New Students

Congratulations on your acceptance to the Georgetown Special Master’s Program!

We look forward to meeting and working with you in the coming academic year. Please review this page to get started, and feel free to email Assistant Director Amy Richards at physio@georgetown.edu for more information.

SMP Orientation Dates

Next Steps for Accepted Students

Biomedical Graduate Student Checklist

As an SMP student, you’re also a member of Georgetown University Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE), which offers many resources to support you in your studies, career preparation and beyond. We encourage you to use the BGE New Student Checklist to familiarize yourself with the opportunities available to you.

Advice from SMP Alumni

Many people have gone through the Special Master’s Program and have gone on to medical school. During their time in the program, they gained valuable knowledge that helped them reach their goal of entering medical school. In this section, former Physiology & Biophysics students will pass on their knowledge so that you can benefit.

• There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long.
• Be ready to study, study, study! This course is intense, but it is also very manageable if you put in the time and pay your dues.
• Study with people. Many people are used to studying alone, which may suit them just fine. However, many physios are amazed at how much more they learn when they study together and combine all of their knowledge.
• Be balanced. Everyone is here to work hard, get good grades, and do the best they can. Remember, though, that there is a life outside of the library. Staying physically fit will help you stay mentally fit because a trip to the gym or the outside will help you balance your studies and relieve your stress.
• You are NOT competing against your classmates. Though this may seem like a foreign concept to many people, you can all do well and get A’s. The grading scale for the Special Masters students in the medical school courses is based on the medical student’s mean. In previous years, Special Masters students who scored in the “honors” range of the medical school class (the top 10%) received A’s. Those that scored in the “high pass” range (the next 10% down) received an A-. The grades thereafter coincided with the breakdown of the various levels of the “pass” section of the medical school class. Therefore, in essence, you are competing with the medical students for grades!! NOTE: These cutoffs are an approximation of previous years’ scale and should not be taken for fact.
• Remind yourself of your goal every day. By staying focused on your goal you will stay productive throughout the year.
• Be social. Many ex-physios are amazed that they saw a person at orientation and didn’t see them again until tests or the end of the year. Everyone here is in the same boat and some great friendships are formed this year. Go out and enjoy yourselves when you aren’t studying!
• Expect this to be a two-year process. Though many physios get into other medical schools directly after the program, don’t be put off if you don’t get an acceptance for the next year. Reapply for the next year as the schools will then have all of your grades from the Masters Program and an M.S. degree on your application.