Sep 06, 2012 |
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y., — Fourteen 2012 St. Bonaventure University
graduates whose academic credentials earned them early acceptance to George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services have begun their studies at George Washington.
The students were among 177 new medical students who participated in George Washington's White Coat Ceremony on
Aug. 18, a symbolic beginning of the medical careers of the school's class of 2016.
The students were presented their medical white coats, recited an oath, and signed the School of Medicine’s Honor Code.
The St. Bonaventure graduates were participants in the university's Franciscan Health Care Professions program, a highly competitive program offering combined degree and early assurance programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and physical therapy, in combination with medical programs at seven colleges and universities.
Of the 14 St. Bonaventure students beginning their medical school studies this year at George Washington, 13 were accepted as high school seniors into the SBU-GW combined degree program in medicine. Along with their acceptance to SBU, they were awarded a provisional acceptance to GW's School of Medicine, assuring them a seat at GW upon satisfactory completion of their undergraduate studies. One student earned acceptance to GW through the early assurance program with St. Bonaventure, which offers the same provisional acceptance to GW to academically qualified SBU sophomores.
At the White Coat Ceremony, George Washington President Steven Knapp, Ph.D., said this year's incoming class is the most competitive in the medical school's history, a "deep pool of academic talent" drawn from a record 14,700 initial applications. The average age of the class is 23, with an overall 3.7 GPA and 30.4 MCAT score. The students represent 25 states, Canada and India, and 79 undergraduate schools.
Among the St. Bonaventure graduates participating in the White Coat Ceremony at George Washington were these members of the class of 2012:
- Abhimanyu Aggarwal of Leesburg, Va.
- Neil Batta, East Amherst, N.Y.
- Shreya Chablaney, Syosset, N.Y.
- Jason Chien, Saratoga, Calif.
- Mahmuda Khan, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
- Alvin Kim, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Divya Kurian, Clifton Park, N.J.
- Samantha Margulies, Florham Park, N.J.
- Pooja Mahadeshwar, Edison, N.J.
- Andrew Nguyen, Westminster, Calif.
- David Samuel, Markham, Ontario, Canada
- Neha Sanyal, Pittsford, N.Y.
- Julie Scarpino, Jamestown, N.Y.
- Amit Singal, Potomac, Md.
For more information about St. Bonaventure’s Franciscan Health Care Professions program, go to www.sbu.edu/prehealth.