Preparing for the Georgetown University School of Medicine interview

Impressive performance at your Georgetown University School of Medicine interview demands thorough familiarity with the Washington DC metropolitan area's healthcare ecosystem, federal health policy developments, social justice concerns, and significant medical challenges facing both the capital region and the nation at large.

This comprehensive preparation resource equips you with strategic insights to formulate compelling interview responses that reflect Georgetown's Jesuit values of cura personalis - care for the whole person - while demonstrating your understanding of how policy, advocacy, and clinical medicine intersect in this unique setting.

1. The Georgetown Panel Interview: Structure, Themes, and Strategy

Georgetown uses a panel interview format (2-4 interviewers) blending faculty, clinicians, and community partners.

Key details:

• Panel Composition:

  • Faculty Physician: Tests clinical ethics (e.g., “How would you handle a patient refusing lifesaving care due to religious beliefs?”).

  • Medical Student: Probes cultural fit (e.g., “How does your service work align with the HOYA Clinic’s mission?”).

  • Community Advocate: Focuses on social justice (e.g., “Design a program to reduce asthma rates in Ward 8”).

Format:

• 30–45 minutes of collaborative questioning. Expect rapid shifts between personal, ethical, and policy topics. Recent panels have included role-play scenarios, such as mediating a disagreement between a nurse and social worker.

• Themes:

  • Cura Personalis (“Care for the whole person”): How you integrate mental, social, and spiritual factors into patient care.

  • Health Justice: Addressing systemic inequities in D.C., from hospital deserts to immigrant care gaps.

  • Interprofessional Collaboration: Georgetown’s partnerships with law (Health Justice Alliance) and public policy schools.

Insider Tip: Panels assess how you engage multiple stakeholders. Practice addressing individuals by name (e.g., “Dr. X, as an ER physician, you’ve likely seen…”), and bridge Jesuit values with D.C.-specific solutions.

2. D.C. Healthcare Policy: A Microcosm of National Inequities

D.C. operates as a state for Medicaid, creating unique urban health dynamics:

1. Medicaid Expansion & The Immigrant Gap

D.C. expanded Medicaid in 2010 under the ACA, covering 30% of residents—the highest rate in the U.S. Yet 15,000 undocumented immigrants remain ineligible. Georgetown’s HOYA Clinic partners with Mary’s Center to provide sliding-scale care in wards like Columbia Heights, where 40% of patients are uninsured.

2. Opioid Crisis & Harm Reduction

D.C. saw a 250% spike in overdose deaths from 2019–2023. The city now uses opioid settlement funds to install 24/7 naloxone vending machines in neighborhoods like Anacostia. Georgetown’s Addiction Medicine Program trains students in “street medicine” for unhoused populations.

3. Hospital Deserts East of the River

Wards 7 and 8 (92% Black) lost United Medical Center in 2023, leaving 160,000 residents without an ER. Georgetown’s Community Pediatrics Program deploys mobile units to fill gaps, a likely discussion topic.

Tip: Cite Georgetown’s Health Equity Advocacy Lab when proposing systemic fixes.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The D.C. Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Maternal Mortality: Black women in D.C. die at 4x the rate of white women postpartum. Georgetown’s Maternal Health Task Force trains doulas in Ward 8, where 50% of births are Medicaid-funded.

• Mental Health in Schools: D.C.’s B24-0251 (2023) mandates school-based mental health teams. Georgetown psych residents staff clinics in Ballou High School, where 80% of students face trauma exposure.

• Gun Violence as Public Health: 2023 saw 274 homicides—many concentrated in Southeast. Georgetown’s CURE Violence Program treats violence like a contagious disease, deploying “interrupters” in conflict zones.

National Issues with D.C. Stakes

• Abortion Access: Post-Dobbs, D.C. became a haven for Southern patients. Georgetown’s Ryan Residency Program trains OB-GYNs in abortion care despite Catholic affiliations.

• Immigrant Health: 14% of D.C. residents are immigrants. Georgetown’s Asylum Network provides forensic exams for detainees at the ICE facility in Alexandria.

Tip: Reference Georgetown’s Community Action Program to highlight your grasp of their local partnerships.

4. The 5 Questions Georgetown University School of Medicine is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “How would you address vaccine hesitancy in a predominantly Black church community?”

2. “D.C. has the highest HIV rate in the U.S. Propose a Ward 7 intervention.”

3. “A patient refuses a blood transfusion for religious reasons. How do you respond?”

4. “Why Georgetown over other D.C. schools like GW or Howard?”

5. “Describe a time you confronted systemic bias in healthcare.”