Medicine: An Inside Look At Treating Patients
Pursuing a career in medicine means understanding far more than the science behind a diagnosis. This course takes you inside the patient journey across three complex cases so you can see how multidisciplinary teams collaborate from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. You'll hear directly from physician specialists and other healthcare providers to gain a firsthand look at the roles, responsibilities, and decision-making that define patient care. These insights will help you determine if this field is the right fit for you.
Program Dates
Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 18 and up
College Credit Course Fees
$3,995
Enrichment Course Fees
$1,895
What's the Difference Between Our College Credit and Enrichment Courses?
Both enrichment and college credit–bearing options feature engaging online lessons and instructional support. College credit–bearing courses include additional coursework and offer the opportunity to earn academic credit upon successful completion. Some course content overlaps across both options, so students are encouraged to choose the format that best aligns with their academic or professional goals.
College Credit Courses$3,995
Length of Course: Multi-length course options
Instruction & Activities: 128 hours
Grading: Letter grade
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours: ✔️
Certificate of Completion: Georgetown Transcript
Enrichment Courses$1,895
Length of Course: 1-, 2-, or 4-weeks
Instruction & Activities: 20-30 hours
Grading: Pass/Fail
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours:❌
Certificate of Completion:✔️
How Healthcare Teams Treat Real Patients
How Healthcare Providers Work as a Team
Study the various roles and training required across patient-facing medicine. Learn how shared medical language and standardized communication protocols keep diverse care teams aligned and effective.
Inside a Kidney Transplant Case
Follow a patient through a kidney transplant and recovery alongside a multidisciplinary medical team. Observe how science, ethics, and teamwork converge to manage complex cases and high-stakes outcomes.
Managing Peripheral Vascular Disease
Trace how specialists from endocrinology, podiatry, and nutrition collaborate to manage diabetes complications. Analyze how integrated care teams address vascular disease and neuropathy through coordinated treatment and therapy.
A Cancer Patient's Path Through Treatment
Examine the treatment of a malignant tumor alongside radiation oncologists, MRI techs, and nurse practitioners. Discover how coordinated, specialized care across multiple disciplines directly shapes critical patient outcomes.
Innovations Expanding the Field
Investigate how genetic testing, integrative medicine, and human factors redefine traditional practice. Identify how these emerging sciences create new career opportunities at the intersection of innovation and care.
Charting Your Path in Medicine
Evaluate the breadth of medical careers, from specialty practice to emerging scientific fields. Determine how each role aligns with your personal interests to inform your future direction.
What You Gain From This Experience
- Knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and training paths for physicians, nurses, technicians, therapists, and other care team members.
- Firsthand exposure to how multidisciplinary healthcare teams collaborate to diagnose, treat, and manage complex patient cases.
- Familiarity with the science behind treatment plans for conditions, including kidney transplant, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer.
- Experience building a patient care plan through a Final Capstone Project.
- A Certificate of Completion from Georgetown University upon successful completion of the course.
What Sets This Program Apart
A Capstone Project With Real-World Relevance
- Design a comprehensive care plan for a patient with congestive heart failure or thyroid cancer, selecting at least five healthcare providers and defining each one's role.
- Practice the kind of team-based clinical thinking that defines how care is delivered across specialties and settings.
Instructional Guidance And Mentorship
- Receive feedback from course mentors as you work through patient scenarios, develop care plans, and prepare your Final Capstone Project.
- Strengthen your ability to communicate clinical reasoning through guided review of written and presentation-based work.
Flexible Learning With Clear Expectations
- Engage with online coursework designed to fit alongside your current academic, professional, or personal commitments.
- Complete assignments and the Final Capstone Project on a predictable timeline that supports independent planning.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Course Designed by Georgetown University Faculty
Dr. Rebecca Evangelista, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery and General Surgeon at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH)
Dr. Evangelista designed and leads both the surgery and medicine pre-college courses. She was the Director for Undergraduate Surgical Education for over 10 years and now focuses on educational leadership in the professional development of faculty and residents. She has been a general surgeon at MGUH since January 2006. Dr. Evangelista completed medical school at Upstate Medical University, a general surgery residency at George Washington University Hospital, and a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Virginia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here.
Answers to Your Questions HereScholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.