Frequently Asked Questions
I have an undergraduate degree but it's not in math or science. I also lack applicable work experiences in the health care field. Will this disqualify me from consideration?
Most of our postbac students come from non-science majors and/or careers. We are typically looking for students who have completed fewer than half of the undergraduate requirements for medical, dental, or veterinary school. If admitted, you must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours to receive a certificate and review by the Georgetown pre-medical recommendation committee. Post-Bac students are also expected to maintain a minimum gpa of 3.2 while completing the requiste coursework.
Will the PBPM program serve my goals if I have already completed all required courses for Med School as an undergraduate?
If you have completed all or most of the required undergraduate pre-medical courses, even if it was many years ago, you are better served by the Georgetown Special Master’s Program (http://smp.georgetown.edu/index.htm). Generally speaking, it is not recommended that a you retake undergraduate pre-med courses, but rather, that you take advanced courses to demonstrate competency.
Can I repeat indiviudal courses that I've completed as an undergraduate?
Please refer to the explanation above.
Does a 3.1 undergraduate GPA automatically disqualify me from consideration into the PBPM program?
We have admitted students with a 3.1 undergraduate GPA, but this is not common. Exceptions have been made in some instances under these circumstances:
- Overall GPA is low but grades in any biology, math, chemistry, or physics courses are good.
- Overall GPA is low, student did not take any biology, chemistry, physics, or math courses, AND student has been away from undergraduate for 2 or more years.
Unfortunately, we are not able to “pre-review” a student’s transcript to comment on the likelihood of success with an application. A full application must be submitted for review.
Despite having a competitive undergraduate GPA, my math and science grades are just average. How much will this impact my chances for admission into the PBPM program?
Generally speaking, the program expects undergraduate math and science grades to be at 3.2 or above. When you apply to medical school, the application will report your grade point average in several ways: your overall undergraduate GPA, your undergraduate “science” GPA (all courses in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics), your undergraduate non-science GPA, and your postbac GPA in all of those categories. In calculating the postbac gpa, your undergraduate AND postbac grades are combined. For example, if you took a math course and a biology course as an undergraduate and then took the pre-med courses as a postbac, all of those courses will be included in your postbac GPA calculations. Therefore, while it is the case that a PBPM program will provide an opportunity to take the pre-med courses and demonstrate proficiency and competency in science courses, it is not completely independent of your undergraduate GPA.
Can I use the PBPM to raise my overall undergraduate GPA before I apply to Med School?
Please refer to the explanation above.
What is the acceptance rate for the PBPM program?
Unfortunately, we do not keep record of our acceptance rate.
Can I apply as an international student?
Foreign applicants are cautioned to do significant research on the likelihood of their success applying to US medical schools before applying to our program. We do not have linkage programs or other arrangements that will facilitate your application.
Before applying to our program you should keep in mind that foreign citizens and future medical school applicants without an undergraduate degree from a US institution may face formidable challenges. It is very difficult for students who are not permanent residents at the time of application to secure a place in a United States medical school and no federal financial aid is available for students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States either for post-baccalaureate or medical school costs. Additionally, most U.S. medical schools prefer applicants who received their undergraduate training, especially in the pre-medical sciences, from institutions of higher education in the United States. Some medical schools may only require the pre-medical science requirements be completed in the United States, but others may require additional credits from a US institution or a bachelor's degree earned in the United States. You should carefully research the requirements of any medical school you think you may want to apply to before applying to our program. Georgetown can only provide access to the pre-medical science courses and one year of English. Any pre-medical science courses taken at a non-US university will need to be repeated.
You should also take into account the extra time it will take to process the necessary visa forms when considering your start date.
Can I connect with first-year students prior to my acceptance
into the program?
Once you are admitted to the program, you may contact current students via our listserve. We do not provide student contact information to applicants.
Can I schedule and an appointment with a pre-medical advisor prior to my acceptance into program?
Unfortunately, we can not offer advising to students prior to acceptance.
How can I schedule a campus tour?
We can not offer campus tours to applicants. However, a self-guided tour of the campus can be found at this link: http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/documents/visitsinfo/selfguidedtour.pdf
