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
Learn how to get into medical school as georgetown premed
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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.
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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.
| Biology: Two semesters with lab | BIOL 1203/1213 Foundations of Biology I and lab BIOL 1204/1214 Foundations of Biology II and lab |
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| 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 |
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| Calculus: One semester | Choose one of the following: MATH 1350 Calculus I MATH 1360 Calculus II MATH 2370 Multivariable Calculus |
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| 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 |
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| 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: PHYS 2101 Mechanics (lab included) PHYS 2102 Electromagnetic Phenomena (lab included) |
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| College-level English/writing: Six credit hours |
WRIT-1150 and the University Integrated Writing requirement are built into each major. This is in addition to the one-semester requirement that students complete a course in the Humanities. By the time they graduate, all Georgetown students will have met this requirement and will have completed six other courses covering history, philosophy, and theology that also require proficiency in spoken and written English. | |||||
| Psychology: One semester | PSYC 1000 | |||||
| Sociology: One semester | SOCI 1001 | |||||
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:
| Freshman Fall | BIOL 1203/1213 CHEM 1100/1105 MATH 1350 |
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| Freshman Spring | BIOL 1204/1214 CHEM 1200/1205 MATH 1040 |
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| Sophomore Fall | CHEM 2100/2105 WRIT 1150 |
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| Sophomore Spring | CHEM 2200/2205 CHEM 4100 |
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| Junior Fall | PSYC 1000 PHYS 2051 |
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| Junior Spring | SOCI 1001 PHYS 2052 |
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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.
(Suggested reading: How to Study as a Premed)
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.
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Part 3: Georgetown premed extracurriculars
In addition to doing well in your courses, taking the required premed courses, maintaining a high GPA, and doing well on the MCAT, premed students also need to gain valuable experiences through involvement in extracurricular activities. Specifically, you’ll be expected to focus on community service opportunities, research opportunities, and patient care or clinically-focused opportunities (which often includes shadowing a physician).
(Suggested reading: How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities for Medical School)
Georgetown premed community volunteering
Below, you’ll find a list of organizations, student groups, and opportunities that are community service-oriented.
DC STEM - This is an opportunity for Georgetown students to work in collaboration with a public elementary school in DC and provide STEM-based tutoring for upper elementary students. GU students are expected to commit to tutoring twice a week for about three hours. Transportation is provided. Throughout the semester, GU students will also attend workshops designed to help them become better tutors. In an effort to establish a mentoring relationship between tutors and students, GU students must commit to one full semester with DC STEM.
After School Kids (ASK) - ASK is another opportunity for GU students to work alongside other students. As an ASK mentor, you’d be uniquely positioned to work with older teens by providing one-on-one homework help, GED, SAT, or ACT preparation, and leading workshops at Georgetown that are designed to further assist the teens in the program.
DC Reads - DC Reads is an organization that provides tutoring and reading assistance for students who are at least one year behind grade level. By working with students at area schools, GU students provide morning in-class assistance, after-school tutoring, or Saturday tutoring to elementary-aged students. In addition to helping those students become better readers, this option has the added benefit of providing young children with lifelong skills that will carry them through the remainder of their educational journey.
Georgetown Jumpstart - Through Georgetown Jumpstart, you’d have the chance to work with preschool-aged children. By committing just 8 to 12 hours a week, you’ll focus on building literacy and socio-emotional skills young children need as they transition into kindergarten.
Student Academic Assistants (SAA) - Spending time as an SAA is a bit like working as a teacher’s assistant (TA), so if you’re comfortable with those duties, this might be familiar to you. As an SAA, you’ll support the professor for your assigned course by helping to enter and organize class data, provide students with email and text reminders, and work with community partners to ensure that community social justice initiatives are interwoven into the course.
HOME Program - Working with the HOME program, you’ll have the opportunity to provide Homelessness Outreach, Meals, and Education (HOME) to DC locals who have fallen on hard times.
Georgetown premed research
If you’re looking to gain research experience, you may find indirect opportunities within some of the organizations listed above. For more direct research opportunities—especially in biomedical and health sciences—consider one of the following:
Cancer research. If cancer research interests you, you’d likely enjoy working with the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is guided by the principle of “cura personalis” to link the understanding and treatment of cancer with scientific discovery for an improved community. The center’s primary focus areas include racially diverse populations, aging research, and immunology treatment.
Population health. In an effort to create a stronger and healthier community, population health focuses on working with the following initiatives:
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD)
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH)
Global health. If global health is your area of interest, you may be interested in working with one of the following:
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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Georgetown premed
After spending four years immersed in premed courses, going the extra mile to uphold a high GPA, taking time out of your schedule to study for the MCAT (followed by actually taking it!), pouring yourself into extracurricular activities, and overall doing all the right things, you’ll be ready for the next step in your plan: medical school. But, what are the odds of gaining acceptance into med school after completing undergrad at Georgetown?
Statistically speaking, Georgetown students are accepted into medical school at a rate of 75% to 80%. This is quite a high percentage and may provide a sense of comfort; after all, with only ~25% of GU students not gaining acceptance, your chances look very good! No doubt, one reason GU students have such a great acceptance rate stems from the fact that Georgetown has its own medical school and knows exactly how to best prepare students.
What do you need to apply to medical school?
Here’s a quick breakdown of how Georgetown helps prepare students for applying to medical school. This is a basic list of the things you’ll need and how Georgetown helps you meet those needs.
High GPA: While you’ll need a high cumulative GPA, many medical schools will make a distinction between your overall GPA and your science GPA (also known as your BCPM GPA). For Georgetown, a GPA of 3.68 or higher is equivalent to an “A” which is the highest letter grade the school assigns.
High MCAT score: The MCAT is probably one of the most grueling exams you will ever take. The highest score you can earn on it is 528. Of course, the higher your MCAT score, the more competitive of an applicant you will make yourself.
Personal statement: As part of the primary application process, you’ll need to submit a personal statement that identifies who you are, your background, why you’re the perfect applicant, and why you intend to pursue medicine.
Letters of recommendation: Each medical school has its own requirements for the number of letters you’ll need and who should write them. At Georgetown, the Pre-Health Recommendation Committee also provides a committee letter you have the opportunity to use.
Secondary application: Most medical schools require a secondary application which means you’ll be expected to write secondary essays.
Extracurricular activities: You’ll need the most common extracurricular activities we mentioned above (e.g., community service, shadowing, patient care, and research), but how you accomplish each of those is up to you.
Final thoughts
Georgetown University provides its students with a strong foundation in preparation for medical school. Whether you decide to attend Georgetown University’s School of Medicine or somewhere else afterward, you’ll have the tools you need to do well. Armed with excellent grades, high test scores, a resume of extracurricular accomplishments, and the other required assets, a premed education provided by Georgetown will lay the groundwork for you to take yourself into the future as a qualified physician.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
