The George Washington School of Medicine--Class of 2012

[asm436]

Hi and congrats!! I'm still deciding, but since we don't have a second look, I figure this is as good of an introduction as we can get to potential classmates!! Anyone else torn between GW and another school???

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[rottiesrock]

Hi and congrats!! I'm still deciding, but since we don't have a second look, I figure this is as good of an introduction as we can get to potential classmates!! Anyone else torn between GW and another school???

Congrats to you as well!
Right now, GW is my only acceptance and I LOVE the school. I do have an interview coming up at UNC and I think their program is great as well, so if (big if) I am accepted at UNC I will probably end up torn between the two. Mostly it will come down to money since UNC is my state school. Who knows, I may not even have to make a decision...
In the meantime, if anyone would like to provide their .02 on the $ issue...

 

[Tropicana]

So far this looks like the school for me. I am not done interviewing but GW is at the top of my list of current acceptances. I really liked the vibe of the school, and their emphasis on public health/policy etc is right up my alley. The choice will become difficult if I get into NYC schools as that is where most of my family is.

 

[Phoenix.]

I'm still deciding too, but I think Loyola has the upper-hand. I really loved everything about GWU (especially the health care policy track, global health opportunities and location), but I'm definitely not a fan of the old school curriculum. I prefer the block systems-based curriculum of Loyola, and the diminished lecture time (I'm not much of a lecture-learner). Wish they were revamping that at GWU. Most of the students I spoke to on interview day said that they barely had one or two hours a day outside of classes and studying to do anything else. If so, when would you have time to volunteer at the student run clinic, take advantage of all of the health care policy/amazing opportunities DC offers, etc. to supplement a med school education? Anyway, that was my only real concern, but right now it's a considerable one.

But I thought I'd chime in. GWU is definitely an amazing school and I feel honored that they chose to extend an offer to me. I sometimes wonder if I'm not stressing the first two years/curriculum too much.

 

[asm436]

I'm still deciding too, but I think Loyola has the upper-hand. I really loved everything about GWU (especially the health care policy track, global health opportunities and location), but I'm definitely not a fan of the old school curriculum. I prefer the block systems-based curriculum of Loyola, and the diminished lecture time (I'm not much of a lecture-learner). Wish they were revamping that at GWU. Most of the students I spoke to on interview day said that they barely had one or two hours a day outside of classes and studying to do anything else. If so, when would you have time to volunteer at the student run clinic, take advantage of all of the health care policy/amazing opportunities DC offers, etc. to supplement a med school education? Anyway, that was my only real concern, but right now it's a considerable one.

But I thought I'd chime in. GWU is definitely an amazing school and I feel honored that they chose to extend an offer to me. I sometimes wonder if I'm not stressing the first two years/curriculum too much.

well, the scheduling is a little less intimidating when you learn that attendance is not mandatory yeah, I'm definitely an indpendent learner...I'm still deciding if I'm sold on the whole PBL thing, because that will change my school choice.

 

[Phoenix.]

well, the scheduling is a little less intimidating when you learn that attendance is not mandatory yeah, I'm definitely an indpendent learner...I'm still deciding if I'm sold on the whole PBL thing, because that will change my school choice.

I've always been the dweeb that feels like they should go to class even if it's not required, and even though I rarely get much out of it (depending on the prof though). Maybe I could just break myself of the habit. On the other hand, I did meet one or two students at GWU who said they never went to a single first year class. That idea really turns me off. While you're not suggesting that, it does make me wonder. Why go to a school that is centered around a teaching structure that doesn't work well for you? Hell, for all that tuition (congrats on your scholarship by the way), I'd feel like a fool for skipping ANY classes.

Kills me though. I thought everything else about GWU was awesome. And the health care policy opportunities and rotations abroad make me drool.

 

[lacrossefiend73]

We think alike, Phoenix. I'm the type that thinks I have to go to class cause I'm missing something otherwise, or I just feel bad for spending all that money and not going. Right now, I'm torn b/w GW and my state school. I'm somewhat leaning towards my state school because its centered on PBL, which I love. At my GW interview, I remember them asking "Why GW?" and my answer dealt w/ the immense amounts of opportunities that are offered... but if I'm in class all day... well, you get the point.

Who knows though... the technology (Histo lab on the computer? Yes please!) and the hospital is great there. But, they should be for that load of cash we give them.

 

[Phoenix.]

At my GW interview, I remember them asking "Why GW?" and my answer dealt w/ the immense amounts of opportunities that are offered... but if I'm in class all day... well, you get the point.

Exactly. GW, are you listening? You seduce us with amazing opportunities, but then don't give enough time to really take advantage of them. Revamp your curriculum/lecture time - please!

 

[blurry]

Hellooo everybody. I didn't even know this thread even existed. I haven't yet decided between GW and my other choice, but I am leaning heavily towards GW right now.

As for all of the opportunities versus classroom time you guys are talking about at various schools -- I doubt you will have time to really participate in any extracurricular significantly during the school year. I believe the opportunities offered really only apply for summers and fourth year electives. So I would encourage you not to let the loads of class hours dissuade you, especially if attendance isn't mandatory. I personally am ready to accept that my life will be centered around learning and medicine for the next few years

 

[kidthor]

Hi everyone - I'll most likely be one of your classmates next year! Are any of y'all already in DC this year (I am...)?

 

[Humi1211]

I'm 85% sure GW will be my final choice. I'm very excited about going there, but the massive amount of student debt concerns me.

kidthor--I live in fairfax but I'm looking to move to DC if I do indeed attend Gdub.

 

[medstylee]

i think some of you guys are quite misinformed here, so let me clear some things up. first off, i'm a second year student at gw. of course, as you all know by now, we have a lot of class time. it's a traditional lecture format. pbl is a minimal part of the curriculum (thank god - personal preference there). the idea that there is not enough time to take advantage of the opportunities is a misinformed one for sure. let's look at my schedule, as an example. i'm in my second semester of second year. on the average week, here's my schedule:

mon: lecture from 9-12; lecture/pathology lab from 1-4ish
tues: pbl from 8:30-10, lecture from 10-12; afternoon OFF
wed: same as monday
thurs: small group or preceptor's clinic from 9-12; lecture from 1:30-3
fri: lecture from 9-12; afternoon OFF

things i find time to do during the week:
- volunteer blood pressure screenings at local nursing home
- run after class
- study maybe 2 hours a day on weekdays, probably 4 on weekends
- watch at least 1 hour of tv a day
- go out on fri/sat night
- work on my research project that is continuing from the summer
- attend grand rounds for the specialty i'm interested in
- cook dinner
- read (non-medical stuff)

some of these probably sound trivial (ie, cook dinner), but i'm just trying to show you that having somewhat of a normal life is perfectly feasible. it just takes some discipline. think of it as having a 9-5 job with homework. as far as participating in the opportunities, it's extremely doable and i'd say a large proportion of our class takes advantage of these. for example, i actively participate in 4 "clubs" (1 of which i am the president of) and the research track. it's doable; it has never presented a problem for me. 33 people in our class were able to go abroad on organized trips between the start of first year and the start of second year (including some over spring break). if that's not taking advantage of the international opportunities, i don't know what is.

learning style is obviously a concern. if you can't take anything in from a lecturer, then gw is probably not a good school for you. the large majority of our class attends lectures on a regular basis. sure, there are probably some people who rarely ever attend lecture, but if you ask me, they are wasting their money. if you guys think you will learn better in a pbl environment - a few hours of small group learning and then many hours of self-study - then that should be a concern. this is not how it works at gw. we do have a pbl (called "pcl" here) but it's not how we learn about the basic sciences. instead it's to learn about clinical decision making and working on skills like presenting patients and exam results or reading medical literature. for me, it serves its purpose fantastically, yet i would never want to learn basic sciences this way (again, personal preference). i would much rather learn about the immunology and genetics behind the monoclonal gammopathy in multiple myeloma from a trained hematopathologist as opposed to trying to figure that out by myself from a 2000 page path textbook in my room at home. again, personal preference. that's what it boils down to.

anyway, that's about it for my little stream of consciousness. if you take anything away from this, just know that there is plenty of time to get yourself involved in stuff outside of the books - it just involves some discipline. secondly, there are no secrets about the educational methods at gw - think about your own learning habits and think about how they will be suited or not suited at gw. it's a personal preference, and an important one at that. best of luck to you. i'm not going to be able to post a lot as we have an exam coming up, but i'll try to answer any questions you might have.

 

[hsentar]

nice writeup ^^

I'm a GW undergrad alumni and on the waitlist for class of 2012 right now, but I know a lot of med students (some in each of the current 4 classes) and I gotta say that most of them do a LOT of stuff outside the classroom. I study in Himmelfarb each day - and if you happened to have interviewed during or right before an exam week (which coincidentally happens a lot I think for SDNers), then the students you talk to on the one day you're there will seem stressed, of course. But if you have the advantage of being there all the time you'll see that students definetely are making time to take GW up on some of the things they offer. But it all depends on the individual student - some people will use all their time outside of class to study for 2 years and essentially sacrifice all else that matters (including health for some...), others try to find a balance because that's the only way they'll get through it.


I'm hoping to get off the alternate list this year... (sigh). Congrats to you all!

 

[Phoenix.]

I could be wrong, but it looks to me like they've added some more informatin on tracks (since I read about the track system on GW's site). And I don't remember the Emergency Management track from before. There's also some great pages in this site that I missed before with current and past lectures, etc. Maybe I just never quite made it to this particular page? Don't recall, but I wanted to share it in case anyone else missed some of this:

http://www.studentopps.com/

The student opportunities office information makes me drool. Especially the global health and health care policy opportunities.

 

[cdarnay]

I'm a current first year at GWU. I am completely happy with my med school choice. My classmates are wonderful and we definitely have a very non-competitive atmosphere. I couldn't tell you how many study guides,notes, are sent out through our list serve by my classmates in order to help each other out. The OSO office is very good and is always trying to assist students in finding summer opportunities. Overall, I would highly recommend GWU to anyone who is considering it.

 

[Phoenix.]

I'm a current first year at GWU. I am completely happy with my med school choice. My classmates are wonderful and we definitely have a very non-competitive atmosphere. I couldn't tell you how many study guides,notes, are sent out through our list serve by my classmates in order to help each other out. The OSO office is very good and is always trying to assist students in finding summer opportunities. Overall, I would highly recommend GWU to anyone who is considering it.

Could you comment on how you feel about the curriculum? I'm comparing GW's traditional curriculum (juggling many classes/a bunch of exams at the same time/lots of lecture time) with a systems-based block curriculum that minimizes lecture time, with one block and one exam at a time. How do you feel about the course load/stress? I know medical school is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant, but a systems based block curriculum sounds much more humane. Is a traditional curriculum really not that bad?

Also, while some current students above have posted otherwise, I was really dismayed that the 6 students I asked on my interview day all said that they only have 1-2 hours a day outside of studying and class to do other things (other things being volunteer, work out, recreation, etc.). And then one or two other students said that they simply never go to class so they can have more than those 1-2 hours a day of free time. I don't know that that sounds like the best solution. How did you approach this? I love all of the amazing opportunities at GW, but worry that the curriculum/lecture system doesn't really work well with it. Or perhaps I'm wrong.... Thanks!

 

[cdarnay]

Could you comment on how you feel about the curriculum? I'm comparing GW's traditional curriculum (juggling many classes/a bunch of exams at the same time/lots of lecture time) with a systems-based block curriculum that minimizes lecture time, with one block and one exam at a time. How do you feel about the course load/stress? I know medical school is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant, but a systems based block curriculum sounds much more humane. Is a traditional curriculum really not that bad?

Also, while some current students above have posted otherwise, I was really dismayed that the 6 students I asked on my interview day all said that they only have 1-2 hours a day outside of studying and class to do other things (other things being volunteer, work out, recreation, etc.). And then one or two other students said that they simply never go to class so they can have more than those 1-2 hours a day of free time. I don't know that that sounds like the best solution. How did you approach this? I love all of the amazing opportunities at GW, but worry that the curriculum/lecture system doesn't really work well with it. Or perhaps I'm wrong.... Thanks!

I like Gw's curriculumn. Yes, its alot of class time but very few of it is required and if you do decide to miss a class, you can always get the notes from the free notetaker service. As for traditional vs systems based, I cant comment on systems based because I haven't experienced it but I dont think there is that much of a difference between the two as there is with problem based learning. If you would learn better by PBL, then pick a school with that cause you might not be happy at GWU or any other school with a more traditional curriculumn. As for my schedule, you will find out that there is free time. On tuesday, i have lecture from 8:30-10 and PBL from 10-12 and i have the entire tuesday afternoon off every week. also, i usually have some free time on thursday depending on the schedule. BTW, first semester, tests are in blocks but second semester, they are not. We have one test every week so you dont have to worry about tests all in a row. Both scenarios have their pros and cons. I dont have a preference either way.

As for studying, before the first tests, I think people were studying all the time because you dont know that you know the material as well as you do. But once we got through the middle of first semester and this semester, peopel are alot more relaxed because they have developed better studying habaits. Tuesday afternoons, I usually do something fun and I rarely study on Saturdays. I study Sundays and maybe 2-3 hrs Mon-thurs and thats it. Hope all this info helps. GWU is a great place to go to school.

 

[medstylee]

Could you comment on how you feel about the curriculum? I'm comparing GW's traditional curriculum (juggling many classes/a bunch of exams at the same time/lots of lecture time) with a systems-based block curriculum that minimizes lecture time, with one block and one exam at a time. How do you feel about the course load/stress? I know medical school is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant, but a systems based block curriculum sounds much more humane. Is a traditional curriculum really not that bad?

Also, while some current students above have posted otherwise, I was really dismayed that the 6 students I asked on my interview day all said that they only have 1-2 hours a day outside of studying and class to do other things (other things being volunteer, work out, recreation, etc.). And then one or two other students said that they simply never go to class so they can have more than those 1-2 hours a day of free time. I don't know that that sounds like the best solution. How did you approach this? I love all of the amazing opportunities at GW, but worry that the curriculum/lecture system doesn't really work well with it. Or perhaps I'm wrong.... Thanks!

I feel like we're kind of beating the dead horse here by now. Phoenix, it's really commendable that - given your early acceptances to a few schools - you are putting a ton of thought into which school will suit you best. Most people don't put this degree of effort into making comparisons. With that, though, it seems to me that you know GW's curriculum is not going to work out with your learning style and personal time committments. And, that's totally fine! I think it's very bizarre that you happened to speak to all the students who either had no free time or who never went to class (why would they have an hour of time to kill to come speak with the interviewees, shouldn't they be studying then!?). Those people do provide a perfect example of the ones who probably did not consider how GW's curriculum would work with their own habits. If you are worried about becoming one of those people, it's probably in your best interest not to come to GW. There's no way to predict how it's going to pan out for you until you're in medical school. And, at that time, it's too late (there's transferring, but that's a huge gamble). I hope I don't come across like I'm trying to kick you out of GW (trust me, we are looking for thoughtful and interesting people like yourself)! I'm just trying to help because it sounds like you're certainly laboring over this decision.

As for organ systems vs. traditional curriculum layout, I can provide a small comparison. FOr our first three semesters we followed the traiditional layout - i.e., separate courses and separate exams. First semester of first year exams are in week-long blocks (usually Wed, Fri, Mon exams). First semester of second year is totally different, exams are usually every week or every other. And, second semester of first year is kind of a hybrid of the two. Now that I'm in my second semester of second year, we are following an organ systems-based setup. For each organ system, we learn the pathology, pathophsyiology (called "intro to clinical medicine" at GW), and pharmacology (although we had the bulk of general pharm last semester). And, our PCL cases are based on the organ system we are currently learning. While I find that it is a better way to integrate the information, I actually find the exams and studying to be way more stressful. You have one giant exam (ours was 130 questions written and a 35 question pathology practical) on one day, so you have to cram to study all that stuff in for that one test. In the block format, you have more time to focus on the harder disciplines and then you can study for the less demanding components on the days between exams. Not possible with systems-based. This is only one example of how it works, however. There are many different permutations at other schools.

In any case, I hope my post is helpful and in no way offended you or made you feel like you're not welcome at our school. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. I am happy to answer your questions via PM or this thread.

 

[Phoenix.]

I feel like we're kind of beating the dead horse here by now. Phoenix, it's really commendable that - given your early acceptances to a few schools - you are putting a ton of thought into which school will suit you best. Most people don't put this degree of effort into making comparisons. With that, though, it seems to me that you know GW's curriculum is not going to work out with your learning style and personal time committments. And, that's totally fine!

I thought it would be helpful to ask to hear other students' opinions. And yes, I am giving this decisions a ton of thought. I feel that this is a tremendously important decision I'm making. GW's health care policy opportunities are fantastic, the diversity and clinical training excellent, the location amazing, the students friendly, etc. So, I'm doing my best to figure out how much to weigh the importance of the curriculum/style for the first two years. Maybe there are other students at GW who went in not that keen on the format, but found that they're glad they chose GW regardless. And feel free not to respond to my posts if you feel like I'm beating a dead horse. I was simply hoping to get opinions from other students on this matter.

I think it's very bizarre that you happened to speak to all the students who either had no free time or who never went to class (why would they have an hour of time to kill to come speak with the interviewees, shouldn't they be studying then!?).

I did ask them that. They said they were there for the free lunch. I'm certainly not making any of this up. Why would I? And I'm sure they were also there to try to be helpful and answer our questions. They all did seem very sociable and friendly.

Those people do provide a perfect example of the ones who probably did not consider how GW's curriculum would work with their own habits. If you are worried about becoming one of those people, it's probably in your best interest not to come to GW. There's no way to predict how it's going to pan out for you until you're in medical school. And, at that time, it's too late (there's transferring, but that's a huge gamble). I hope I don't come across like I'm trying to kick you out of GW (trust me, we are looking for thoughtful and interesting people like yourself)! I'm just trying to help because it sounds like you're certainly laboring over this decision.

I agree. I definitely can't know until I'm there if it's right for me. But I feel I should at least make every possible effort to gather as much information as possible to make this decision. I will probably try to do my own informal second look in April. And yes, I'm definitely laboring over this decision. And I think I should. I wouldn't want to make a hasty decision, and I definitely don't feel that I am as familiar with GW as I'd like to be. Thus, my posts in this thread.

As for organ systems vs. traditional curriculum layout, I can provide a small comparison. FOr our first three semesters we followed the traiditional layout - i.e., separate courses and separate exams. First semester of first year exams are in week-long blocks (usually Wed, Fri, Mon exams). First semester of second year is totally different, exams are usually every week or every other. And, second semester of first year is kind of a hybrid of the two. Now that I'm in my second semester of second year, we are following an organ systems-based setup. For each organ system, we learn the pathology, pathophsyiology (called "intro to clinical medicine" at GW), and pharmacology (although we had the bulk of general pharm last semester). And, our PCL cases are based on the organ system we are currently learning. While I find that it is a better way to integrate the information, I actually find the exams and studying to be way more stressful. You have one giant exam (ours was 130 questions written and a 35 question pathology practical) on one day, so you have to cram to study all that stuff in for that one test. In the block format, you have more time to focus on the harder disciplines and then you can study for the less demanding components on the days between exams. Not possible with systems-based. This is only one example of how it works, however. There are many different permutations at other schools.

Thanks, that was very helpful.

In any case, I hope my post is helpful and in no way offended you or made you feel like you're not welcome at our school. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. I am happy to answer your questions via PM or this thread.

It did feel a bit harsh, but I appreciate the time you took to post additional information about GW. Thanks.

 

[medstylee]

in your case i think it's a very good idea to come and do your own revisit. it's really the only way you're going to have your questions answered. i think you will find that the students you met were definitely over-exaggerating about the time commitments. if you contact the admissions office i'm sure they can help you plan out a day to sit in on classes and meet more students. best of luck.

 

[Phoenix.]

in your case i think it's a very good idea to come and do your own revisit. it's really the only way you're going to have your questions answered. i think you will find that the students you met were definitely over-exaggerating about the time commitments. if you contact the admissions office i'm sure they can help you plan out a day to sit in on classes and meet more students. best of luck.

Thanks - I'll do that. And regarding the answers I got about the steep time commitment with only 1-2 hours max outside of studying/class, most of the students I spoke to were first years, and I was interviewing in September, so perhaps they just hadn't gotten their study groove down yet. I can attest to first semester of the first year of law school as the most difficult and time consuming, simply because you're not yet sure what is required to do well on exams, and to some extent you're retraining your brain to study/read differently. I imagine it's the same for medical school, only even more stressful and overwhelming. Visiting in the spring just may yield less stressed and more knowledgeable students regarding the required time commitment.

 

[MGO]

Hi everyone. I know there's already a GWU class of 2012 thread, but it's a bit overwhelming as it contains posts from people who are unsure whether they are going to attend GWU. Also, there's a lot of back and forth debating going on. I thought it would be nice to have a separate thread - no offense to anyone who posted in the first one - for people who have decided to attend GWU. This way we can sort of get to know each other, etc.

Anyway, I'm excited about starting in August! Random facts: I'm currently studying in Europe, but I should be back just in time for orientation. And this is my first time on studentdoctor.net! Crazy, eh.

 

[MadameLULU]

Merging to avoid confusion.

 

[freddydpt]

Hey Phoenix,

You sound really torn. If you want PM me and we'll discuss GW and your other options. I'm a fourth year and I'll give you my true opinions... without the candy coated shell.

 

[medstylee]

fred, i think a few other people in addition to phoenix on this thread are also trying to decide between gw and other schools. i'm sure they would appreciate you either posting or pm'ing them your 'non-candy-coated' vision of the school. i'm interested as well since you've gone through the clinical years and i have yet to do that. thanks. good luck with match day.

 

[freddydpt]

fred, i think a few other people in addition to phoenix on this thread are also trying to decide between gw and other schools. i'm sure they would appreciate you either posting or pm'ing them your 'non-candy-coated' vision of the school. i'm interested as well since you've gone through the clinical years and i have yet to do that. thanks. good luck with match day.

Haha! I usually give people my phone # to discuss... not gonna post that publically. It also depends on what schools they are choosing among. I actually have no idea who medstylee is! Drop me a pm and I can give you whatever advice you want GW def has some great things about it and just like any other institution has things to improve. It depends on what you want from the school and the bigger picture when you get out.

 

[novastorm]

Haha! I usually give people my phone # to discuss... not gonna post that publically. It also depends on what schools they are choosing among. I actually have no idea who medstylee is! Drop me a pm and I can give you whatever advice you want GW def has some great things about it and just like any other institution has things to improve. It depends on what you want from the school and the bigger picture when you get out.

I can attest that Fred is a good guy.

 

[DaniMD12]

Hi everyone. I have bben accepted to GW and it is #1 on my list. I am excited about the school and many of the opportunities I will have to volunteer at the student run health clinic and participate in programs abroad. I am from the DC area but I am looking for housing in the foggy bottom area. Congrats to everyone on their acceptance!

 

[Phoenix.]

Hi everyone. I have bben accepted to GW and it is #1 on my list. I am excited about the school and many of the opportunities I will have to volunteer at the student run health clinic and participate in programs abroad. I am from the DC area but I am looking for housing in the foggy bottom area. Congrats to everyone on their acceptance!

Congrats!!!!

 

[PistolPete]

Hi everyone. I have bben accepted to GW and it is #1 on my list. I am excited about the school and many of the opportunities I will have to volunteer at the student run health clinic and participate in programs abroad. I am from the DC area but I am looking for housing in the foggy bottom area. Congrats to everyone on their acceptance!

Congrats! When did you interview?

 

[DaniMD12]

Thanks everyone. I interviewed on December 7th.

 

[tacrum43]

For each organ system, we learn the pathology, pathophsyiology (called "intro to clinical medicine" at GW), and pharmacology (although we had the bulk of general pharm last semester). And, our PCL cases are based on the organ system we are currently learning. While I find that it is a better way to integrate the information, I actually find the exams and studying to be way more stressful. You have one giant exam (ours was 130 questions written and a 35 question pathology practical) on one day, so you have to cram to study all that stuff in for that one test.

ICM =

 

[rds726]

Thanks everyone. I interviewed on December 7th.

Congrats!
when did you get your acceptance?

 

[Brickhouse]

Med School at GW = Most fun ever!!!!

I loved it, I'd do it again!

 

[Phoenix.]

Med School at GW = Most fun ever!!!!

I loved it, I'd do it again!

Great to hear! Anything substantive you'd like to add for prospective GW attendees regarding curriculum, experiences with track system, student body, rotations, areas to live, etc? Or your favorite and/or least favorite (i.e., tips) aspects of attending GW?

 

[Brickhouse]

I'm confused about the issue with the lecture time. Lectures aren't mandatory except for a few of the POM things. If you don't want to go to class then don't go. I just wonder when you plan on learning the material. It's med school, there's a lot to learn, I can't really think of a way to get the information in unless you put in the time, however you choose to do it. If you learn better by doing independent work, then you are free to do that. Plus only two years are classroom years - the rest is clinical. You get all of the first summer off (that's 3 months). And the second semesters of both 1st and 2nd year are lighter than the first. Most of my friends traveled and worked all over the globe, did research, published, volunteered in the community....it's possible.
The best thing I did was listen to the lectures in high speed on one of my media players and knock out lectures in half the time. It was the greatest discovery ever! I'm an auditory learner though, I really like listening to my mentors speak.

BTW, my class had an AMAZING match - Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Emory, Case Western, UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, UCSF, Northwestern, Tufts, BU, Johns Hopkins, etc. etc. etc. - in ortho, derm, optho, urology, rads, ent....
and I'm going back to L.A.!!!

If you have other questions, I'd be happy to answer!

 

[Spartan123]

hi everyone!

i'm contemplating going to GW next year. i got into a couple instate schools and although the tuition difference is pretty attractive, i don't think i could pass on the opportunities GW has.

what was the step 1 pass rate?

also, i was looking at apartments. is 1700 for a 1 br too much?


THANKS!!

 

[lacrossefiend73]

also, i was looking at apartments. is 1700 for a 1 br too much?

Holy crap... a 1 br apartment at my undergrad town in Missouri is 535/month... and I thought that was a lot!

 

[rds726]

I posted this in pre-allo but no one answered me. Hopefully you guys can help:

How does GW notify of acceptance?
I thought they just sent it snail mail, but someone wrote on my MDApps that they first send you an email notifying you of the acceptance.

Do they always send an email first? If I dont get an email, is it jus a rejection or waitlist?
I'm expecting to hear from them soon.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Phoenix.]

I posted this in pre-allo but no one answered me. Hopefully you guys can help:

How does GW notify of acceptance?
I thought they just sent it snail mail, but someone wrote on my MDApps that they first send you an email notifying you of the acceptance.

Do they always send an email first? If I dont get an email, is it jus a rejection or waitlist?
I'm expecting to hear from them soon.

Thanks in advance!

Not sure if it's a what they ALWAYS do, but yeah, from my experience, they send an email first. Good luck.

 

[dancinRN1022]

yes my interviewer sent me an email as well... i don't know if they all do though... good luck!!

i have a question or two ... i just realized that i don't know my user name and pass word for the financial aid application...the supplemental...not the fafsa of course... i know i must be late... did we get that in an email??...is it some general rule... i tried my ssn and birthday but that didn't work... should i email mr carpenter???

 

[Phoenix.]

yes my interviewer sent me an email as well... i don't know if they all do though... good luck!!

i have a question or two ... i just realized that i don't know my user name and pass word for the financial aid application...the supplemental...not the fafsa of course... i know i must be late... did we get that in an email??...is it some general rule... i tried my ssn and birthday but that didn't work... should i email mr carpenter???

Yikes - I have to submit my GW aid form still too! I tried to log in this weekend and couldn't get it to work either. If you get that info please post here. I'll try calling tomorrow too.

 

[tacrum43]

hi everyone!

i'm contemplating going to GW next year. i got into a couple instate schools and although the tuition difference is pretty attractive, i don't think i could pass on the opportunities GW has.

what was the step 1 pass rate?

also, i was looking at apartments. is 1700 for a 1 br too much?


THANKS!!

That's a little on the high side, even for a real 1 bedroom that is in Foggy Bottom. But if $1700 includes all utilities, it isn't so bad. (Yes, it costs an arm and a leg to live in DC). If your family doesn't have a lot of money, you may want to seek out a roommate and get a 2 bedroom, however, because financial aid only gives about $900/month for housing (though you can get it adjusted to more if need be).

Dean Goldberg told us recently that the pass rate for Step 1 at GW last year was 95% (or maybe that was the pass rate for the 4th years who just matched?). Anyways, it was 95% on the first try for some recent class. I think the national average for U.S. allopathic schools is 93% or so if I remember correctly.

 

[dancinRN1022]

Yikes - I have to submit my GW aid form still too! I tried to log in this weekend and couldn't get it to work either. If you get that info please post here. I'll try calling tomorrow too.

I'll try to call before i go to work at three... if i don't can u post the answer too?? thanks....

 

[rds726]

still waiting on that email...or snail mail

Question: Why can you only do the financial aid after you have been accepted? Doesn't that put waitlisted applicants at a disadvantage for receiving aid if they are accepted later? Most other schools seem to let waitlisted applicants fill out the financial aid supplement while waitlisted.

 

[Phoenix.]

I'll try to call before i go to work at three... if i don't can u post the answer too?? thanks....

I just called, but no answer, so I sent an email. I'll let you know when I hear back.

Also, have you guys heard from a current student? I saw an email from GW saying someone should have contacted us, but no dice for me. Anyone else?

And good luck rds!

 

[Spartan123]

I just called, but no answer, so I sent an email. I'll let you know when I hear back.

Also, have you guys heard from a current student? I saw an email from GW saying someone should have contacted us, but no dice for me. Anyone else?

And good luck rds!

I got an email about a month ago from a current student. just asked whether I had any questions and then a little about themselves. i thought it was a nice touch, i didn't get anything from the other schools i have been accepted at.

in terms of acceptance, i receieved notice via email.

What is the financial aid supplement? i don't think i got that email or maybe i overlooked it. I remember looking at a word document that was a couple of pages long that talked about financial aid stuff. was the link in there? I emailed the financial aid office a couple of days ago (before i heard anything about this supplement) just to see what steps i should take for now and they said that they should be sending out a supplement to fill out soon. maybe the person was confused if it is already out now? could someone PM me what it was?

 

[Phoenix.]

What is the financial aid supplement? i don't think i got that email or maybe i overlooked it. I remember looking at a word document that was a couple of pages long that talked about financial aid stuff. was the link in there? I emailed the financial aid office a couple of days ago (before i heard anything about this supplement) just to see what steps i should take for now and they said that they should be sending out a supplement to fill out soon. maybe the person was confused if it is already out now? could someone PM me what it was?

Oddly enough, the link was not in that financial aid doc you're talking about - I checked. Instead, it was in a more recent email that I got on March 4th. The web site is: http://www.gwumc.edu/smhs/Fin-Aid/. There's a link to the online application on that site. I got a response to my email, and they said they're forwarding it on to the financial aid office.

 

[lacrossefiend73]

Also, have you guys heard from a current student? I saw an email from GW saying someone should have contacted us, but no dice for me. Anyone else?

The email I got from a current student was actually from the student that interviewed me. Kinda weird you didn't get one... but it wasn't a big deal, just asked if I had any questions.

Thanks for emailing them about FA!

 

[dancinRN1022]

thanks phoenix.... i still don't have an answer but i will check the board at work or when i get home tonight....i got an email too...it wasn't a huge deal...it was nice though....just telling us about the school and giving us someone to email if we had specific questions!!! thanks for the work... i'll let u know if my answer comes before yours does!!!