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.

Many incoming SMP students plan to apply to medical school the summer before the program starts. If you are planning to apply, we strongly suggest you submit your AMCAS/AACOMAS prior to Orientation. The program faculty and staff will be working with you throughout the application cycle. Please see our AMCAS/AACOMAS Applications page for additional information.

If you have any questions on whether you should apply to medical school before or after the SMP, please reach out to physio@georgetown.edu for guidance.

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 & Biophysics 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.