Georgetown University School of Medicine prospectus
Preparing outstanding medical leaders to forge a healthier future
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Georgetown’s drive to do its very best work in service to the common good has shaped centuries of growth and progress.
Today, it animates the university’s $3 billion campaign ambition, calling us to invest in areas of great strength for Georgetown— and even greater opportunity.
Through Called to Be: The Campaign for Georgetown , we are answering the call with resources and action, empowering future generations of medical professionals to address our society’s greatest health needs.
Dear friends,
For the better part of two centuries, Georgetown University School of Medicine has stood as a preeminent medical school recognized for its commitment to caring for the whole person, or cura personalis. That commitment attracted many of you to choose Georgetown for your medical training, and it is a significant reason why I was drawn to join this incredible university in the summer of 2024.
The beneficiaries of our superb medical education are leaders among us. They represent generations of physicians who we have trained and inspired, who have made critical discoveries to improve medical treatment, and who have provided outstanding care for countless patients and families.
Our world-class clinician-educators prepare our students to be knowledgeable, ethical, skillful, and compassionate physicians and biomedical scientists who are dedicated to the care of others and health needs of our society. We nurture outstanding students from a variety of backgrounds, deliver extraordinary learning experiences, and inspire them to advance the common good as people for others.
In collaboration with our academic health system partner, MedStar Health—the largest integrated health system in the mid-Atlantic—Georgetown provides an outstanding environment for our learners to bring caring and acquired knowledge to the bedside and beyond.
But we can’t deny a greater calling. There is a sense of urgency that the magnitude of struggle is still too great for the most vulnerable among us. I think you will agree that there’s no place positioned better in the country, or in the world, than Georgetown to go directly at seemingly intractable health disparities at a pace that is commensurate to the need. People still need help— more help—faster. Our shared core values here at Georgetown require a commitment to lead with love and caring—exactly what health care needs.
This call shapes how we teach, how we heal, how we care for each other, and how we serve our communities. In so doing, our graduates are more compassionate, prepared, and dedicated to the well-being of all populations.
I invite you to join us as we set a new standard for excellence in medical education.
This is the time. We are the people. This is the place.
—Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., M.D., MHS Executive Vice President for Health Sciences; Executive Dean, School of Medicine
“With more than 170 years of medical education, shaped by our values as a Catholic and Jesuit institution, Georgetown has sought to foster the health and well-being of people and communities around the world. At our School of Medicine, we are deeply committed to educating physicians and scientists who embody excellence, compassion, and service and to building a diverse community of leaders in health and medicine who are deeply dedicated to caring for others and our world.”
—JOHN J. DEGIOIA, PRESIDENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Eliza Uster, M.D. (M’19) set her sights on Georgetown, and a scholarship gift made it a reality.
Delivering a medical education with exponential impact
The Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, care of the whole person, has been the foundation of the educational experience at the Georgetown University School of Medicine since its establishment in 1851 as the nation’s first Catholic medical school. It shapes our students—and benefits their future patients.
Through a distinctive approach, we prepare patient-focused clinicians, researchers, and changemakers ready to bring about a healthier tomorrow.
A SPECIAL KIND OF STUDENT
The School of Medicine has always appealed to those most dedicated to championing the common good. We nurture and activate this disposition through our commitment to interdisciplinary learning experiences grounded in Jesuit values.
TOP-NOTCH ACADEMICS
Georgetown’s renowned academic reputation, prime location, and interdisciplinary strengths draw students and faculty alike, providing opportunities spanning the sciences, policy, law, ethics, population health, and the humanities.
CARE FOR THE WHOLE PERSON
At the School of Medicine, we put the patient’s context at the forefront of our interactions. Our graduates are differentiated by their ability to understand—and thus, more effectively address—the complexity, wholeness, and diversity of their patients’ lives.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
Through deep and sustained collaboration among medical students, faculty, and community partners, we cultivate an environment where those stakeholders can explore complex issues related to the well-being of individuals and communities.
Investing in the future of medical excellence
For generations, the School of Medicine has empowered medical professionals to become adaptable, empathetic leaders who treat others with respect and dignity, create new knowledge, and provide exceptional care.
Today, our mission calls us to lay the foundation for even better health outcomes. To educate a diverse student body, in an integrated way. To invest in the young scholars who are the future of medicine— delivering educational experiences that not only prepare them to practice medicine but also to advocate in service to a healthier society.
Gifts to the School of Medicine will ensure that we can make a Georgetown medical education accessible to the best students, support the academic and clinical leaders who fuel learning and research, open doors to interdisciplinary experiences, and strengthen ties to our greater community and the health leaders of tomorrow.
Medical student scholarships
We will shrink financial barriers to grow future talent.
Increasing the number and size of available medical student scholarships is the School of Medicine’s foremost philanthropic priority. Generous financial aid packages are essential as we work to broaden access for accomplished students whose ambitions align with Georgetown’s mission.
When we reduce financial barriers to medical education, we welcome practitioners equipped to address the full range of our society’s health needs—and enable our graduates to choose specialties based on passion, rather than income potential.
Princy Kumar, M.D., senior associate dean for students (right), and Lauren Yap, M.D. (M’24) (left), recipient of the Kober Award for academic excellence
Joseph Panarelli, M.D. (B’03, M’07)
PHOTO CREDIT: New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai
SETTING CAREERS IN MOTION
‘The
ultimate act of kindness’
Joseph Panarelli, M.D., (B’03, M’07) always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but growing up in a family with modest financial means, he had concerns about the cost of medical education. When Panarelli received a need-based Ruggles Scholarship to attend the School of Medicine, he soon started thinking of ways to pay the generosity forward—and eventually established a named scholarship.
“The pressure of a lifelong financial burden can compromise your career decisions, because you are always cognizant of your future debt,” Panarelli said. “To have somebody ease your pain or lighten your load is the ultimate act of kindness. I decided that I would do the same for someone else the first chance I got. I gave half of my first bonus check to my kids and half to starting the scholarship.”
COMPETING FOR TOP STUDENTS
Giving to medical student scholarships is one of the most direct ways to strengthen the School of Medicine’s impact and transform the lives of our students. To attract and enroll top candidates, we must offer aid packages that are competitive with those provided by peer institutions and meet students’ financial needs.
Currently, the average debt of a Georgetown medical student at graduation—approximately $250,000, as of 2023—is greater than that for students at most of our peer institutions, reflecting Washington, DC’s high cost of living and the medical school’s limited scholarship dollars. The
significant transportation expenses associated with necessary away rotations, as well as the cost of residency applications, further strain student budgets.
BROADENING EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPTIONS
Donor-funded scholarships also help ensure that talented students can experience the full impact of a Georgetown medical education during, and well beyond, their years at the School of Medicine. We want graduates to choose specialties and careers based on their passion, skills, and the health needs of our communities—not the student loan payments awaiting them post-graduation.
UNLOCKING POSSIBILITIES
‘Holding
cura personalis close to my heart’
“I can’t even describe how life-changing this scholarship is to receive,” said Amanda Wibben, MTS (M’26), the 2023-24 recipient of the Lawrence Dean Scholarship. The School of Medicine awards the Lawrence Dean Scholarship each year to a rising second-year medical student who has achieved academic success while exemplifying Georgetown’s values. The scholarship covers the awardee’s full medical school tuition and fees for their second, third, and fourth years.
Wibben seeks to quickly establish a career in global health, typically a difficult path to pursue immediately following medical school, given associated international travel costs and pro bono work. Instead of feeling pressure to pay off medical school student loans, she will be able to apply to residency programs with international service opportunities and live abroad for an extended period of time to dedicate herself to local communities.
“I think about cura personalis as a challenge to the person providing the care to always keep in mind how you are treating the person in front of you, beyond just the science and biochemistry,” said Wibben. “This includes thinking about all of the social aspects of life that might be presenting in front of you to understand what might be impacting the patient and their health. I hope to honor the legacy of Lawrence Dean by holding cura personalis close to my heart when serving others in my future as a physician.”
Amanda Wibben, (M’26)
Todd Waldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Margaret Sten (M’30, G’30) (second from left)
“Care for the whole person includes making very substantial efforts to improve patient care through new discoveries and new observations in biomedical sciences. That’s where we come in.”
Todd Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the M.D./Ph.D. program
“It was important to me to attend an institution that not only has excellent traditional academic training for physicianscientists, but that also prioritizes comprehensive care, allocates time to teach the human side of medicine, and prioritizes teaching tools for patient advocacy. It feels like the school cares about patients as much as we do.”
—Margaret Sten (M’30, G’30)
SUPPORTING M.D/PH.D. PURSUITS
Every year, a subset of School of Medicine students decide to pursue both elite clinical training and groundbreaking scientific research through the M.D./Ph.D. track, offered in partnership with the university’s Biomedical Graduate Education programs. M.D./Ph.D. graduates go on to advance pivotal treatments and therapies, and donor investments are vital to supporting this critically important training. That funding also positions Georgetown to compete for National Institutes of Health grants, a mark of program excellence.
With your support, we will offer more scholarships for medical and M.D./Ph.D. students, increasing access and strengthening our contributions to the medical field.
Excellence in teaching
We will recruit and empower educators who elevate our program.
The School of Medicine’s commitment to learning and discovery begins with our distinguished faculty. These academic and clinical leaders are central to our medical center’s success—conducting research that advances biomedical science, shaping the future of health care, and sharing their knowledge with our students and broader community.
Endowed positions and professional development resources are vital as we continue to build an innovative, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant academic environment.
Eileen Moore, M.D., associate professor of medicine and family medicine, medical director of the Health Justice Alliance (see p. 24), associate dean for community education and advocacy, and Georgetown’s Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter advisor, presents William Azar, M.D. (M’24) with a Gold Humanism Award.
ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST TALENT
For the School of Medicine to have an ever-greater impact, we must welcome new generations of experts while nurturing the work of our most distinguished scholars. We face intense, worldwide competition for this faculty talent. Named, philanthropically funded chairs, professorships, and leadership positions are crucial tools for recruiting, retaining, resourcing, and recognizing scholars who advance our academic excellence. Endowed positions not only confer prestige on faculty members but draw positive recognition for our whole program, signaling strong, lasting support for the School of Medicine’s mission.
RESOURCING, RECOGNIZING HIGHPERFORMING FACULTY
Named professorships and chairs also equip our faculty to inspire and train the next generation of investigators. By recognizing their contributions and supporting their progress, we ensure that faculty continue engaging students in the pursuit of new knowledge and enhancing the learning experience.
Investments in educational innovation grants, wellness initiatives, and faculty professional development will further advance these objectives. Through the School
of Medicine Faculty
Professional Development Fund, for instance, we provide flexible resources for conferences, continuing education, and other opportunities that allow faculty to stay current on the latest research trends, network with experts, and bring cuttingedge findings back to our classrooms and labs.
“I believe that community health has been my calling, working toward eliminating health disparities and understanding community needs from a patient’s perspective. We formed the Center for Health Equity so that our programming could support learners, faculty, and staff in longitudinal community engagement to improve health outcomes.”
—Michelle Roett, M.D., MPH, FAAFP (M’03), founding director of the Georgetown University Center for Health Equity. In addition to serving as founding director and the co-chair of the Center for Health Equity Advisory Committee along with Dr. Sarah Kureshi, M.D., MPH, Roett is professor, chair, and clinical chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Roett also serves as the Medical Director for the HOYA Clinic, the School of Medicine’s student-run free clinic for homeless families, and the Director of DC Area Health Education Center, focused on workforce development, increasing diversity in the health professions, and advancing health equity. She is also on the steering committee for GUMC’s Teaching Academy for the Health Sciences, which strives to cultivate a community of faculty who recognize the centrality of teaching at GUMC and provide them with development opportunities and resources to support innovation and excellence.
ADVANCING OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION
Preparing students to address health equity
Founded in 2022, the Georgetown University Center for Health Equity is an education and training center focused on distinguishing Georgetown University graduates as leaders dedicated to community service and advancing health equity. The center works with stakeholders across the university, GUMC, Georgetown Law Center, and MedStar Health, supporting faculty, staff, and students committed to this work with a community of practice, scholarship programs, visiting speakers, research mentorship for students, community-based activities, and community engagement grants.
“Roett is one of the reasons why I decided to come to Georgetown, because I saw all of the great work she was doing in community medicine, and tying that to health policy. The Center for Health Equity is so crucial because there are many people doing this work but so often, we end up in siloes. The Center for Health Equity will help people pool their resources so we can create sustainable change in the Georgetown community and the DC community as a whole.”
—Lauren Havens, M.D. (M’24)
“Georgetown’s commitment to cura personalis makes it fertile terrain for medical humanities. Health practitioners cannot treat ‘the whole patient’ without recognizing and valuing their humanity in its many facets. Broadening the study of the human condition to dimensions beyond STEM subjects is long overdue.”
—Lakshmi Krishnan, M.D., Ph.D. Krishnan holds faculty positions in both the Department of English in the College of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Medicine at the Georgetown University Medical Center. A historian of medicine and a practicing physician, she researches the relationship between clinical reasoning and detective practices. She is the founding director of the Georgetown Medical Humanities Initiative, which focuses on the role that the humanities and social sciences play in clinical and public health practice.
SHAPING EMERGING FIELDS
Putting health into its broader social, cultural, and historical context
Georgetown’s Medical Humanities Initiative convenes faculty from fields as disparate as philosophy, sociology, and urology. Through this university-wide collaboration, Georgetown undergraduates and medical students are going beyond the hard sciences to learn cura personalis through a nuanced lens.
“The medical humanities leads to a greater understanding for students of the generational trauma that communities have faced and work that is needed to repair the historical damage to address modern day health inequities. There is so much power in medical humanities through learning a person’s narrative. It challenges you to consider a life outside your own in a way that learning about health inequities through statistics can’t replicate.”
—Lizzie
Torrez, M.D. (M’24)
With your support, we will invest in high-performing faculty whose perspectives, skills, and leadership deeply enrich our academic community.
Learning experiences We will educate students across disciplines and beyond the classroom.
Some of the most significant lessons we teach wouldn’t be possible without collaboration across fields, and in our communities. It is through these pivotal experiences that medical students develop their professional identities, come to understand the gravity of health disparities, and see the urgent need for interdisciplinary solutions. We want every School of Medicine student to have ample opportunities to go beyond the fundamentals.
Mia Jenkins, M.D. (M’23), recipient of the Heinz Bauer Award recognizing integrity, scholarship, humanism, and leadership
THE 3 PHASES OF THE JOURNEYS CURRICULUM
1 2 3
FOUNDATIONAL PHASE
A pre-clinical phase, divided into six blocks of core topics that build on each other. Cura personalis infuses every course, particularly those that develop critical professional skills, such as physical diagnosis, communications, and ethics.
Week-long “intersession” courses on important health care topics further hone students’ critical thinking, cognitive integration, and life-long learning qualities.
CORE CLINICAL PHASE
A 48-week core clerkship year, beginning with a weeklong boot camp. Students complete clerkships in Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Neurology.
The phase also includes two 1-week intersessions and three 2-week “selectives,” which bring students back to foundational concepts in greater depth and allow students to explore additional specialties.
ADVANCED CLINICAL PHASE
The final year of the medical education program, which includes an acting internship in the internal medicine wards or the medical intensive care unit, a second “selective” acting internship of the student’s choice, an Emergency Medicine clerkship, and electives.
In this culminating year, students put all facets of their medical education into practice in a mentored environment.
EDUCATING THE WHOLE STUDENT TO CARE FOR THE WHOLE PATIENT
What sets our graduates apart? Residency programs and leaders across health care know that our students get a world-class education, grounded in Jesuit values and strengthened by opportunities to sharpen their skills in different settings, with populations from all backgrounds.
The School of Medicine’s signature Journeys Curriculum is thoughtfully designed to develop physician-healers committed to clinically competent care and the well-being of their patients, especially those who are underserved.
The School of Medicine also requires every student to complete a scholarly research project. To further distinguish themselves and maximize their chances of matching into a top-choice residency, many students further bolster their research experience by pursuing supplementary research opportunities in specific specialty areas during the summer between their first and second years. Donor-funded stipends help make that possible, by providing students with the support necessary to fully dedicate their summers to these scholarly endeavors.
DIVING DEEPER INTO CAREER INTERESTS
Extracurricular offerings embedded in the Journeys Curriculum, like our Longitudinal Academic Tracks, allow students to further enhance their medical education by incorporating
a concentration in a distinct area of health care. Prospective students seek out our program specifically for these tracks, knowing that they will lead not only to meaningful learning and research experiences but stronger residency applications, too.
The
School of Medicine’s Longitudinal
Academic Tracks
Bioethics Academic Track
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Medicine Track
Environmental Health and Medicine Track
Health Care Leadership Track
Health Justice Scholar Track
Literature and Medicine Track
Medical Education Research Scholar Track
Population Health Scholar Track
Primary Care Leadership Track
Spirituality in Medicine Track
Students who participate in Longitudinal Academic Tracks learn to think beyond the lens of a medical education. They engage in interdisciplinary studies, develop as leaders, and hone their professional interests under the close mentorship of faculty.
We hope that one day every medical student will complete a Longitudinal Academic Track. Philanthropy will be essential as we seek to meet student demand for these opportunities and support the faculty leaders who make them possible.
PROBLEM-SOLVING TOGETHER
Collaborating at the intersection of health and justice
In America today, a person’s ZIP code is a stronger determinant of health and well-being than their genetics. Yet, few providers are taught how to address healthharming challenges like poor housing conditions, food insecurity, lack of insurance, or problems with employment.
Recognizing that solutions to these issues often lie at the intersection of medical care and legal advocacy, Georgetown University Medical Center and the Law Center jointly founded the Health Justice Alliance (HJA) in 2016. Through a medical-legal partnership model, HJA is training the next generation of health, law, and policy leaders to work together.
The HJA Advocacy Rotation, for example, embeds students from the School of Medicine’s Health Justice Scholars Track within the HJA Law Clinic, where they work side-by-side with law students to visit and advocate on behalf of clients in the community. HJA’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day is another opportunity for real-world interprofessional partnership, as teams of medical and law students learn how to effectively engage Congressional representatives.
Looking ahead, HJA seeks to reach more learners and patients across Georgetown and our clinical partner MedStar Health. Thanks to the generosity of a family foundation, HJA has begun building an endowed fund that will provide a flexible, sustainable source of support. Philanthropy will ensure that more medical students can have these transformative experiences and graduate with the skills to deliver holistic care.
“Working with patients as part of an Advocacy Rotation with the Health Justice Alliance Law Clinic helped me appreciate how hard it can be for our patients to access care and follow through with treatment regimens. Watching the law student I worked with help our patient navigate some of these structural and related barriers made me appreciate what an important resource legal advocacy can be for some patients.”
—Janet Shin, M.D. (M’20), Health Justice Scholar
“Both our medical school and law school have a long, deep history of working in lowincome neighborhoods in DC and working on issues of racial injustice. There was a lot of potential for us to collaborate and have a stronger impact working together and learning from each other. ”
—Professor Yael Cannon, director of the HJA Law Clinic
PURSUING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION
We are always working to make the most of our proximity to Georgetown’s other renowned academic programs. By deepening our connections to the School of Nursing, School of Health, Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences, and Georgetown Law, among others, we will give students the well-rounded perspectives necessary to be leaders in their fields.
These partnerships also advance the university’s shared vision for health and human flourishing, enabling us to maximize existing strengths and contribute as only Georgetown can.
FORGING PARTNERSHIPS
Enhancing interprofessional learning across the health sciences
In July 2022, Georgetown launched two new schools—the School of Nursing, which reflects a renewed commitment to the largest health care profession, and the School of Health, which focuses on Georgetown’s interdisciplinary strengths in health, health care, and policy.
Georgetown University Medical Center has an exciting opportunity to support new partnerships across these schools and the School of Medicine, creating interprofessional learning opportunities that increase medical students’ exposure to connected disciplines.
With your support, we will expand the interdisciplinary experiences available to School of Medicine students, fueling their professional growth, diversifying their skills, and advancing outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Investments in pilot programming will enable Georgetown to develop and grow new partnerships, while support for simulation and other instructional spaces will further elevate students’ learning experience.
Pathways to medicine
We will build more inclusive on-ramps to the medical profession.
We know that providing holistic, culturally competent care can change a patient’s entire trajectory—and we are committed to developing a medical workforce sensitive to issues faced by all the populations our graduates will serve. Through a suite of medical education pathway programs, we are engaging future physicians from a variety of backgrounds, supporting their success, and setting the stage for better health outcomes.
Perry Diaz (M’26) talks with fourth graders from Garfield Elementary about the location and function of different organ systems.
EMBRACING DIVERSITY TO ENHANCE HEALTH
Georgetown was founded on the principle that discourse among people of different cultures and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical, and spiritual understanding. At the School of Medicine, we uphold these values by educating students from a wide range of backgrounds to become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of diversity.
But our responsibility does not end there. As a Jesuit institution committed to serving the common good and to increasing educational access, we are called to expand the pool of students who go into the medical field, increasing opportunities for aspiring leaders who understand and seek to address the greatest health care disparities facing many communities across the nation.
ENGAGING FUTURE TALENT
To reach aspiring health professionals, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, the School of Medicine’s pathway programs engage students at all stages of their education. Some know from an early age that they want to pursue careers in the sciences, while others develop an interest later on. Many face challenges—financial, academic, and otherwise— that can make those dreams feel out of reach.
The School of Medicine has launched two key programs that strengthen high school students’ ability to pursue their passions through early exposure to the sciences:
The Gateway Exploration Program (GEP) GEP is a six-week internship program for Washington, DC, public high school students interested in the sciences, medical, and health fields. Offered in partnership with the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Education Program and the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the program brings students to Georgetown’s medical center campus to explore their dream profession through personalized internships, medical shadowing, and professional development workshops.
Summer
Medical Institute and Medical Immersion Programs
Offered in partnership with Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies, the oneweek Summer Medical Institute and three-week Medical Immersion Programs bring Washington, DC-area public high school students to the School of Medicine to live and study on campus. Participants gain a valuable window into a first-year medical school curriculum through anatomy lab and fieldwork, dissections, patient case studies, and interactive simulations.
Donor support will enable us to engage more students during these formative years and strengthen our relationships with schools across the greater Washington, DC, community.
‘That’s the type of physician I want to be’
After immigrating to the United States from Pakistan, Rimsha Rana, M.D. (M’24) and her family dreamed about her someday attending Georgetown University School of Medicine. Having witnessed her parents’ struggles working low-paying jobs and being uninsured, Rana sought to become a physician and advocate for those in underrepresented communities.
With the help of scholarships, Rana pursued an undergraduate education in chemistry at George Mason University and as a rising junior, joined the second cohort of the The Academy for Research, Clinical, and Health Equity Scholarship (ARCHES— read more on p. 30) program, where she had hands-on research experiences, met with mentors, and began preparing for the Medical College Admission Test.
Rana’s experiences as an ARCHES fellow also affirmed her interest in pursuing medical education at Georgetown. “At ARCHES, we had a lot of training that dealt with diversity dialogues, how to handle situations and create welcoming environments for all patients, how to be a very sympathetic physician,” she said. “That’s something that really drew me to Georgetown, because I don’t want just the knowledge. I want to know how to care for, literally, the whole person. That’s the type of physician I want to be, very empathetic. You should feel better after you see me in every aspect.”
Rana is a recipient of the School of Medicine’s Sarah Stewart Scholarship, which provides full tuition and fees for up to four years. She is the incoming ARCHES Alumni Board President and will continue her training with an internal medicine residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Realizing a lifelong ambition
In first grade, Malcolm Meredith, M.D. (M’23) wrote that he wanted to become a surgeon after going to Morehouse College. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in biology at Morehouse, as well as a master’s degree in physiology and biophysics at Georgetown, before starting a job running a lab in Atlanta. Still, Meredith didn’t feel ready to apply to medical school. With encouragement from his mentor, he contacted David L. Taylor, the former senior associate dean for student learning at the School of Medicine and former director of the Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies (GEMS) program. Meredith went on to complete the GEMS program in 2019, graduate from the School of Medicine in 2023, and is now preparing for a career in transplant medicine as a surgical resident at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
“If I ever win a Nobel Prize, I will dedicate it to him,” Meredith said about Taylor. “He gave me a chance when I didn’t think I would have a chance to go to medical school. In retrospect, I would have rather done GEMS, then gone to medical school, than to have gone straight to medical school.”
BRIDGING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP
The leap from an undergraduate degree to medical school can be daunting, especially for students who may have had less exposure to the field of health care than many of their peers. Several of our pathway programs help strengthen that continuum, bringing undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students into research and clinical settings, empowering them to thrive in their future careers, and preparing them for the medical school application process.
Philanthropic support for these programs will play a critical role in expanding their impact and removing financial barriers to participation:
Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies Program (GEMS)
GEMS is a one-year, competitive non-degree post-baccalaureate program designed to equip students for success in medical education—particularly those who have experienced and/or overcome significant challenges or adversity. GEMS participants complete classes selected from the actual first-year medical school curriculum and have access to advising specific to their individual skills and needs. Since its founding in 1977, more than 900 students have completed the GEMS program; more than 70% have matriculated into our or other medical schools, while others have engaged in various health fields.
The Academy for Research, Clinical, and Health Equity Scholarship (ARCHES)
Rising juniors and seniors in undergraduate programs nationwide are eligible to apply to the ARCHES program, a six-week residential summer enrichment program. ARCHES aims to strengthen promising undergraduates’ research and clinical skills and prepare them for successful matriculation into medical school. Participants engage in clinical rounds, guided
research, and community-based learning in the greater Washington, DC, area. Hundreds of students apply every year for just 10 spots, and donor support would enable even more students to benefit from this proven program.
BUILDING COMMUNITY FOR LASTING IMPACT
To date, hundreds of students have participated in our medical pathway programs, hailing from a variety of backgrounds but sharing a collective set of values. The School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) serves as an important unifying force within our community.
Advancing this work is paramount as we strive to develop dynamic academic communities that support students’ interest in and contributions to the medical and scientific fields.
We also seek to develop a networking database that enables these alumni to collaborate and engage with one another for years to come— connections that will benefit both our alumni and the patients they go on to serve.
With your support, we will open pathways to careers in medicine, investing in future leaders—and the health of our most underserved communities.
Grounded in the spirit of cura personalis, Georgetown University School of Medicine is building on a long history of educating leaders to care for the health of all people and their communities. The pressures on our health care system, the patients it serves, and the providers who deliver care have never been greater—and we are uniquely equipped to meet the moment.
The generosity of our alumni and friends will be critical as we work to fulfill this ambition, preparing future generations of medical professionals who go on to advance well-being and the common good.
Thank you for your support.
To learn more about these priorities, contribute to the School of Medicine, or plan for future support, please contact us at somadvancement@georgetown.edu.
