Say hello to a fulfilling career in medicine!

Are you interested in applying to medical school, dental school, or PA (physician assistant) school but lack the necessary science coursework? Have you been working in another field and now want to transition to healthcare? Or did you major in a non-science undergraduate degree only to later realize that medicine is your true passion?

If any of these situations apply to you, then the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine Certificate Program at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is designed for you!

Our program, located at the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, is tailored to the unique needs of career-changers. We offer an intensive 11-month, 37-credit curriculum designed to help you reach your goals quickly. With a small cohort and dedicated faculty, we provide personalized attention and counseling.

Our program offers both pre-MD/pre-DO/pre-Dental and pre-PA tracks to suit your individual career aspirations.

PROGRAM LOCATION:
ASHBURN VIRGINIA

PROGRAM LENGTH:
11 MONTHS

NUMBER OF CREDITS:
37

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Post-Baccalaureate Program 91% Acceptance to Medical School 100% Acceptance to PA School

Program Information

Who Benefits from the Certificate program?

GW's Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine program benefits those with undergraduate degrees who have not previously taken the core science courses necessary for medical school admission. Our program provides Fridays off from course work, allowing students to take advantage of local clinical, shadowing, and research opportunities.

Why Should I Choose GW?

The GW Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med program is housed within The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The program has access to extensive GW resources, and connects students with numerous research and clinical opportunities. The GW name, which sets our program apart from others in the country, opens doors in the DC community, allowing our students to secure both volunteer positions while in school and meaningful employment during their gap year.

Our faculty all have doctoral degrees and are experts in their fields. Additionally, our teaching assistants, who serve as your on-the-ground mentors, are recent graduates who are currently applying to professional schools. You will have actual physicians and physician assistants involved in leadership, teaching, and advising.

In addition, our post-baccalaureate program has several linkage programs with medical and PA schools.

These linkage programs enable highly qualified Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine students with previous patient care experience and a strong undergraduate GPA to apply during their post-bac year.
If admitted to one of the linkages, students will move seamlessly into medical or PA school after completing the post-bac certificate, effectively skipping the glide year.
For pre-MD students, we have linkages with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University, and the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.
For pre-PA students, we have linkages with the George Washington University Physician Assistant Program and Saint Elizabeth University. Linkage requirements vary by program.

What Will I Learn?

All students will take a number of core science courses required by many programs, including biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Pre-MD/DO track students will also take physics, which will help them with the MCAT. Additionally, the program includes an integrated Kaplan MCAT prep course. Dental students will follow the same pre-med track but will receive support for the DAT. Pre-PA track students will substitute anatomy and physiology in place of physics and will additionally take medical terminology. GRE prep resources will be provided.

All students will receive one-on-one advising and will learn interview skills from faculty with experience in graduate program admissions. For a well-rounded view of medicine and other health professions, students will also hear from guest speakers about current topics in the industry, including health care policy, research, and inter-professional practice.

Who is an ideal candidate?

We are looking for career-changers who have discovered their passion for medicine later than most. Candidates should be prepared to handle an accelerated curriculum. The mean GPA for our accepted students is 3.6, and having had a challenging major or extensive work responsibilities is a plus. However, please bear in mind that we do not recommend or allow working full-time during this program, as it is intensive.

Most of our students come in with over twenty hours of shadowing experience. If you are considering linkage programs, particularly if you are pre-PA, having more clinical experience will give you a greater advantage due to the admissions requirements of those programs.