Georgetown University Pre Med Acceptance Rate

There are at least two key considerations to bear in mind as you decide when you’ll take the MCAT:

Four year plan for medical school

The most important step to getting into a good medical school is going to the right college.

Georgetown College has one of the best pre-medical programs in the region, with an acceptance rate close to 100% and a long line of successful alumni.

Choice of Major

It is important to realize that requirements for medical school are not the same as requirements for a Biology or Biomedical Sciences major. These requirements can be met within the context of any major, so long as you plan ahead and choose appropriate electives.

Conversely, a Biology major does not in itself qualify you for medical school. It is true that a majority of our Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental and Pre-Vet students major in Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, or Chemistry, but in recent years we have sent students to medical school with majors in Religion, Philosophy, English, and Sociology. In every case, however, they had taken the required courses for medical school and had demonstrated the ability to do well in challenging science courses, usually through a minor in Biology and/or Chemistry.

Our new Health Scholars Program is an excellent way to prepare for medical school regardless of your major, with all of the requirements and benefits that will help set you apart. For top students, Science Honors will also allow you to complete a research project at a major research institution.

Course Requirements for Medical School

Most medical schools require the following courses:

• One year of Biology with lab
• One year of General Chemistry with lab
• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab
• One semester of Biochemistry
• One year of Physics with lab
• One year of English

It is always recommended that you check with each medical school to which you are applying because requirements can and do change.

We recommend that premedical students take Biology 305-306 (Human Physiology I & II) during their sophomore or junior year. You should also take additional upper level science courses, in order to demonstrate that you can succeed in medical school coursework. The following courses are good choices for premedical students:

• BIO 214 Organismal Diversity
• BIO 260 Preceptorship in Health or Veterinary Sciences
• BIO 311 General Microbiology
• BIO 312 Pathogenic Bacteriology and Immunology
• BIO 325 Vertebrate Anatomy and Embryology
• BIO 335 Genetics and Molecular Biology
• BIO 337 Cell Biology
• BIO 421 Developmental Biology
• CHE 307 Chemistry and Cancer
• CHE 327 Medicinal Chemistry
• CHE 341 Biochemistry

There are also appropriate electives offered through other departments, including Kinesiology & Health Sciences (KHS), Psychology, Philosophy, and Healthcare Administration.

The Dreaded MCAT Exam

All medical schools also require that you take the MCAT exam (Medical College Admissions Test). The MCAT is administered several times a year. You must take the MCAT no later than the summer following your junior year in order for your application to be considered in the fall of your senior year. This means you need to be prepared for the MCAT exam in three years, not four. As minimal preparation you should complete the required courses listed above, as well as the following courses: Human Physiology, Introductory Psychology, and Introductory Sociology. This should be complete by end of your junior year.

“Real-World” Experience

To be a viable candidate for medical school you must demonstrate that you have sufficient firsthand experience with medical practice to make an informed career decision, not just the academic ability to succeed in the medical school classroom. “Shadowing”, in which a pre-medical students observe and assists practicing doctors, is an absolutely essential part of preparing for medical school. We offer an organized shadowing experience via Biology 260 (Preceptorship in Health or Veterinary Sciences), but we also strongly recommend that you find other opportunities to obtain firsthand experience. Volunteer or paid work in a hospital, clinic, or other medical setting is an excellent way to gain experience. Other forms of community service are also very important in demonstrating your commitment to help others, even if the work is not specifically medical.

A Suggested Curriculum

The following sequence of science courses will prepare you to take the MCAT and apply to medical school at the end of your junior year:

• Fall:
  • BIO 111- Biological Principles (with lab)
  • CHE 111- General Chemistry (with lab)
  • BIO 212- Cellular & Molecular Biology (with lab)
  • CHE 112, 113- General Chemistry II (with lab)
  • Fall:
    • CHE 201, 202- Organic Chemistry I (with lab)
    • BIO 214- Organismal Diversity (with lab), or start the physiology or physics sequence
    • CHE 309, 310- Organic Chemistry II (with lab)
    • Fall:
      • PHY 111- General Physics I (with lab)
      • BIO 305- Human Physiology I (with lab)
      • Bio 260- Preceptorship in Health or Veterinary Sciences
      • PHY 112- General Physics II (with lab)
      • BIO 306- Human Physiology II (with lab)
      • CHE 340 – Biochemistry (with lab)

      Additional upper-level courses in:

      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Physics
      • Psychology
      • Kinesiology
      • or other appropriate fields

      You do not have to follow this schedule exactly, so long as you complete these courses by the end of junior year. However, you should plan ahead so that you are taking two laboratory courses per semester. For example, if you start the Chemistry sequence your sophomore year you might also take Physics sophomore year – otherwise you will be taking Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Physiology, all with labs, concurrently in your junior year. Of course, you will also have to take additional courses to meet the requirements for your major. Again, plan ahead so you don’t have too many lab courses in any one semester.

      Many students choose to wait one or more years between college and medical school to pursue other interests or to further prepare for medical school. If you want to do so you can spread the courses listed above over four years. Be aware, however, that if you take the MCAT in your senior year you will not be able to start medical school until one year after you graduate.

      Pre-Med Curriculum with a Biology Major

      For a Biology major you will need to: (1) complete the Biology core, including Genetics (2) take the Biology junior seminar course, (3) take a senior capstone course, and (4) take at least 13 hours of 300- or 400-level Biology courses while still meeting the requirements described above. The following plan of study is just one example of how you can meet these requirements and be prepared for the MCAT exam at the end of your junior year:

      • Fall:
        • BIO 111- Biological Principles (with lab)
        • CHE 111- General Chemistry I (with lab)
        • BIO 212- Cellular and Molecular Biology (with lab)
        • CHE 112,113- General Chemistry II (with lab)
        • Fall:
          • CHE 201, 202- Organic Chemistry I (with lab)
          • BIO 214- Organismal Diversity (with lab)
          • CHE 309, 310- Organic Chemistry II (with lab)
          • BIO 314- Ecology & Evolution (with lab)
          • Fall:
            • PHY 111- General Physics I (with lab)
            • BIO 305- Human Physiology I (with lab)
            • BIO 260- Preceptorship in Health or Veterinary Sciences
            • Biology elective (300 or 400 level)
            • BIO 402 – Junior seminar
            • Phy 112- General Physics II (with lab)
            • BIO 306- Human Physiology II (with lab)
            • Fall:
              • Senior Capstone
              • BIO 335- Genetics and Molecular Biology (with lab)
              • 2 Biology electives (300 or 400 level)

              How to Succeed as a Georgetown Premed

              Everything you need to know about Georgetown premed, including premed requirements, the best extracurriculars, and the Georgetown premed acceptance rate

              

              Part 1: Introduction

              Part 2: Georgetown premed requirements

              Part 3: Georgetown premed extracurriculars

              Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Georgetown premed

              Part 1: Introduction

              Tucked away in the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C. and situated along the Potomac River you’ll find Georgetown University, a private and research-based institution that prides itself on its selectivity. The architecture of the university brings back feelings of Old World America while providing a rich environment that’s conducive to fostering intellectual inquiry.

              What began as Georgetown College has turned into an enormous campus that is home to eleven undergraduate and graduate schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1789 as the first Catholic institute of higher learning in the United States. Today, the school continues to operate as an exceptional academy as it prepares students year after year for exploring bigger things.

              According to US News, Georgetown University is currently ranked #22 among National Universities. Whether you wish to pursue med school at Georgetown University’s own School of Medicine or at another institution, there’s no doubt that the foundation laid by Georgetown is one that will prepare you for what’s to come. While Georgetown’s School of Medicine names five things it evaluates for applicants (essays, experiences, MCAT scores, science GPAs, and letters of recommendation), it stands to reason that such a top university would know how to equip its students with the skills they need in at least those specific areas. In this guide, then, we’ll introduce you to what it means to study premed at Georgetown—including a sample schedule that outlines how you might balance the premed requirements—the extracurricular requirements and how you can meet them, and how to get into medical school as a Georgetown alumnus.

              Part 2: Georgetown premed requirements

              You probably already know that there are classes you’ll be required to take as a premed at Georgetown. The question then becomes, which classes do you have to take? We’re here to help you navigate through the premed requirements! The best way to do so is to compare med school requirements with what is offered at Georgetown as this helps outline how those courses enable you to meet med school requirements.

              Georgetown Premed Requirements
              Medical school requirement	Required courses
              Biology: Two semesters with lab	BIOL 1203/1213 Foundations of Biology I and lab BIOL 1204/1214 Foundations of Biology II and lab
              Chemistry: 1. General chemistry: Two semesters with lab 2. Organic chemistry: Two semesters with lab 3. Biochemistry: One semester	Choose from among the following: CHEM 1100/1105 General Chemistry I and lab CHEM 1200/1205 General Chemistry II and lab CHEM 2100/2105 Organic Chemistry I and lab CHEM 2200/2205 Organic Chemistry II and lab CHEM 4100 Biochemistry I
              Calculus: One semester	Choose one of the following: MATH 1350 Calculus I MATH 1360 Calculus II MATH 2370 Multivariable Calculus
              Statistics: One semester	Choose one of the following: MATH 1040 Probability and Statistics MATH 2140 Intro Math Statistics MATH 2540 Regression Analysis MATH 3250 Biostatistical Methods ECON 1210 Economic Statistics
              Physics: Two semesters with lab	PHYS 2051 Principles of Physics I (lab included) PHYS 2052 Principles of Physics II (lab included)

              If you’re a Physics major:

              Considerations for AP courses

              At some point during your high school years, you may have taken AP courses. Chances are very good that you did so in hopes of lessening your college workload. While this is a typical benefit of AP courses, for premed students, it works a bit differently.

              For instance, if your major requires that you take one semester of biology with a lab component but you managed to score a four or five on the AP Biology exam, then you wouldn’t typically need to take Foundations of Biology I (or any other biology course) for your degree. As a premed student, however, you’re doing more than just working toward an undergraduate degree; you’re also trying to get into medical school, which means you will need to complete the requirements they have. Med schools will want to see that you can handle college-level work. There’s only one way to show them that you can do so: by successfully completing college-level work.

              Using biology as an example: you’ll need to take two semesters of biology either way, so if you scored a four or a five on the AP Bio exam, then you have a choice—you can either take two introductory-level biology courses (such as Foundations of Biology I and Foundations of Biology II) or you can start with Foundations of Biology II and then take Genetics or Mammalian Physiology (both of which have a lab component) as your second biology course.

              It works similarly for other courses for which you may have earned AP credit. If you already have your sights set on a specific medical school, you can also see how they view AP credit when it comes to the premed requirements. In most cases, medical schools will want to see that you’re able to handle college-level coursework.

              Sample Georgetown premed three-year course plan

              As you can see, there are many possible ways to fulfill the premed requirements. You can take the courses as outlined in the table above, or you may incorporate some AP credits to take more advanced courses while still earning the requisite number of credits. In any case, as a premed student, you’ll need to have a plan for how you will accomplish your goals and complete the requirements. Regardless of how you end up meeting the requirements, there are some things you will want to keep in mind as you plan out your schedule each semester:

              • General education requirements
              • Extracurricular activities
              • Courses that are more challenging or difficult for you (balancing them)
              • Your plans for when you’ll take the MCAT
              • Whether you intend to take a gap year

              To help you, we’ve included a sample three-year course plan in the table below. Georgetown also provides some sample schedules on its website that can work for different situations, though it doesn’t include all of the premed requirements:

              How to maintain a high GPA as a Georgetown premed

              If you expect to move into med school after your undergraduate studies at Georgetown, you’ll need to earn—and maintain—a high GPA. Of course, that’s not all you’ll need, but it all begins with earning high marks in your coursework. Without that, the rest doesn’t really matter!

              It’s worth discussing exactly how you can successfully go about doing that since it bears so much weight to your overall future in medicine.

              To maintain a high GPA, you’ll want to:

              • Study hard! Expect to spend a lot of time pouring over textbooks, memorizing formulas and definitions, learning new strategies and skills, and exploring unfamiliar topics at length. Once you’ve accomplished all of those things, expect to do it again—and again and again, for years!
              • Balance your course load. When planning your courses, try to avoid taking more than one challenging subject in the same semester. If possible, offset the difficult coursework with lighter subjects or those that come easier to you.
              • Use the resources at your disposal. As a Georgetown premed, you’ll have many people cheering you on and who want to see you succeed. From the Pre-Health Advisors who will be there to help you navigate your entire journey to Pre-Health Peer Mentors who know exactly what you’re going through, plenty of people are in your corner. [In addition, Georgetown holds many workshops each semester covering topics like applying to medical school, the early assurance program (EAP) at Georgetown University School of Medicine, how to write a personal statement, letters of recommendation, taking the Casper or PREview exam, and more.]
              • Stay organized. As a college student, one of the most frustrating things is being familiar with certain concepts but still finding yourself caught off guard because you didn’t realize those things were going to be on an exam. With organized notes and supplies (and the aid of a student planner), this doesn’t have to be your fate!
              • Manage your time wisely. Procrastination is not only unnecessary but is also damaging. There’s no reason to put off for later what you can accomplish right now, and that goes for studying and doing school assignments, too. By organizing your time properly, you are able to see precisely how you will manage to “get it all done.” What’s more, you’ll also be able to budget time for breaks in your schedule and even account for some wiggle room for periods when you need extra time to get things done.

              When should you take the MCAT?

              With so much at stake and so many important things to consider, it’s natural to wonder whether there’s an “ideal” time for you to take the MCAT. Not only is the MCAT a high-stakes exam, but it also requires forethought and lots of preparation time—which can be difficult to find when you have a full schedule of commitments with classes for your major and prerequisites for medical school.

              There are at least two key considerations to bear in mind as you decide when you’ll take the MCAT:

              • Which premed courses have you taken?
              • When are you planning to apply to med school?

              Depending on whether you’ve taken classes in the necessary content areas, you may not have much of a choice in waiting to take the MCAT—even if you’re eager to get it out of the way. While some content areas only require minimal exposure (e.g., psychology and sociology), other areas require several semesters in multiple courses (e.g., general chemistry and organic chemistry, each of which require two semesters plus a lab component). Similarly, you’ll need to take biochemistry. While you only need one biochemistry course to sit for the MCAT, keep in mind that roughly one-quarter of the C/P and B/B sections contain biochem content.

              Some students opt to take a gap year, whereas other students move straight from undergraduate school into med school. It’s important to remember that your plans will impact when you take the MCAT—especially if you want to have room in your schedule to retake it if desired.