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The George Washington University Medical Center

Overview of GWUMC

Founded in 1824, The George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC) is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary academic health care center comprising the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; School of Public Health and Health Services; GW Hospital, which is jointly operated by Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS); and GW Medical Faculty Associates, Inc. (MFA) which includes both the primary care and specialty practices of the medical faculty. GWUMC also has a longstanding tradition in research, with about 400 research projects currently underway.

GWUMC is especially known for its Cancer Institute (GWCI), Response to Emergencies and Disasters Institute (READI), Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWISH), Ronald Reagan Institute for Emergency Medicine (RRIEM), Center for Health Policy, minimally invasive surgery, and cardiovascular research and treatment.

GWUMC physicians, staff, residents, and students have a long tradition of public service. They serve as volunteers in many nonprofit health clinics in Washington, DC, including the Whitman-Walker Clinic, Zacchaeus Free Clinic, and La Clinica del Pueblo. In addition, the GW Breast Care Center runs the area's only mobile mammography unit, the GW Mammovan, in conjunction with the Cancer Research Foundation of America.

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences is enriched by the diversity of its more than 600 medical students. Four of every ten students hold undergraduate degrees in the arts, humanities, or social sciences.

The Practice of Medicine curriculum was one of the first in the nation to place students in clinical settings from the start of their medical school experience. In addition to the doctor of medicine degree, the School offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs to prepare health professionals for roles in selected specialties within the medical profession. Programs include clinical laboratory sciences and administration. There is a post-master's nurse practitioner program and one of the country's leading physician assistant programs.

The School of Public Health and Health Services

The School of Public Health and Health Services, the only one in the nation's capital, was established July 1, 1997. The School encompasses the Departments of Environmental-Occupational Health, Epidemiology-Biostatistics, Health Services Management and Policy, International Public Health, and Prevention and Community Health. Approximately 650 students are enrolled in the School.

The degrees offered include the fully accredited master of public health, master of health services management and policy, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology-biostatistics. Bachelor and master degrees in exercise science are also offered. The School's Wertlieb Educational Institute for Long Term Care Management has already emerged as a national and international resource for education and interdisciplinary dialogue in long-term care management and finance.



The content on these web pages is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not designed to replace medical advice or professional medical services. The information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. Medical decisions should be made in consultation with your qualified health care provider. There may be variations in treatment that your health provider may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.