Visiting Schools

[SkittlesSuck]

I will be traveling for a bit this summer, and the first city I will head to is Washington, D.C. While there I want to spend some time visiting American University, Georgetown University, and GWU just too look around. I'm not looking for a comprehensive tour that many high school students take. On top of that, I want to visit the two medical schools that is affiliated with GWU and Georgetown University. How can I do this? Is it worth it? Would I only be able to look outside or will I be able to get in and walk around?

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[Mt Kilimanjaro]

I will be traveling for a bit this summer, and the first city I will head to is Washington, D.C. While there I want to spend some time visiting American University, Georgetown University, and GWU just too look around. I'm not looking for a comprehensive tour that many high school students take. On top of that, I want to visit the two medical schools that is affiliated with GWU and Georgetown University. How can I do this? Is it worth it? Would I only be able to look outside or will I be able to get in and walk around?

You are not in college yet? Useless. A medical school is a library plus an anatomy lab and some classrooms. Read the websites.

If you're in college, you could meet with admissions people. But that's only useful if you're getting close to the process and have a GPA and MCAT score.

 

[loltopsy]

"Oooh, look at the pretty buildings. This is definitely the medical school for me!"

 

[Lollygag]

I mean, if you really really WANT to but I don't think it will be of much benefit, especially if you're on vacation I think that time would be better put to go sight-seeing, there's tons of better things to do in DC

 

[Nymphicus]

At my school, visitors basically get the same tour that is given during the interview as long as they request in advance. You're also normally 1 on 1 with the tour guide so it may feel more comfortable asking questions.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You are not in college yet? Useless. A medical school is a library plus an anatomy lab and some classrooms. Read the websites.

If you're in college, you could meet with admissions people. But that's only useful if you're getting close to the process and have a GPA and MCAT score.

This.

If you are going to DC, go do the Holocaust Museum and the Vietnam and WWII memorials. Don't go to a medical school to "look at it." It looks like a building, possibly like a hospital.

 

[Goobs]

You're setting yourself up for a world full of heartbreak if you fall in love with a school and they don't even decide to interview you. In the end it's much more likely to be the schools decision to pick you than it is your decision to pick the school. I'm not saying you won't have choices in where to attend, I'm just saying I wouldn't put my money on one school (or set of schools in a location) before you get to the interview stage.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

It also makes me kind of sad inside that someone would visit DC with the intention of visiting colleges only. Please go to Congress and the Pentagon Memorial and the WWII Memorial etc Library of Congress....Archives....so much greatness there.

 

[catzzz88]

I will be traveling for a bit this summer, and the first city I will head to is Washington, D.C. While there I want to spend some time visiting American University, Georgetown University, and GWU just too look around. I'm not looking for a comprehensive tour that many high school students take. On top of that, I want to visit the two medical schools that is affiliated with GWU and Georgetown University. How can I do this? Is it worth it? Would I only be able to look outside or will I be able to get in and walk around?

If you really want to, I would suggest emailing a few professors that do research in a field that you find interesting. Just say that you are a prospective student interested in their research and would like to meet them or a student in their lab and see what kinds of opportunities would be available to you.

If you email 8 - 10 professors, you are bound to get a few responses and you can schedule them into your tour of the facilities!

Best,
C

 

[Frazier]

At this point, it would be a waste of your time unless you would find it personally fulfilling to explore these buildings...and if exploring buildings is your hobby, I am sure there are better ones to spend your time at in DC than med school buildings.

 

[Kahreek]

i the op wants to go sight seeing and harbor some inspiration from potential med schools , let him go .
But do it for personal enjoyment, because it wont be more than that.

 

[jr93]

This.

If you are going to DC, go do the Holocaust Museum and the Vietnam and WWII memorials. Don't go to a medical school to "look at it." It looks like a building, possibly like a hospital.

Yep. Hallways, class rooms, study rooms, simulator rooms, physical exam rooms, etc. They're all pretty similar. Go see the world, not schools. You'll get used to them come interview time.

 

[xffan624]

I will be traveling for a bit this summer, and the first city I will head to is Washington, D.C. While there I want to spend some time visiting American University, Georgetown University, and GWU just too look around. I'm not looking for a comprehensive tour that many high school students take. On top of that, I want to visit the two medical schools that is affiliated with GWU and Georgetown University. How can I do this? Is it worth it? Would I only be able to look outside or will I be able to get in and walk around?

GWU medical school and hospital is right off the metro at the Foggy Bottom/GWU stop. It's pretty unremarkable and it is entry controlled, so you need an escort to walk around. You will most likely not live in the area unless you want to pay 3K for a studio apartment so it doesn't do too much good to walk around the area. The hospital only requires ID of some kind(driver's license) if you want to walk around there.

Georgetown is about a 30 min walk from the metro (same stop as GWU). I have no idea about American, but they don't have a medical school anyway.

I agree with the rest of the posters though, enjoy DC, see the sights, don't worry too much about the medical schools as they're not too much to see and you will see them on the interview. I went to GWU for my MS. DC is a great city and I had a blast there. I loved being able to get drunk as a skunk after a softball game (a big social activity in the city, we even played on the national mall) and take the metro home .

 

[alpinism]

How dare you, OP.

Wanting to stop by a couple med schools for a few min while next door looking at the undergrad campuses. It's obvious to us all you have no intention of seeing anything else in DC besides the med schools...

 

[SkittlesSuck]

Uhm i am in college...also, i am going for a vacation to see the usual tourist stuff and to go to the nationals game...plus the 4th of july stuff...its just that i will be there for a while and i might as well see schools taht are famous if im in the area....just like how ppl go to the columbia campus when they visit nyc or to harvard when there in boston.....lol....geez

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Can't say I would trudge up to Columbia if I was in Manhattan kicking it.

 

[SkittlesSuck]

well im there often and it seems like half the people there are foreigners taking photographs..plus anyone who comes to visit from other countries asks me to bring them to columbia

 

[Lollygag]

..plus anyone who comes to visit from other countries asks me to bring them to columbia

Really? Lol

 

[candbgirl]

Well if you are in college,why are you visiting the undergrad schools? Anyway, if you are hell bent on visiting the med schools send off an email to the admissions office a the med schools and set up an appointment for a tour. Seems that would be the easiest way to schedule a visit.