Georgetown University School of Medicine, founded in 1851, is one of the oldest Catholic medical schools in the United States, affiliated with the Jesuit university on the Georgetown campus in Washington, DC. The school is internationally recognized for its ethics curriculum — the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown is one of the world's foremost bioethics centers.
Georgetown's curriculum integrates Jesuit values of social justice, service to others, and whole-person care throughout the four years. Clinical training occurs at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and affiliated DC-area hospitals.
What makes Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) different
Georgetown's Kennedy Institute of Ethics — the world's first academic bioethics center, founded in 1971 — gives students unparalleled access to bioethics scholarship, clinical ethics consultation, and faculty who are internationally recognized ethicists. The Jesuit cura personalis tradition means the school genuinely invests in student wellbeing alongside academic rigor.
Georgetown graduates are consistently noted for their communication and ethical reasoning skills by residency program directors.
Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. The Georgetown curriculum integrates basic science, clinical skills, and humanities/ethics content from Year 1. A mandatory Medical Ethics and Professionalism course threads through all four years. Clinical rotations at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, and affiliated community sites.
The Kennedy Institute of Ethics provides a unique resource for students interested in biomedical ethics.
Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) research strengths
Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:
- Biomedical ethics
- Oncology
- Infectious disease
- Global health
- Health equity
How the Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) interview runs
Format: Traditional interview (faculty, physician, and/or student interviewers)
Georgetown School of Medicine uses a traditional interview format, typically two one-on-one sessions of approximately 30–45 minutes each — one with a faculty member or physician and one with a current medical student. Interviews are non-blind and heavily focus on the school's Jesuit values: cura personalis (care for the whole person), social justice, ethics, and service.
Applicants should expect nuanced ethical questions and direct probing of how their personal values align with the Jesuit mission. The interview day includes a campus tour, a financial aid session, and an information presentation about the curriculum.
Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) intake
Approximately 197 students per year.
Georgetown University School of Medicine (MD) at a glance
Founded in 1851. Based in Washington, DC.
Programmes offered:
- Biomedical Ethics
- Internal Medicine
- Surgery
- Global Health
- Primary Care