others out there but these are the most reknowned from the research I did prior to entering the SMP. Plus, their agreement with medical schools is their own, a podiatry school, an osteopathic school, and a dental school. Does that 85% include acceptance dental and podiatry schools? This is just my first take on it. Maybe someone else can provide a different perspective on the matter.

PS: In the end, you have to do what is best for you. If you do this program, do it well. I’m sure it’ll work out. But this was just my first take.

 

[aeryna]

After graduating, I retook the MCAT, and reapplied to 23 schools. My first cycle, I had only received 1 II, and this cycle, I've received 5.

Congrats on your acceptance! When did you take the MCAT last summer? I am currently enrolled in the SMP and planning on applying after the program ends, but I am struggling to figure out what the best timeline would be for taking the MCAT so that I'm not at a disadvantage for applying late. Did you study for the MCAT during block 4 at all or did you just start studying after exams ended?

 

[a-robit]

Congrats on your acceptance! When did you take the MCAT last summer? I am currently enrolled in the SMP and planning on applying after the program ends, but I am struggling to figure out what the best timeline would be for taking the MCAT so that I'm not at a disadvantage for applying late. Did you study for the MCAT during block 4 at all or did you just start studying after exams ended?

I took my MCAT Aug 3. Finished early June, took a week to decompress, and then started content review with EK and Anki. Finished content review in three weeks, and then did the various AAMC materials, NextStep tests, and UWorld questions leading up to the exam. I was complete in the first week of September at most schools, but I prewrote secondaries while I was waiting for my score since some schools wouldn't send you a secondary without a MCAT. My school list was built based on what I was scoring in practice tests.

I personally do not recommend studying for the MCAT during block 4, since that block was quite loaded with two separate anatomy exams, an embryology group paper, 3 med exams, and the end of your grad classes. Unless you're already accepted by that point, you want to finish strong.

 

[white.hmjr]

Anyone recently, or in general, accepted with lower end (2.7-3.0gpa) and lower MCAT? Maybe you have great experiences to make up for the lower stats?

 

[deleted289061]

Anyone recently, or in general, accepted with lower end (2.7-3.0gpa) and lower MCAT? Maybe you have great experiences to make up for the lower stats?

I did. PM me and I can share.

 

[DocJanItor]

I graduated from the SMP in 2018, and was just accepted to GUSoM this cycle! If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

I loved my time at the SMP and felt very well supported by the faculty. After finishing, I retook the MCAT, and felt very prepared for it. I probably would not be going to med school next year if not for the faculty and support that I had!

Just to clarify a few things about interview&acceptances to GUSoM: people who apply via AMCAS during the cycle are put into a separate pool that interviews in early April. This is after GUSoM has finished their interviews for the regular cycle, and your interview day consists of just the 1 on 1 interview. They interview roughly the top 40% of the class, which usually corresponds to a ~3.7 SMP GPA cutoff and about 75-80 people. The admissions committee looks at your app as well to make sure that you have all the other necessary parts of a good medical school applications. From that pool of 75-80 interviews, you'll have roughly 30-35 people accepted. Hope this is helpful!

Unless the grades have changed as a result of the curriculum change, 3.7 is too high of an estimate for the cutoff. I and several others were interviewed and accepted with 3.5+ in the SMP program.

 

[ss2196]

So I have a question regarding my chances to get into medical school as an international student at an SMP. I have done all my schooling including my bachelors in the U.S and this past application cycle was not good to me at all--no interviews. I am considered an international student as I do not have my green card yet.

I got into Georgetown SMP for this coming year and I wanted to ask previous international students at Georgetown who have done the SMP and whether it was successful for them or not?

Also as a general question, my mcat is a 507 after my second try and Im not sure if I should take it again as a third attempt before the SMP starts or not. I really want to atleast apply to a few schools right as the SMP starts

 

[inisdes]

FYI: This is a really dangerous program to do. No guaranteed linkage and overall incredibly difficult. For all you borderline applicants out there, remember that doing poorly in this program means your chances of getting in afterwards approach 0.

 

[Margiellamadman]

FYI: This is a really dangerous program to do. No guaranteed linkage and overall incredibly difficult. For all you borderline applicants out there, remember that doing poorly in this program means your chances of getting in afterwards approach 0.

Yup it’s do or die!

 

[usctrojans24]

FYI: This is a really dangerous program to do. No guaranteed linkage and overall incredibly difficult. For all you borderline applicants out there, remember that doing poorly in this program means your chances of getting in afterwards approach 0.

I'm not really sure the point of posting this most SMPs are like this. Gtown has a really good reputation of getting people into med school and is very well known so it could be very beneficial. Although your chances getting into Gtown med is probably low.

 

[inisdes]

I'm not really sure the point of posting this most SMPs are like this. Gtown has a really good reputation of getting people into med school and is very well known so it could be very beneficial. Although your chances getting into Gtown med is probably low.

Citation needed lol. If they have that reputation I'm not sure it's deserved. And I'm not saying it doesn't help some applicants; all I'm saying is it's a death sentence if you don't do well. Don't make the decision to do it lightly is all.

 

[DocJanItor]

Citation needed lol. If they have that reputation I'm not sure it's deserved. And I'm not saying it doesn't help some applicants; all I'm saying is it's a death sentence if you don't do well. Don't make the decision to do it lightly is all.

The citation is their website. They have an 85% matriculation rate for graduates of the program. I'm not sure why you feel the need to warn people about this program because every SMP is do or die. If you can't succeed at an SMP then you can't succeed at medical school and you shouldn't BE in medical school.

 

[inisdes]

The citation is their website. They have an 85% matriculation rate for graduates of the program. I'm not sure why you feel the need to warn people about this program because every SMP is do or die. If you can't succeed at an SMP then you can't succeed at medical school and you shouldn't BE in medical school.

I find it very sketchy that they don't report where their graduates actually go. 85% matriculation rate could include DO, Caribbean, etc. Other SMPs report the data so whenever an SMP doesn't, I find it sketchy. But whatever, it's your life. All the best!

I should say...success in an SMP means 3.7/8+ whereas success in medical school is measured differently. You're not a med student but you're expected to perform at a level that exceeds what most med students accomplish. Best of luck though.

 

[DocJanItor]

I find it very sketchy that they don't report where their graduates actually go. 85% matriculation rate could include DO, Caribbean, etc. Other SMPs report the data so whenever an SMP doesn't, I find it sketchy. But whatever, it's your life. All the best!

I should say...success in an SMP means 3.7/8+ whereas success in medical school is measured differently. You're not a med student but you're expected to perform at a level that exceeds what most med students accomplish. Best of luck though.

I'm sure you found it sketchy because you didn't do any actual research: SMP Alumni . Full list of the schools that each recent class has been accepted to (although it looks like they need to update it).

And no, you don't have to have a 3.7-3.8 to succeed in an SMP. I graduated with a 3.5+ and got into the medical school. I know plenty of people who didn't do as well as I did who are also attending medical school in other places, and I know others who did better than I did who didn't get into Georgetown. It's not just about grades.

Further, I don't think there was a single class where the SMPs had a higher test average than the med students. That's even more impressive when you consider that the med students are taking additional classes as well as their non-academic duties. SMP grades are curved based on the med school average so that med school level performance can be evaluated appropriately.

Why are you so determined to bash SMP programs?

 

[inisdes]

I'm sure you found it sketchy because you didn't do any actual research: SMP Alumni . Full list of the schools that each recent class has been accepted to (although it looks like they need to update it).

And no, you don't have to have a 3.7-3.8 to succeed in an SMP. I graduated with a 3.5+ and got into the medical school. I know plenty of people who didn't do as well as I did who are also attending medical school in other places, and I know others who did better than I did who didn't get into Georgetown. It's not just about grades.

Further, I don't think there was a single class where the SMPs had a higher test average than the med students. That's even more impressive when you consider that the med students are taking additional classes as well as their non-academic duties. SMP grades are curved based on the med school average so that med school level performance can be evaluated appropriately.

Why are you so determined to bash SMP programs?

Hmm, fair enough. I guess my research chops aren't as good as I thought (read: bad). As for bashing SMP programs, I'm not out to bash them, more out to try and ensure that people don't get hurt doing them. Probably a waste of time though given people seem to know what's up. Nvm!

 

[white.hmjr]

Has anyone had any experience with applying late and getting in? I am now planning to take the May 24th MCAT so scores wouldn't be back until late June. I do plan to submit my application before then though and just wait for the MCAT score to come in.

 

[deleted289061]

Has anyone had any experience with applying late and getting in? I am now planning to take the May 24th MCAT so scores wouldn't be back until late June. I do plan to submit my application before then though and just wait for the MCAT score to come in.

I believe a practice exam score would suffice in the mean time. But I’m not 100% sure on that. Contact the program and they’ll let you know.

 

[a-robit]

Has anyone had any experience with applying late and getting in? I am now planning to take the May 24th MCAT so scores wouldn't be back until late June. I do plan to submit my application before then though and just wait for the MCAT score to come in.

Wouldn't hurt to contact the program and ask. I had classmates who were admitted sans-MCAT score after speaking to Dr.Mulroney.

 

[MuniMan]

Planning on applying soon, my stats are as follows-
2.9 cGPA
513 MCAT
1 year of paid patient care experience
3 years of volunteering with under-served communities
Would those of you who have been admitted already be comfortable sharing your stats? If not publicly then in a PM? I just want to get an idea of who's getting in and who's not.
Thanks all!

 

[deleted289061]

Planning on applying soon, my stats are as follows-
2.9 cGPA
513 MCAT
1 year of paid patient care experience
3 years of volunteering with under-served communities
Would those of you who have been admitted already be comfortable sharing your stats? If not publicly then in a PM? I just want to get an idea of who's getting in and who's not.
Thanks all!

I think you’d be a good candidate based off of what you shared. You are the idea SMP student: good MCAT, poor uGPA. And your ECs look good too. Did you have an upward trend in your uGPA or anything that would show the program that you’d be able to handle a rigorous program like this?

 

[MuniMan]

My latter years at undergrad have overall higher GPA's than my first 2, if that counts as a rising trend. My only reservation is that it's not like a consistently rising GPA, there are drops here and there between semesters. But on the whole, yeah my junior and senior years were far better than my freshman and sophomore years. I also have a kinda unique situation in that I had to juggle schoolwork with caring for a very ill family member, which I will include in my app no doubt. All in all, feeling hopeful and will give it a shot. Thanks to all!

 

[YCAGA]

Accepted!

Submitted and complete 03/18, accepted 03/20. cGPA 3.5, sGPA 3.2, MCAT 519, average ECs. Amazed at the fast turnaround.

 

[Ghost1995]

Seems like everybody applying to this program has a pretty high MCAT.

Being quite honest I have a low GPA and average MCAT, but decent amount of shadowing, plus work experience, emergency room scribing, decent extracurricular

Is it worth applying or is this program too competitive?

 

[DocJanItor]

Seems like everybody applying to this program has a pretty high MCAT.

Being quite honest I have a low GPA and average MCAT, but decent amount of shadowing, plus work experience, emergency room scribing, decent extracurricular

Is it worth applying or is this program too competitive?

Depends on how you define average mcat. True avg would be 500, so that wouldn't be good. If you had the matriculant average you could still get in.

 

[DrGuessWho77]

@a-robit can you PM? I have some questions about the SMP interview format. Thanks!

 

[YCAGA]

Seems like everybody applying to this program has a pretty high MCAT.

Being quite honest I have a low GPA and average MCAT, but decent amount of shadowing, plus work experience, emergency room scribing, decent extracurricular

Is it worth applying or is this program too competitive?

Like DocJanitor said, it depends on what you mean by average.

My understanding is that SMPs are designed for people with pretty competitive applications in all areas except for GPA (especially science GPA).

 

[hiyhiy]

Could anyone provide some insight on how to go about selecting GUMC vs GTDT? I feel like I'd do well with a smaller class size but not sure how I feel about every class being flipped learning style and having lecture capture be my primary resource for courses. Also as a former student mentioned previously, I think being near med students would be motivating as well.

Also, are the structured "biomedical career exploration" opportunities very helpful to those that already have a lot of volunteer experiences in hospitals/clinical exposure through scribing/ underserved community volunteer work (although not in the DC area)? I would imagine it would be helpful as it would give you something to talk about should you receive an interview with GUSOM but are GUMC students not offered similar opportunities (vs. seeking out these experiences independently)? Also, how do they decide who which experiences you do--do you get to give a preference?

Could someone that chose GTDT please explain their reasoning behind it and if they still stand by that decision after the program? Also, as far as housing near the GTDT campus, what are some recommended neighborhoods? Thank you!!

Apologies for the million questions but I'm really at a loss as far as which campus to choose haha

 

[a-robit]

Could anyone provide some insight on how to go about selecting GUMC vs GTDT? I feel like I'd do well with a smaller class size but not sure how I feel about every class being flipped learning style and having lecture capture be my primary resource for courses. Also as a former student mentioned previously, I think being near med students would be motivating as well.

Also, are the structured "biomedical career exploration" opportunities very helpful to those that already have a lot of volunteer experiences in hospitals/clinical exposure through scribing/ underserved community volunteer work (although not in the DC area)? I would imagine it would be helpful as it would give you something to talk about should you receive an interview with GUSOM but are GUMC students not offered similar opportunities (vs. seeking out these experiences independently)? Also, how do they decide who which experiences you do--do you get to give a preference?

Could someone that chose GTDT please explain their reasoning behind it and if they still stand by that decision after the program? Also, as far as housing near the GTDT campus, what are some recommended neighborhoods? Thank you!!

Apologies for the million questions but I'm really at a loss as far as which campus to choose haha

I did GTDT, and I really enjoyed the flipped learning sessions. The learning style is much more independently driven, in that you really get out of class what you put in. If you do a good job staying on top of material, then the flipped sessions serve to test and reinforce what you know, and help inform you of what areas you need to brush up on. I personally do not get a whole lot out of sitting in lecture, since I tend to space out occasionally, and the material moves so quickly in lectures that I find myself lost! Besides, my engineering background's taught me that I work much better in small groups, and the learning style at GTDT facilitates that.

I really enjoyed explorations. You don't get to decide what you do, but the experiences span a huge range of things ranging from police/fire department ride-alongs, volunteering in soup kitchens, all the way to shadowing various doctors. I felt that it helped give context to all of the physiology I learned in class, and it reaffirmed my desire to go to med school. GUMC students are free to pursue opportunities on their own, but GTDT has a day every week blocked out for rotations. Additionally, it's much easier getting shadowing via someone advocating, scheduling, and jumping through bureaucratic hoops for you versus cold-emailing doctors at hospitals yourself. Generally, GUMC has non-mandatory class 4-5 days a week, versus 3-4 mandatory class days for GTDT. The experiences helped inform me of some of the issues patients deal with at every level from community, to emergency services, all the way to the physician-patient relationship.

If I were to do it again, I would do GTDT in a heartbeat. I really loved the close relationship with faculty that I had, and I felt supported by my peers and professors. For housing, the GTDT campus has unparalleled bus and metro access. I had classmates live as far as Ballston and Bethesda, but I also knew people who lived a little closer in Shaw, H St NE, and Chinatown. You mostly just have to shop around and find a place that works for you.

 

[usctrojans24]

I did GTDT, and I really enjoyed the flipped learning sessions. The learning style is much more independently driven, in that you really get out of class what you put in. If you do a good job staying on top of material, then the flipped sessions serve to test and reinforce what you know, and help inform you of what areas you need to brush up on. I personally do not get a whole lot out of sitting in lecture, since I tend to space out occasionally, and the material moves so quickly in lectures that I find myself lost! Besides, my engineering background's taught me that I work much better in small groups, and the learning style at GTDT facilitates that.

I really enjoyed explorations. You don't get to decide what you do, but the experiences span a huge range of things ranging from police/fire department ride-alongs, volunteering in soup kitchens, all the way to shadowing various doctors. I felt that it helped give context to all of the physiology I learned in class, and it reaffirmed my desire to go to med school. GUMC students are free to pursue opportunities on their own, but GTDT has a day every week blocked out for rotations. Additionally, it's much easier getting shadowing via someone advocating, scheduling, and jumping through bureaucratic hoops for you versus cold-emailing doctors at hospitals yourself. Generally, GUMC has non-mandatory class 4-5 days a week, versus 3-4 mandatory class days for GTDT. The experiences helped inform me of some of the issues patients deal with at every level from community, to emergency services, all the way to the physician-patient relationship.

If I were to do it again, I would do GTDT in a heartbeat. I really loved the close relationship with faculty that I had, and I felt supported by my peers and professors. For housing, the GTDT campus has unparalleled bus and metro access. I had classmates live as far as Ballston and Bethesda, but I also knew people who lived a little closer in Shaw, H St NE, and Chinatown. You mostly just have to shop around and find a place that works for you.

Arobit if you already have a decent amount of volunteering then will the GTDT campus be not in your be interest? Do you mind going into more detail about the type of students at GTDT vs GUMC?

 

[a-robit]

Arobit if you already have a decent amount of volunteering then will the GTDT campus be not in your be interest? Do you mind going into more detail about the type of students at GTDT vs GUMC?

You probably want to have continued volunteering even as a SMP student to show continued commitment to service. I think your decision of whether or not you'd want to do GTDT should come down to your individual learning style, and whether or not you thrive in a small group environment without standard lectures. I wouldn't say that there was a particular "archetypal" GTDT vs GUMC student. Everybody is there to try to do well and get into med school, but no one was a gunner/cutthroat, since the M1s set the curve.

 

[usctrojans24]

You probably want to have continued volunteering even as a SMP student to show continued commitment to service. I think your decision of whether or not you'd want to do GTDT should come down to your individual learning style, and whether or not you thrive in a small group environment without standard lectures. I wouldn't say that there was a particular "archetypal" GTDT vs GUMC student. Everybody is there to try to do well and get into med school, but no one was a gunner/cutthroat, since the M1s set the curve.

Does everybody receive the same slides between GTDT and GUMC? How are the learning styles different among the locations?

 

[DocJanItor]

Does everybody receive the same slides between GTDT and GUMC? How are the learning styles different among the locations?

Our locations

 

[usctrojans24]

Our locations

Thanks but I've seen this but do GUMC and GTDT take the same exams? Is it just on a delay or something?