Georgetown University Special Master’s Program and School of Medicine Announce Formal Linkage for Admissions Interviews

The Georgetown University Special Master’s Program (SMP) in Physiology & Biophysics – a one-year intensive M.S. program for aspiring medical students, and the longest-running program of its kind in the United States – has announced a formal linkage with Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM), guaranteeing School of Medicine admissions interviews to SMP students who meet academic benchmarks.

The guaranteed interview is granted to SMP students with a 3.5 GPA in the program and an MCAT score of 510 or higher. SMP students who do not meet these criteria but have an otherwise competitive application may still receive an interview invitation through the School of Medicine’s normal process.

The formal linkage codifies the longstanding close relationship between the SMP and the School of Medicine, said SMP Director Jennifer Whitney. The SMP, which will celebrate its 50th graduating class in 2026, has a long list of alumni who go on to earn their M.D. from Georgetown. From 2019 to 2023, 47% of SMP applicants to Georgetown School of Medicine were interviewed, and 54% of those interviewees were offered admission.

The School of Medicine “has generally interviewed students who hit those benchmarks” in the past, Whitney said. “Now, we’re just able to formalize it and give those students the peace of mind that as long as they hit the benchmarks, they know that they will get that interview.”

Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., who joined the Georgetown in July 2024 as executive vice president for health sciences and executive dean of the School of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), said the high quality and track record of the SMP warranted the formalization. 

“Our School of Medicine is one of the most selective medical programs in the nation and as such, has the ability to chose the most outstanding candidates who demonstrate not only an embodiment of our Jesuit values but also the ability to succeed in the rigours of medical education,” Beauchamp said. “The students in Georgetown’s SMP meet both standards, and we’re so pleased to formalize this important pathway program.”  

All Georgetown SMP students interact with the School of Medicine, taking first-year medical courses alongside medical students and learning to apply the Georgetown values of cura personalis (“care of the whole person,” recognizing the needs of the individual) and people for others (engaging in the struggle for justice to protect the most vulnerable). The direct exposure to the rigors of the medical curriculum, along with personalized advising from SMP faculty, contributes to an 85% med school acceptance rate for students within two years of enrolling in the SMP.

“The biggest strength of the program is that our students are in the same classroom and taking the same classes as the first-year medical students at Georgetown,” SMP Assistant Director Amy Richards said. “It’s an opportunity for our students to show how they can perform in a medical school environment, at the medical school level. … It’s a huge advantage to what medical school they attend, whether it’s Georgetown or anywhere in the country.”

To learn more about the Georgetown SMP, visit the SMP website or contact physio@georgetown.edu.

Read More About the Georgetown SMP

News

SMP Students Serve the Community While Preparing for Medical School

As part of Georgetown’s Special Master’s Program in Physiology (SMP), the first of its kind in the U.S., students get a second chance to prove their fitness for the rigors of a medical school education. And in true Georgetown fashion, the SMP curriculum is balanced with Jesuit values and a focus on community service.

December 12, 2023

News

SMP Students Take On Wheelchair Basketball in Wheel 2 Win Fundraiser Tournament

Students in the Special Master’s Program in Physiology helped raise nearly $12,000 for people with spinal cord injuries or disease in the D.C. area.

April 20, 2023