George Washington University Medical School
Encyclopedia
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GW Med for short) was established in 1824 due to the need for doctors in the District of Columbia (DC) but formally opened its doors a year later in 1825. It is the eleventh oldest medical school in the country and the first medical school established in the nation's capital. The school has more than 700 medical students currently enrolled in its Doctor of Medicine
(MD) program. Over the past few years, GW has seen a dramatic rise in the number of applications it receives. For the past six years, it has been the most applied to medical school in the country, receiving almost 14,000 applications (13,856 applications; a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year), per admission cycle.
What was once a medical institution ravaged by various wars and battles gained prominence in 1981 when US President Ronald Reagan
, shot at close range, was rushed to its ER and given the proper care and assistance. Politics aside, the George Washington University School of Medicine has always been at the forefront of technology for research and application. GW's innovations include the six-million volt linear accelerator, a radioisotope laboratory
, and the first operating theaters with overheard observation deck
s, among others. Accepted students have the privilege of studying in one of the most historically significant schools, and have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Political figures, such as former Vice President
Dick Cheney
and former First Lady
Laura Bush
, also come to GW for routine and emergency procedures.
Four out of every ten students holds an undergraduate degrees in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. A unique aspect of the school is the Practice of Medicine (POM) course that spans the entire length of a medical student's education. GW was one of the first in the country to place students in clinical settings from the start of their medical school experience.
's graduate programs. The School of Medicine has the second-lowest admissions rate in the United States (2.9% during 2008 admission cycle) according to US News and World Report. For the MD class entering in 2009, a little more than 1,000 applicants were interviewed out of a total number of 13,856 applicants. Approximately 300 individuals were accepted to fill 188 spots. Students had an average GPA of 3.69, and a mean MCAT score of 30.6
Tuition is $45,000 for the first year class while the total cost of attendance is roughly $70,000 a year. Despite high costs, GW also provides the most financial aid and merit based scholarships in the country.
The residency placements of GW medical students are very competitive against national standards (94% of students get their first choice residency). The most represented residency placements consistently include Johns Hopkins
, Yale
, Stanford, Harvard-affiliated Hospitals and the University of California
hospitals. Many students choose to continue at the George Washington Hospital or work with the GW Medical Faculty Associates, DC's largest not-for-profit ambulatory care practice.
Residency training for graduates of non-US medical schools and colleges is also provided by the GW Medical Center.
Note: The years listed above refer to the years the individuals became the deans of the medical school, not their length of total service at the School
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(MD) program. Over the past few years, GW has seen a dramatic rise in the number of applications it receives. For the past six years, it has been the most applied to medical school in the country, receiving almost 14,000 applications (13,856 applications; a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year), per admission cycle.
What was once a medical institution ravaged by various wars and battles gained prominence in 1981 when US President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, shot at close range, was rushed to its ER and given the proper care and assistance. Politics aside, the George Washington University School of Medicine has always been at the forefront of technology for research and application. GW's innovations include the six-million volt linear accelerator, a radioisotope laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
, and the first operating theaters with overheard observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
s, among others. Accepted students have the privilege of studying in one of the most historically significant schools, and have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Political figures, such as former Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
and former First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, also come to GW for routine and emergency procedures.
Four out of every ten students holds an undergraduate degrees in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. A unique aspect of the school is the Practice of Medicine (POM) course that spans the entire length of a medical student's education. GW was one of the first in the country to place students in clinical settings from the start of their medical school experience.
Admission
Admission to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences is the most competitive of the George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
's graduate programs. The School of Medicine has the second-lowest admissions rate in the United States (2.9% during 2008 admission cycle) according to US News and World Report. For the MD class entering in 2009, a little more than 1,000 applicants were interviewed out of a total number of 13,856 applicants. Approximately 300 individuals were accepted to fill 188 spots. Students had an average GPA of 3.69, and a mean MCAT score of 30.6
Tuition is $45,000 for the first year class while the total cost of attendance is roughly $70,000 a year. Despite high costs, GW also provides the most financial aid and merit based scholarships in the country.
The residency placements of GW medical students are very competitive against national standards (94% of students get their first choice residency). The most represented residency placements consistently include Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
, Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, Stanford, Harvard-affiliated Hospitals and the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
hospitals. Many students choose to continue at the George Washington Hospital or work with the GW Medical Faculty Associates, DC's largest not-for-profit ambulatory care practice.
International Medicine Program
GW is famous for providing leading US medical school education to international students. The International MD Program was developed by the Office of International Medicine Programs at GW in response to the great demand for US-educated physicians abroad. Differences in educational/teaching styles, language, and culture may present further obstacles to international students who apply to American programs. The International MD Program is designed to facilitate international students who wish to practice medicine, and to further GW's mission to improve the health and well-being of communities beyond its locale by promoting the exchange of knowledge across cultures.Residency training for graduates of non-US medical schools and colleges is also provided by the GW Medical Center.
Accreditation Probation
In 2008 the medical school was put on probation by its accrediting institution citing a number of issues with the program, in particular its outdated system of managing its curriculum, high levels of student debt, and inadequate study and lounge space for its students. GW put up a plan to rectify these problems within two years and its probationary status was lifted in February 2010.Medical Training Programs
- AnesthesiaAnesthesiaAnesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
- Biomathematics/StatisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
- Cell BiologyCell biologyCell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
- Emergency MedicineEmergency medicineEmergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
- Family MedicineFamily medicineFamily medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
- Internal MedicineInternal medicineInternal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
- MicrobiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
/ImmunologyImmunologyImmunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the... - NeurologyNeurologyNeurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
- NeurosurgeryNeurosurgeryNeurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
- ObstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
/Gynecology - OncologyOncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
- OphthalmologyOphthalmologyOphthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- OtolaryngologyOtolaryngologyOtolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
- PathologyPathologyPathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
- PediatricsPediatricsPediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
- PharmacologyPharmacologyPharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
- PhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
/BiophysicsBiophysicsBiophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems... - PsychiatryPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
- RadiologyRadiologyRadiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
- SurgerySurgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
- UrologyUrologyUrology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
Locations of the Medical School
The original location of the Medical School, established as a department of Columbian College in 1824, was at Judiciary Square. It then moved to the northeast corner of 10th & E streets NW and later in the 19th century, to the 1300 block of H Street NW. The Medical School moved in 1973 to its current location at Washington Circle in Foggy Bottom.Deans
- 1825: Thomas Henderson.
- 1827: Nicholas W. Worthington
- 1828: Frederick May
- 1829: James M. Staughton
- 1830: Thomas P. Jones
- 1839: J. Frederick May
- 1840: John M. Thomas
- 1841: Thomas Miller
- 1842: Harvey Lindsly
- 1843: W.P. Johnston
- 1850: Joshua Riley
- 1851: J. Frederick May
- 1852: Grafton Tyler
- 1853: Robert King Stone
- 1854: Lewis H. Steiner
- 1855: Thomas Miller
- 1856: W.P. Johnston
- 1857: James J. Waring
- 1858: John C. Riley
- 1879: A.F.A. King
- 1894: D. Kerfoot Shute
- 1897: Emil Alexander deSchweinitz
- 1904: William F.R. Phillips
- 1909: William Cline Borden
- 1931: Earl Baldwin McKinley
- 1938: Walter A. Bloedorn
- 1957: John L. Parks
- 1972: James J. Feffer
- 1974: John Patrick Naughton
- 1976: Lawrence Thompson Bowles
- 1990: Robert I. Keimowitz
- 2004: James L. Scott
Note: The years listed above refer to the years the individuals became the deans of the medical school, not their length of total service at the School
Other Programs
Other programs include include clinical laboratory sciences and administration training. The school also offers a nurse practitioner program and a physician assistant program.Alumni
- Julius AxelrodJulius AxelrodJulius Axelrod was an American biochemist. He won a share of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1970 along with Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler...
(PhD '55 and LLD '71, 1970 Nobel laureate in Physiology and Medicine and Research Neuroscientist at National Institute of Health) - Neal D. BarnardNeal D. BarnardNeal D. Barnard is an American physician, author, clinical researcher, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine , an international network of physicians, scientists, and laypeople who promote preventive medicine, conduct clinical research, and promote higher...
(Physician, author, clinical researcher, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible MedicinePhysicians Committee for Responsible MedicineThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., which promotes a vegan diet, preventive medicine, alternatives to animal research, and encourages what it describes as "higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research." Its primary...
) - A.Y.P. GarnettA.Y.P. GarnettAlexander Yelverton Peyton Garnett was an American physician. He was President of the American Medical Association, and served Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War...
(Physician who served Jefferson Davis, the leader of the ConfederacyConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, during the Civil War years) - Atul Grover (AAMCAssociation of American Medical CollegesThe Association of American Medical Colleges is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and established in 1876. It administers the Medical College Admission Test...
Chief Advocacy Officer and Professor at Johns HopkinsJohns HopkinsJohns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
School of Public Health) - Albert Freeman Africanus KingAlbert Freeman Africanus KingAlbert Freeman Africanus King was a bystander physician who was pressed into service during the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In addition, King was one of the earliest to suggest the connection between mosquitos and malaria....
(MD, 1861, attended GW when it was called the Columbia Medical College - he was the physician who tended to Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
after he was shot by John Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
. In addition, King was one of the earliest to suggest the connection between mosquitos and malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
.) - Floyd D. Loop (Chairman and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
- William P. Magee (Co-founder of Operation SmileOperation SmileOperation Smile is a not-for-profit medical service organization based in Norfolk, Virginia , founded in 1982. A secular NGO, the children's medical charity provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, assists countries in reaching self-sufficiency with these surgeries, and...
) - Kenneth P. MoritsuguKenneth P. MoritsuguKenneth P. Moritsugu is an American physician and public health administrator.Rear Admiral USPHS, retired in September 2007 as acting United States Surgeon General...
(Deputy Surgeon General and Surgeon General of the United States) - Irving Pinsley (Pioneer of electroshock therapy application and occupational therapy)
- Robert King StoneRobert King StoneRobert King Stone was the doctor who served U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during the years of the American Civil War. He received his medical degree from George Washington University Medical School. Stone testified at the tribunal of inquiry into Lincoln's assassination in 1865.-References:...
(Physician who served US President Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
)
Faculty
- James CarrollJames Carroll (scientist)Major James Carroll ) was a US Army physician.Carroll was born in England. He moved to Canada in 1874, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1874. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Maryland in 1891...
(Identified germs as the cause of diseases and changed the course of medicine, worked with Dr. Theobald SmithTheobald SmithTheobald Smith ForMemRS was a pioneering epidemiologist and pathologist and is widely-considered to be America's first internationally-significant medical research scientist.- Education :...
) - Thomas HendersonThomas Henderson-Politicians:* Thomas Henderson , American politician* Thomas Henderson , New Zealand politician* Thomas J...
- Peter HotezPeter HotezDr. Peter J. Hotez is a scientist, pediatrician, and leading advocate and expert in the fields of global health, vaccinology, and neglected tropical disease control. He is President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, headquartered in Washington, DC; and will lead the Sabin vaccine development program...
(Distinguished Research Professor and Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine, and Principal Scientist and Founding Director of the Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative) - Albert Freeman Africanus KingAlbert Freeman Africanus KingAlbert Freeman Africanus King was a bystander physician who was pressed into service during the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In addition, King was one of the earliest to suggest the connection between mosquitos and malaria....
(Famous for Manual of Obstetrics that became the national standard) - Ferid MuradFerid MuradFerid Murad is an Albanian-American physician and pharmacologist, and a co-winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He is also an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo.- Life :...
{Discovered the role of nitric oxideNitric oxideNitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a diatomic molecule with chemical formula NO. It is a free radical and is an important intermediate in the chemical industry...
in the cardiovascular system} - Walter ReedWalter ReedMajor Walter Reed, M.D., was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact...
(Army Major who identified that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct contact with an infected patient) - Frederick RussellFrederick Russell-References:*...
(Introduced typhoid vaccine into the army) - James Staughton (Professor of Surgery)
- Thomas SewallThomas SewallDr. Thomas Sewall was an American doctor, writer and academic. He gained notoriety for being convicted of body snatching, and later went on to become a professor.-Life:...
(Professor of Anatomy) - Theobald SmithTheobald SmithTheobald Smith ForMemRS was a pioneering epidemiologist and pathologist and is widely-considered to be America's first internationally-significant medical research scientist.- Education :...
(Identified germs as the cause of diseases and changed the course of medicine, worked with Dr. James CarrollJames Carroll (scientist)Major James Carroll ) was a US Army physician.Carroll was born in England. He moved to Canada in 1874, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1874. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Maryland in 1891...
) - Nicholas Williams Worthington (Professor of Materia Medica)
- Vincent du VigneaudVincent du VigneaudVincent du Vigneaud was an American biochemist. He won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1955 for the isolation, structural identification, and total synthesis of the cyclic peptide, oxytocin.-Biography:...
(1955 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Head of the Biochemistry Department at the George Washington University School of Medicine)