How to Get Into Georgetown Medical School: Acceptance Rate, Secondary Essay, and Interview Strategies
Learn the Georgetown Medical School acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and read Georgetown secondary application essay examples
Everything you need to know to get into GUSOM
The Basics of Georgetown University School of Medicine
Georgetown Medical School MD programs
How hard is it to get into Georgetown Medical School?
Georgetown Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Georgetown Medical School interviews
Frequently asked questions about Georgetown School of Medicine
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The Basics of Georgetown University School of Medicine
Essential for you to know before getting started: getting intoGeorgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) requires strong numbers and a demonstrated commitment to cura personalis, the Jesuit principle of caring for the whole person. Georgetown is one of only threemedical schools in Washington, D.C., and its mission-driven curriculum, research opportunities, and location in the nation's capital make it one of the most distinctive programs in the country.
Here's a quick snapshot of what you need to know about Georgetown:
Acceptance rate: 1.40%
Total applications: 14,480
Applicants interviewed: 1,053
Incoming class size: 203
Mean overall GPA: 3.76
Mean MCAT score: 513
Colleges and universities represented: 87; states represented: 28 plus D.C.; countries represented: 6
Average age: 24; age range: 20–45
% Advanced degree holders: 21%;
% Underrepresented in medicine: 15%
First-year tuition: $68,778; total first-year cost of attendance: $117,954
This guide covers everything you need to submit a successful application from admissions requirements and the application timeline to secondary essay strategies, interview preparation, and an FAQ section built around the questions most applicants have.
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Georgetown Medical School MD programs
GUSOM offers several different ways you can earn an MD:
The traditional, four-year MD program
The MD/PhD program
The following dual degree programs:
MD/MBA in conjunction with Georgetown's McDonough School of Business
MD/MPH in conjunction with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
MD/MS in any Georgetown Biomedical Graduate Education Master's program
MD/MALS in Ethics and Professionalism in conjunction with Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies
MD/MA or MD/PhD in conjunction with Georgetown's Department of Philosophy
In this guide, we’ll be focusing on GUSOM’s traditional MD program.
(Suggested reading: MD-PhD Programs: The Ultimate Guide)
Georgetown Medical School tuition
For the 2026–2027 academic year, tuition at Georgetown School of Medicine is $68,778 per year. Tuition and fees for M1 students total $79,191. Including food and housing, books, personal expenses, transportation, health insurance, and loan fees, the total estimated first-year cost of attendance is $117,954. The secondary application fee is $140 — non-refundable with no exceptions.
(Suggested reading: Tuition at Every Medical School in the United States)
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How hard is it to get into Georgetown Medical School?
Georgetown Medical School admissions statistics
Georgetown is among the most selective medical schools in the country. By the most recent numbers:
Total applications: 14,480
Applicants interviewed: 1,053 (7.27% interview rate)
Incoming class size: 203
Acceptance rate: 1.40%
Mean overall GPA: 3.76
Mean MCAT score: 513
Something you should keep in mind: Georgetown'sGuide to Application notes that a highly competitive applicant demonstrates a BCPM (Science) GPA of 3.6 or above, while a GPA below 3.0 is considered non-competitive. An MCAT section score below 125 is also considered non-competitive. As you put together your application, use this as a barometer to determine if Georgetown is areach, target, or undershoot school for you.
(Suggested reading:Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
Georgetown Medical School admissions requirements
GUSOM’s adcoms evaluates five areas holistically: essays (AMCAS and secondary), experiences (clinical, research, and service to underserved populations), MCAT scores, science GPA, and letters of recommendation. No weight is assigned to any particular section.
Among high GPA and MCAT scores, a highly competitive applicant will present a minimum of:
200+ hours of substantive, longitudinal clinical experience — shadowing, scribing, medical mission trips, community EMS, etc. The majority should be in the United States; international experience is acceptable but cannot be the primary source. Note: volunteering in clinic waiting rooms, stocking shelves, or transporting patients is considered good volunteer experience but is not clinical experience
100+ hours of research in any academic discipline
100+ hours of direct service to an underserved population with face-to-face encounters — virtual or telephonic hours do not count toward this requirement.
In addition, the followingprerequisite courses are required:
General biology: 1 year with lab (8 semester hours)
General chemistry: 1 year with lab (8 semester hours)
Organic chemistry: 1 year with lab (8 semester hours) — biochemistry, lab not required, is recommended and may replace a second semester of organic chemistry with lab
Physics: 1 year with lab (8 semester hours)
Mathematics: 1 semester — calculus not required; statistics is acceptable
The following coursework, while not required, is considered useful by Georgetown:
Microbiology, computer science, cellular physiology, genetics, embryology, biostatistics, quantitative analysis, physical chemistry, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.
MCAT requirements for the 2026–2027 cycle: Per Georgetown'sGuide to Application, scores from the three years prior to the year of matriculation are valid. For students matriculating in 2027, scores from 2024, 2025, and 2026 are accepted. No exceptions are made under any circumstances. A valid MCAT score is required for all applications — if you indicate a future test date on your AMCAS application, no review will be initiated until those scores are received.
Letters of recommendation:A committee letter or packet is required if available from your institution. If not, a minimum of two individual letters are required, with a maximum of five total.
(Suggested reading:Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
Georgetown Medical School application timeline
Applications must be submitted viaAMCAS. Georgetown employs rolling admissions and does not pre-screen AMCAS applications, meaning that every applicant who submits a verified primary will receive a secondary invitation.
November 1: AMCAS application deadline
November 15: Transcripts received by AMCAS
December 15: Secondary application deadline (11:59 PM EST — no exceptions) with $140 fee and letters of recommendation received by AMCAS
September 15: Deadline to submit petition for delayed review (for one-year master's degree program participants)
By April 15: Admitted students should narrow to three acceptances
April 30: "Plan to Enroll" deadline — applicants must hold only one acceptance; deposits are refundable until this date only
April 30 – June 14: "Commit to Enroll" option opens in AMCAS
June 15: "Commit to Enroll" deadline (11:59 PM EST) — failure to select results in rescinded offerIf your AMCAS application is verified before July 1, you will receive your secondary invitation within the first 5–7 business days of July. Applications verified on or after July 1 receive invitations within 5–7 business days of verification.
(Suggested reading:The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
Is Georgetown screening applicants with AI?
There is no evidence that Georgetown University School of Medicine uses AI to screen or rank applicants, and the school has published no policy stating that it does. Georgetown’s Committee on Admissions reads the entire application before rendering a decision, and each application is reviewed only once by committee members.
Can you use AI on your own application?The certification statement you sign permits AI tools for brainstorming, proofreading, or editing your essays, as long as the final submission accurately reflects your own work and experiences. AMCAS views AI as a tool to support for your thinking, not a substitute for it.
Acceptable: brainstorming angles, catching typos, feedback that a sentence is unclear or a paragraph runs long.
Not acceptable: having AI draft, outline, or write your essays or activity descriptions and submitting that as your own.
You should keep in mind that the certification is a sworn attestation, so if a school concludes an essay wasn't genuinely yours, that signed statement becomes the basis for an integrity concern. Adcoms can usually spot AI-generated prose by its generic, voice-less quality, which hurts you in front of a human even without any detection tool.
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Over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time.
Get our free 102-page guide to help you with every step: Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat
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Georgetown Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Georgetown's secondary application consists of three essay questions. Two are limited to 1,000 characters — roughly two paragraphs — and one allows 3,000 characters. Brevity, clarity, and specificity are essential. Beyond yourmedical school personal statement, these essays are your best opportunity to demonstrate why you and Georgetown are a genuine match. Head to our guide onmedical school secondary essays for broader strategy.
Question 1: The Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians, with cultural humility, who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. With our Jesuit values of Cura Personalis, People for Others, and Community in Diversity, we are steadfast in our commitment to racial justice and to addressing the health inequities exacerbated by the recent pandemic. Please describe how your values, life experiences, and your identity will contribute to these GUSOM priorities. (1,000 characters)
This is Georgetown's diversity and mission-alignment prompt. The key is Georgetown's specific language: cura personalis, caring for the whole person, and community in diversity. Your response must show — not tell — how your background and experiences connect to those values. A generic diversity essay will not work here.
Example:
Since I graduated from college four years ago, I've been a mental health services coordinator at a nonprofit serving unhoused women in Los Angeles. Despite its challenges, I've found this job extremely rewarding. I'm able to help women access the mental healthcare that they need to improve their lives. This work has shown me how consequential it can be to nourish and care for elements of our health beyond our physical bodies. As I've gotten to know many of the women who seek help, it's also become clear that a lack of access to mental health services can often be a factor in one's path towards housing instability. This work has made me reconsider many common assumptions, which I too held, about poverty and mental illness, and has helped me develop a greater sense of empathy and open-mindedness. I believe that these qualities will be an asset as I embark on my journey through medical school, and I hope to be able to share all I've learned with the Georgetown community.
Why it works:
This nontraditional applicant connects their nonprofit work directly to Georgetown's mission of cura personalis — demonstrating that they understand the value in practice, not just as a concept.
The essay elaborates on an experience that would otherwise be a single line on a resume, showing how it shaped the applicant's empathy and open-mindedness — qualities Georgetown specifically looks for in future physicians.
It is concrete, specific, and grounded in real professional experience rather than a generalized statement of values.
Question 2: Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1,000 characters)
Question 3: Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (3,000 characters)
This is your most important essay — and it is not a generic "why medicine" prompt. It asks specifically why Georgetown and how Georgetown will prepare you. Research theJourneys curriculum, Georgetown'slongitudinal academic tracks, clinical training opportunities, D.C. location, and Jesuit mission. The strongest responses connect specific features of Georgetown's program directly to the applicant's goals and experiences.
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Georgetown Medical School interviews
Of the 14,480 applicants in 2024, only 1,053 were invited to interview — a 7.27% interview rate.
If you receive an interview invite, you should respond immediately. Applicants who do not schedule within two weeks of notification will have their applications withdrawn. You are only allowed to reschedule once, with advance notice, and a second cancellation results in withdrawal.
All interviews are held virtually via Zoom. You will have a single, one-on-one interview lasting between 30 and 45 minutes with either a faculty member or a fourth-year student. A virtual informational presentation is also required prior to your interview. Georgetown notes that applicants invited to interview are notified approximately 4–6 weeks in advance. The interview is not a test of academic knowledge — Georgetown wants to understand your personality, values, passions, and worldview.
Common questions interviewees encounter at Georgetown:
Why medicine? Why Georgetown?
Tell me about your journey to medicine
Tell me about a challenge you faced, how you overcame it, and what you learned
What do you do when you feel stressed?
What's one of the biggest problems in medicine?
How will you contribute to diversity and inclusion at Georgetown?
Tell me about a healthcare issue in D.C., or one in the area you are from
Have you faced any moral or ethical dilemmas? If so, what did you do?
What are your hobbies?
Notice how Georgetown's questions are personal and character-focused rather than clinical. Well-prepared answers to questions like "What do you do when you feel stressed?" or "How will you contribute to diversity and inclusion?" will leave a stronger impression than a polished response to a standard ethics scenario. Throughout everything, keep Georgetown's mission front of mind.
(Suggested reading:How to Ace Your Medical School Interview)
What to Expect While You Wait for a Decision
After your Georgetown interview, most candidates wait 10–12 weeks before receiving a final decision.
Post-submission updates are only available to applicants invited to interview, and they must be submitted as text through the online Secondary Application portal — not by email. If Georgetown is your top choice and you've been waitlisted, a letter of intent submitted through the portal, paired with meaningful new updates, is appropriate. Do not send updates for the sake of sending them; admissions committees recognize filler content immediately. Substance through the correct channel is what counts.
(Suggested reading:How to Write a Great Medical School Letter of Intent or Letter of Interest)
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interview)
The thank you note
Within 24-48 hours of your interview, you should send a brief, personalized thank you note. Georgetown provides the opportunity to do this via their secondary application portal. This isn't just about good manners—it's a chance to reinforce the positive impression you made. Keep it genuine and concise. Express gratitude for your interviewer's time, mention a specific detail from your conversation that reinforced your interest in Georgetown, and reiterate your enthusiasm for the school.
For example, you might write something like: "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me yesterday about Georgetown's commitment to cura personalis. Our discussion about your work with underserved communities in D.C. particularly resonated with me and reinforced my belief that Georgetown's mission aligns perfectly with my own values in healthcare."
When to submit letters of interest to Georgetown
If Georgetown remains your top choice, and you’ve been placed on the waitlist, you might consider sending a letter of interest. Once you’re on the waitlist, this possibility opens in the secondary application portal. It’s important to make sure to submit it through there as sending an email will just be ignored. Your letter should reaffirm your strong interest in Georgetown while providing meaningful updates to your application. The key word here is "meaningful." Don't send updates just for the sake of sending them—admissions committees can spot filler content from a mile away.
What updates to include in your letter of interest
You’ll probably have a variety of updates you could share, but think carefully about which ones you choose to include. Anything you mention should add substantial value to your application. New publications, research presentations, significant awards, or important leadership roles are worth mentioning. Completing additional coursework that strengthens your profile or gaining new clinical experiences could also be worth stating..
However, things like a few more volunteer hours or routine job responsibilities should be left out. Admissions committees appreciate quality over quantity, and sending trivial updates can actually harm your candidacy by making you appear unfocused or overeager.
Suggested reading: (How to Write a Great Medical School Letter of Intent or Letter of Interest)
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Frequently asked questions
Does Georgetown accept international students?
Georgetown considers non-citizens who are eligible for U.S. federal financial aid, including lawful permanent residents, conditional permanent residents, refugees, asylees, and certain other recipients of Form I-94. DACA recipients are also eligible to apply.
Does Georgetown favor D.C. residents?
No. Of the most recent entering class, only 3.4% are District of Columbia residents — 96.6% are out-of-state residents. As a private institution, Georgetown does not give preference based on residency.
When should I submit my application?
As early as possible. Georgetown uses rolling admissions, meaning earlier applications face less competition for interview slots. Aim to submit your AMCAS in May or June and complete your secondary within two weeks of receiving it.
Can I apply if I'm currently in a one-year master's program?
Yes. Applicants enrolled in a one-year master's degree program may submit a petition requesting delayed review of their file until fall semester grades are released. The petition deadline is September 15 of the application year. This does not negatively impact your application.
Final thoughts
Georgetown University School of Medicine is a highly selective medical school with plenty of name recognition and a clearly defined mission of caring for the whole patient. If you hope to be one of the lucky few to gain a spot at Georgetown, first make an effort to achieve top grades and MCAT scores. Then focus on writing standout essays and acing your interview to demonstrate the ways in which you and Georgetown are a perfect match.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For over 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
