George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Motto	Seek Truth and Pursue It Steadily
Type	Private
Established	1824
Parent institution	George Washington University
Endowment	US $1.57 billion
Provost	Steven Lerman
Dean	Jeffrey S. Akman
Academic staff	677 (Full-Time)
Students	712
Address	2300 I Street NW Washington DC 20037, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Campus	Urban
Website	http://smhs.gwu.edu

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GW SMHS for short) was established in 1824, due to the need for doctors in the District of Columbia (DC). The school formally opened its doors a year later in 1825. It is the eleventh oldest medical school in the United States 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.

GW saw rise in the number of applications, to 14,649 applications in 2012.

The George Washington University School of Medicine is 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 overhead observation decks, among others. Political figures, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and former First Lady Laura Bush, also come to GW for routine and emergency procedures. The school was in the national spotlight in 1981 when US President Ronald Reagan, shot at close range, was rushed to its ER for surgery.

The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library is the academic library for GW SMHS.

Admission to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences is the most competitive of the George Washington University's graduate programs. The School of Medicine has the lowest admissions rate in the United States (2.1% during 2012 admission cycle) according to US News and World Report. For the MD class entering in 2012, a little more than 1,000 applicants were interviewed out of a total number of 14,700 applicants. Approximately 300 individuals were accepted to fill 177 spots. Students had an average GPA of 3.71, and a mean MCAT score of 30.8.