Georgetown School of Medicine Opens New Student Spaces

Joan Ferril stands with a large group of medical students in the annex hallway
Students, faculty and staff gathered April 16 for the Med-Dent Student Annex open house to celebrate the new space and thank philanthropist Joan Ferrill (pictured center in the white coat presented to her during the event), whose gift funded the renovations to the space.

Posted in News Stories  |  Tagged

(May 2, 2025) — Georgetown School of Medicine students, faculty and staff gathered April 16 for the Med-Dent Student Annex open house. The newly renovated annex provides medical students with dedicated study space and small group study rooms, as well as a comfortable lounge and kitchen area.

Students stand with Joan Ferrill in a hallway decorated with blue, silver and gray balloons
Students expressed their gratitude to Ferrill for her generous gift.

About 50 medical students, including class leaders, attended the open house to express their gratitude to philanthropist Joan Ferrill, whose generous gift to Georgetown funded the overhaul and upgrades to the space, improving both the appearance and functionality.

Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., MD, MHS, executive vice president for health sciences and School of Medicine executive dean, presented Ferrill with a short white coat like the ones worn by medical students — only hers was embroidered to humorously identify her as a “perpetual student.”

“It was one of the most amazing days I’ve ever had in my life,” Ferrill said. “I was so honored and pleased to meet the wonderful students. If they are the future of medicine, we’re in good hands.”

Ferrill also toured the entry lobby of the Med-Dent Building, as well as the anatomy lab, as both areas will similarly benefit from upgrades and improvements because of her gifts to Georgetown.

Two students sit at a table in the annex study space
Students sit around tables looking at laptops and conversing with each other
A woman and man look at text written on a whiteboard mounted to a wall in a study space in the annex
Med-Dent Student Annex Study Spaces

Student Space at MGUH

A table surrounded by chairs in a room with art on the walls and a plant one corner
The new student study space at MGUH

Two days earlier, another new student space provided by MedStar Georgetown University Hospital near the cancer clinic was officially opened. The space includes bookshelves and a conference room table, and the wall art was provided by the Lombardi Arts and Humanities program.

These dedicated student spaces, along with the Dahlgren Memorial Library and Lauinger Library, expand the options for students to meet or have independent study on campus. A future study area will be created at Georgetown’s Capitol Campus, located in downtown Washington near the U.S. Capitol.

To learn more about making a gift to contribute to capital improvement initiatives within the Medical-Dental Building, please contact sumana.chatterjee@georgetown.edu.