<p>I’m also in the BU program. I also recommend BU for the same reason as above. Of course, you can’t go wrong with either program. Being a BU SMED leads to placement in a great top 40 medical school. I am a first year and we have to maintain a 3.2 GPA and get a 30 on the MCAT the summer after sophomore year. The advisors said getting a 30 is not a problem for SMEDs. The 3.2 GPA is a big advantage also because if you go to a normal undergraduate you have to get 3.5+ to make yourself competitive for a med school like BU School of Medicine. </p>
<p>Both cities are great. Lots of things to do in both places. More political internships in D.C. so if you’re really interested in working on Capitol Hill or for a government agency or something like that during the school year, you should consider that as an advantage for D.C. I think GW is in Foggy Bottom, near the State Department, so if you really want a State Department internship during the school year GW might be convenient. As far as Boston, there are all kinds of internships. There are lots of research opportunities on campus, lots of school funding for research projects, and also great study abroad options (which include internship tracts). You can also take medical school classes during you third and final year as a BU undergrad as long as you have passed the MCAT by then. That’s helpful for your first year at BU School of Medicine because as long as you get a B as a junior in the med school class, you get med school credit (I think). So you can spend more time as an M1 on the classes you haven’t taken yet. That makes 1st year of medical school easier to handle. I know both schools are expensive, but luckily you get one year of tuition off in both places. I am living with a SMED this year and will be living with a SMED next year as well, so you do develop close relationships with the others in the program. </p>
<p>My brother went to school in D.C. and he said there weren’t many contacts between the D.C. schools. In Boston, you can interact with students from other schools and have opportunities to go to other schools for their events if that interests you. Weather-wise, both cities have big snowstorms, but it’s probably muggier in D.C. during the summer and beginning of the school year, according to my brother. It’s also a little colder and more snow probably falls in Boston, but both cities have all types of weather.</p>