Gems 2011-12

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
NoMatterWhat said:
Can I retake the MCAT again before September... or would you advise me not to?
Click to expand...

I see that you're one of the people that got an interview and so I know this issue must have been addressed at the interview since it's always a question. I would trust them when they say they discourage it and focus on your actual classes. I know it's hard because you think you know what's best but these people have been doing this for 3 decades and hundreds of people who would not have been doctors are practicing medicine now. So let me just tell you once now and it'll be true once you're accepted and in the program too: LISTEN and TRUST what they say because they KNOW what they're doing. Their goal is to get YOU INTO GEORGETOWN MEDICAL SCHOOL not just simply take your money and let you do your own thing like many other programs. There will be times when you don't want to do certain things or understand why they're making you do things but after passing through I can see now why they did it that way. Just listen and do it and you'll be fine.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Nichomachean said:
I see that you're one of the people that got an interview and so I know this issue must have been addressed at the interview since it's always a question. I would trust them when they say they discourage it and focus on your actual classes. I know it's hard because you think you know what's best but these people have been doing this for 3 decades and hundreds of people who would not have been doctors are practicing medicine now. So let me just tell you once now and it'll be true once you're accepted and in the program too: LISTEN and TRUST what they say because they KNOW what they're doing. Their goal is to get YOU INTO GEORGETOWN MEDICAL SCHOOL not just simply take your money and let you do your own thing like many other programs. There will be times when you don't want to do certain things or understand why they're making you do things but after passing through I can see now why they did it that way. Just listen and do it and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Those are very encouraging words. Thank you for sharing your experience and insight with us all!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
So does anybody have any idea when we should be receiving phone calls or letters? Cuz in the past forums most people heard by the 18th
 
TheLionKing said:
So does anybody have any idea when we should be receiving phone calls or letters? Cuz in the past forums most people heard by the 18th
Click to expand...

Ya i read the same for the 2008 2009 and 2010 classes. hope we hear back soon tho
 
Hi,
Does anyone know any places (resident house, apartment, etc.) to live in (or within 15-minute walk) to the Gtown area???
 
Last edited:
Hey everyone!

I hope all is well and wish you the best in getting into Georgetown GEMS Class of 2011-2012!!

I have a quick question regarding applying for next year. I have a 2.6 science GPA( C- in both orgos senior year, but retook Orgo 1 and got an A) My cumulative gpa is 2.84, non science around 3.4. I have a lot of extracurriculars, great recommendations, and hopefully will write a good statement. However, I am still sad about the two semesters of my senior year which i got a C- bringing my GPA tumbling around 2.9/3.0 both semesters. What should I do to increase my chances of GEMS and how important is Biochemistry because I heard someone mention it in this forum in 2008? I was planning to go to Africa in a health clinic but if I take classes, it'll ruin the chance. Thank you all so much and God Bless!

P.S. Im taking MCATS in a month :-( hopefully that'll compensate for GPA if i get above a 30?
 
HopeandBelieve said:
Hey everyone!

I hope all is well and wish you the best in getting into Georgetown GEMS Class of 2011-2012!!

I have a quick question regarding applying for next year. I have a 2.6 science GPA( C- in both orgos senior year, but retook Orgo 1 and got an A) My cumulative gpa is 2.84, non science around 3.4. I have a lot of extracurriculars, great recommendations, and hopefully will write a good statement. However, I am still sad about the two semesters of my senior year which i got a C- bringing my GPA tumbling around 2.9/3.0 both semesters. What should I do to increase my chances of GEMS and how important is Biochemistry because I heard someone mention it in this forum in 2008? I was planning to go to Africa in a health clinic but if I take classes, it'll ruin the chance. Thank you all so much and God Bless!

P.S. Im taking MCATS in a month :-( hopefully that'll compensate for GPA if i get above a 30?
Click to expand...

Hope,

A 2.84 GPA will not exclude you from being interviewed for GEMS. It is more important to them that you be disadvantaged and fit the criteria. After having spoken to people on interview day I can say that I met several that had GPAs below 2.8 and low MCATs (low 20's). You have the advantage of still having the opportunity to do well on the MCAT so I would make that a priority now. The recommendations are a plus and the fact that you got an A in Orgo the second time around shows that you are capable. Biochemistry is not a requirement, as you already know but, because during the first GEMS year biochemistry is the major course, I would say that doing well in biochemistry during undergrad will show the admissions committee that, despite your GPA, you can do the work. Going to Africa, however, would show great character and probably make your application stand out. What are your other pre-med science grades like? If I were you I would try to do the Africa thing over the summer and spend the year bringing up my grades so I could apply to several post bacc programs. If you take classes this year and get your science GPA over a 3.0 you will be a strong candidate at most, assuming you do well on the MCAT, and this will give you a back-up plan.
 
I'M OFFICIALLY A 2011-2012 GEMS!!!! YYYAAAAYYYY! LET'S GO I'M SOOO READY!!!:love::laugh::thumbup:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Keep faith everyone! GLUCK! and keep the phone nearby because I totally missed the first call and panicked like a spazz lmao:smuggrin:
 
Hey Tweety22, How long ago did they call you? or did you post as soon as they called you?

Thanks
 
Did you get an email, or letter in the mail?
 
Last edited:
Congrats tweety! Has anyone else heard anything?

AprilFool are you in? your talking about housing so I just want to know if I should say congrats. Have only Cali people heard back?
 
anbody have an opinion of my chances with this program?

Just finished junior year with a ~2.5 cGPA, if I have a strong senior year i could finish with a 2.7-2.9. I really have no ec's, and I'm wondering what type of ec's would be eye-catching to this admissions comittee.

Also, since I'm trying to apply with my GPA at its highest point, I'll probably want to wait until I can send my full senior year transcript. Does that mean I'll have to apply in the cycle for the following fall, or can I apply for the subsequent school year.

Any support, ideas welcome
 
davidb25 said:
anbody have an opinion of my chances with this program?

Just finished junior year with a ~2.5 cGPA, if I have a strong senior year i could finish with a 2.7-2.9. I really have no ec's, and I'm wondering what type of ec's would be eye-catching to this admissions comittee.

Also, since I'm trying to apply with my GPA at its highest point, I'll probably want to wait until I can send my full senior year transcript. Does that mean I'll have to apply in the cycle for the following fall, or can I apply for the subsequent school year.

Any support, ideas welcome
Click to expand...

Just a personal opinion, but I would try to have that GPA up as high as possible. From previous people, I'm sure you've gathered they take a wide range, but you always want to present yourself in the best light. If you can explain why your grades turned out as it is to the adcom, it would go a long way. From my experience thus far, not only strong LOR's are important, but your EC's as well so it's important that you figure out what you want to put in for that.

Most importantly though, I think, is that you don't CRAFT your activities so much just to get in to medical school.. make sure that your heart is into going in medicine. I think that some people sometimes lose sight of this and mold themselves to be an ideal candidate rather than fashion themselves to be an ideal physician. Your EC's should be things that will expose you into the world of medicine so that they know you're going into it with your eyes open.
 
I'm gonna stay out of this thread to keep my sanity............
 
Last edited:
It's pretty quiet here today, has anyone else heard back other than tweety?
 
well rejection letters have been sent... i guess i received mine first since I live in DC :( ...very bummed and disappointed, i wish i could know the reason..... good luck to everyone else :luck:

p.s. if i now have to move out of dc ill post my apartment here (across the street from woodley park metro and close to the gtown shuttle), damn would have been perfect :/
 
Hokie luv said:
well rejection letters have been sent... i guess i received mine first since I live in DC :( ...very bummed and disappointed, i wish i could know the reason..... good luck to everyone else :luck:

p.s. if i now have to move out of dc ill post my apartment here (across the street from woodley park metro and close to the gtown shuttle), damn would have been perfect :/
Click to expand...
Hey Hokie,

Did they tell you the reason why and which day did you interview at G-town?

Destined2BDr
 
Sooooo quiet and tentative in here.. You can just feel the tension in this forum..
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


...there. I feel better. :)
 
AprilFool said:
Sooooo quiet and tentative in here.. You can just feel the tension in this forum..
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


...there. I feel better. :)
Click to expand...

I know! Its weird that only one person has posted about a phone call! Has anyone else heard yet and maybe hasn't post about it..please post so that we can stop worrying and start thinking about plan B. I don't want to keep my hopes up if all calls have already gone out. Still:xf: though!

I'm hoping that the lack of " I got the call" postings means that they will still call next week, since only Tweety has posted and I hope more SDNers get in.
 
Pretty weird that only one person got a call thus far.

I would relax and take it easy for now. I'm going to assume that the phone calls should be arriving this coming week. I don't believe that it is just 1 designated day so don't get anxious if yours did not come in on a specific day.

Gl future GEMS :thumbup:
 
Bonne Chance said:
Pretty weird that only one person got a call thus far.

I would relax and take it easy for now. I'm going to assume that the phone calls should be arriving this coming week. I don't believe that it is just 1 designated day so don't get anxious if yours did not come in on a specific day.

Gl future GEMS :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Just to change the subject a little bit... How did the current GEMS fare as far as getting interviews / acceptances into Georgetown SOM this year? I know you guys were waiting for interviews, I think, while we were interviewing... I hope it's good news for most if not the whole class. Any thoughts? Number crunching statistics?
 
AprilFool said:
Just to change the subject a little bit... How did the current GEMS fare as far as getting interviews / acceptances into Georgetown SOM this year? I know you guys were waiting for interviews, I think, while we were interviewing... I hope it's good news for most if not the whole class. Any thoughts? Number crunching statistics?
Click to expand...


Relax everyone! Last year, I can recall most of the calls went out what will be next week for this cycle. As well, last year several acceptances went out a little earlier than the others. Decisions will be made by May 31th, so cool beans. Trust me, I know the anxiety and feelings everyone is going through but there is nothing you can do about it now. For the current GEMS, interviews have been completed and we have yet to hear back from the committee.
 
Last edited:
ddogark said:
Relax everyone! Last year, I can recall most of the calls went out what will be next week for this cycle. As well, last year several acceptances went out a little earlier than the others. Decisions will be made by May 31th, so cool beans. Trust me, I know the anxiety and feelings everyone is going through but there is nothing you can do about it now. For the current GEMS, interviews have been completed and we have not heard back from the committee yet. Good luck everyone.
Click to expand...

Hey DDogark! Congrats on getting through your round of interviews.. keeping my fingers crossed for you guys too! :) :xf:
 
Questions for current gems:

- do most people take their laptop for class or is the traditional paper and pen fine?
- during interviews I heard someone mention about a specific parking pass they got from the dmv which allowed them to park close to campus, does anyone know what it is called ?
-I know the GUTS system is free for gtown students but what are the other affordable public transportation options? For example if I am looking for housing should I look for places close to the blue line, the orange line etc..
 
glitteryrocks said:
Questions for current gems:

1) do most people take their laptop for class or is the traditional paper and pen fine?
2) during interviews I heard someone mention about a specific parking pass they got from the dmv which allowed them to park close to campus, does anyone know what it is called ?
3) I know the GUTS system is free for gtown students but what are the other affordable public transportation options? For example if I am looking for housing should I look for places close to the blue line, the orange line etc..
Click to expand...

1) GUSOM is all online now, including syllabi and notes, so most people bring their laptops to lectures- I didn't, I printed it all out and did fine.

2) The way DC works with street parking is in order to park on the street on weekdays, you must have a parking permit for the zone you live in. They do not give parking permits to students who live immediately next to GU (Zone 2), but you can get one anywhere else in dc as long as you have a lease showing that you reside in that zone, and both your car and insurance are under your name. It cost $200 a year, and more info can be found here-http://dmv.dc.gov/info/NewDistrictResidents.shtm

-Word of caution for this- whenever you go to any DC/Virginia DMV, have all your paperwork and everything ready because they wont check that you have it, until you get to the front of the line (2-3 hour wait) and tell you that you can't do it- I learned the hard way.

3) The guts goes to the Dupont (red line) and rosslyn (orange/blue line) metro stations. If you live near either of those metros you'll be ok, the closer to dupont/rosslyn the better off you are, but the more expensive apartments are too.

Hope this helps, GL to all!
 
got the rejection letter in the mail :(

Congrats to all that got in, it sounds like a great program.
 
I got the rejection letter as well :(

Congratulations to everyone who got accepted, and good luck to everybody else!!!
 
current gems-

Regarding the financial aid budget that was given to us on the day of the interview it has listed "fees" = $4551.00. I was wondering if this is a hypothetical figure like some of the others (exp "holiday travel") or are we looking to spend that much on fees, if so fees for what?

Also, they say we should allocate $744 for books and supplies. Will we be buying many textbooks during this time if so is it norm for the current gems to sell their used books?

Basically I just wanted to know in the budget they gave us what are fixed expenses and which ones are not? For example fixed could be the tuition (14893) and stafford loan fees (103) etc.

Thank you!
 
Congrats to everyone who got into the GEMS program! I wanted to know if any of you are applying to med school this upcoming cycle or next cycle after you finish GEMS?
 
AprilFool said:
soooo quiet around here..
Click to expand...

lets get this show on the road

Anybody considering flying out to DC to check out housing? people that I am emailing are telling me to come see anyplace before you commit
 
Also...i was thinking that since we are all going to be classmates maybe we ought to start talking to each other on this forum; networking and getting to share advice on living situations, fin aid and such....

Ill start the ball....now someone needs to pick it up :) !! lol
 
xducexx said:
Also...i was thinking that since we are all going to be classmates maybe we ought to start talking to each other on this forum; networking and getting to share advice on living situations, fin aid and such....

Ill start the ball....now someone needs to pick it up :) !! lol
Click to expand...
You are right xducexx :) This is my first official post, but like others, I have been following all the action on here for a while! Hello to everyone! Oh, and good luck to everyone else who is applying this GEMS cycle :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

JameBus
Georgetown GEMS 2024-2025
Replies
10
Views
1K
mp0105
M
D
Georgetown GEMS 2023-2024
Replies
49
Views
6K
beautifuldoc99
beautifuldoc99
D
Georgetown GEMS 2022-2023
Replies
45
Views
5K
MomiAsant
M
D
Georgetown GEMS 2021-2022
2 3 4
Replies
174
Views
26K
MomiAsant
M
I
Applications to Georgetown SMP or GEMS?
Replies
2
Views
3K
ppushpak
ppushpak
Top