SMP Frequently Asked Questions

No: Previous application to medical school is not necessary for acceptance to the Georgetown SMP. Although the AMCAS application contains useful information for evaluating an applicant, lack of this form will not negatively affect your chances of acceptance to our program.

If you have not applied to medical school, you must submit supplemental materials in lieu of the AMCAS application form. See our Application Requirements.

No: Even if you have applied to Georgetown University School of Medicine, you must resubmit all of your application materials to the Special Master’s Program. SMP admissions are processed through Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, a separate entity from the medical school admissions office, and it is not possible for application information to be transferred between the offices.

No; however, some students decide to pursue dentistry following the program, and their performance in the SMP bolsters their credentials.

Apply early to AMCAS. Fill out the AMCAS application as early as possible so that you can complete your secondary applications before you get to school. Many physios have to fill out secondaries during the semester while they are in class, which can be a big time drain. This hassle can be avoided if you send your secondaries off before classes start.

If you are enrolling in the Special Master’s Program, simply indicate that on AMCAS and your secondary applications. At the beginning of this program, a letter will be sent to all of your schools stating that you are enrolled in the SMP and describing our program’s merits. An additional letter will be sent out by your advisor at the end of the first block of medical level courses (end of October) with information about you and your grades.

Note: When applying to Georgetown University School of Medicine, do not submit your secondary application before you start school, as GUSOM won’t really look at applicants from the SMP until after the new calendar year. Save this application until after you have experienced Georgetown (say November/December) because you really have until the last days of the application filing period to fill this one out. In other words, don’t rush this one.

Yes: Students are encouraged to apply to medical school while enrolled in the SMP. Over 50% of our students are accepted to medical school while they are enrolled in our program. Since the SMP is an 11-month program, it is possible for students to finish the requirements for their degree by July and matriculate to medical school right away in August. We inform medical schools of students’ enrollment in our program in the fall, and follow up with a recommendation letter that includes grades from first block of medical-level classes (end of October). Because of the modified block schedule in the spring semester, some courses are finished before the end of the semester, and performance in these classes can also be brought to the attention of medical schools considering you in the spring.

Most U.S. medical schools have accepted students from our program at one time or another. We suggest you apply to any state schools or schools which preferentially accept students from your state or region. You should also apply to private schools that are known to accept students from the national pool of applicants, or any school where you have the support of a graduate or a faculty member. In addition, all SMP students are advised to apply to Georgetown University School of Medicine. Check out our Alumni Outcomes page to see where our recent grads have gone.

There has been a growing interest in osteopathic medicine in recent years. While Georgetown University School of Medicine is a traditional, allopathic medical school, and most of our Special Masters students apply to and are accepted by allopathic schools, some students are interested in osteopathic medicine as a career choice. The SMP readily serves the needs of these students. We encourage students to carefully consider all available career paths.

Participation in the SMP does not guarantee admission to Georgetown University School of Medicine, or any other medical school, for that matter. Although there is no formal agreement between our program and the medical school, about 15% of SMP students have been accepted to Georgetown each year. View our SMP Georgetown University School of Medicine admission rates.

In most years, about 50% of SMP students who apply to Georgetown School of Medicine are interviewed. Selection for the interview is based mainly on performance in the program, but other aspects of the student’s record and recommendations are also taken into consideration. We invite you to view our SMP Georgetown University School of Medicine admission rates.

It depends where you go to medical school. Students matriculating to Georgetown University School of Medicine generally are not required to retake any classes they have passed as a Physiology student. However, if you choose not to retake the classes, you are still required to pay full tuition and take enough credits to be a full-time student.

Students matriculating to other medical schools are usually required to retake the classes. Policies differ from school to school on whether students are allowed to be exempted or test out of classes.