Georgetown Graduate Studies

More than just a pathway to medical school: For 51 graduating classes of "Physios," as graduates dub themselves, Georgetown University Biomedical Graduate Education's Special Master's Program in Physiology & Biophysics (SMP) has offered a tight-knit community of mentors and friends that lasts far beyond graduation and spans across classes.

“I think every Physio has a bond with every other Physio," said alum Dr. Daniel B. Casey (G'01, M'06, R'10, F'13). "Like, even if [it’s] 20 years’ difference … they always have a special place in your heart."

The SMP celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 and counts nearly 6,000 alumni. Designed for aspiring medical doctors strengthening their resumes and skills for medical school, the SMP puts graduate students into first-year medical classes and grades them on the med students' curve to prove they can keep up.

"Doing the SMP and doing well in it, it really gives you the mindset, like, ‘Oh, I can handle this, I can do this,'" said Sloan White (G'25, M'29), who’s now a first-year medical student at Georgetown.

Commemorate 51 years of the SMP with perspectives from alums, faculty and staff: https://bit.ly/4uCVjxs