3 Best Medical Schools in South Carolina

If you’re looking to study medicine in the US South, then any of these best medical schools in South Carolina is where you should be. 

Aside from the southern charm, unique history, and beautiful beaches, the state of a medical degree is home to three exceptional medical schools that are reputable institutions that train medical students into outstanding future doctors.  

The rigorous medical programs, faculty resources, patient care commitment, and research activity, are the major reason why acquiring a medical degree in South Carolina is of high quality and sought after worldwide. 

In this Xscholarship article, you’ll get to know the 3 best medical schools in South Carolina, student enrollment, curriculum, GPA and MCAT score requirements, rankings, hospital affiliations, and why you should study in South Carolina.

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Best medical schools in South Carolina

Why study in South Carolina

There are a number of reasons why you should choose to study in South Carolina whether as an international student or US citizen. The splendid park landscapes include the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site at Mt. Pleasant, Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Fort Moultrie National Monument at Sullivan’s Island, Congaree National Park in Hopkins, Cowpens National Battlefield near Chesnee, Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston Harbor, Ninety-Six National Historic Site, and the Kings Mountain National Military Park at Blacksburg, adds to the state’s beautiful scenery.

International students will also enjoy the pretty coastline landscapes and attractive islands, and sandy beaches especially the lovely Kiawah Island community, and learn a great deal about American history.

Medical Schools in South Carolina

Medical schools in South Carolina offer hundreds of cutting-edge programs and a welcoming student-focused campus environment. The learning opportunities and hands-on clinical experiences will expand your knowledge as well as personal and professional development in becoming a medical doctor or physician.

Many of the state’s medical schools are located in the two largest urban centers in South Carolina and Columbia. The former is situated on the Atlantic coastline and is known for being an attractive and romantic destination, especially for tourists. in the 2011 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards, Charleston was voted the ‘Top City in the United States.

Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, is nicknamed the ‘The Capital of Southern Hospitality. It is the site of the South Carolina State House, home to the University of South Carolina, and the site of Fort Jackson, the largest United States Army installation for Basic Combat Training. 

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3 Best Medical Schools in South Carolina

  1. University of South Carolina School of Medicine 
  2. Medical University of South Carolina 
  3. USC School of Medicine Greenville

1. University of South Carolina School of Medicine

The University of South Carolina (USC, U of SC, South Carolina, or SC) is a public research university founded in 1801 in Columbia, as South Carolina College. It is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System with seven satellite campuses in the state and over 350 programs of study.

USC’s main campus covers over 359 acres (145 ha) in downtown Columbia. There are approximately 52,000 students enrolled, making it the largest university in South Carolina. There are also several thousand USC future students in feeder programs at nearby technical colleges.

USC School of Medicine faculty conducts special research in Mechanisms for Prevention, Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies for Neuropsychiatric and Neurologic Disorders, Therapeutics of Cardiovascular Disease, Inflammatory Pathways in Health and Disease. The School of Medicine’s research activity focuses on experiential learning, renowned institutes and centers such as the Center for Dietary Supplements and Inflammation, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Research Center for Transforming Health. 

US News ranks the  USC School of Medicine #90 in the US for Research and #76 for Primary Care. It also ranks #1 in the entire US for Medical Schools with Graduates Practicing in Underserved Areas. 

USC School of Medicine partners with clinics and local health facilities. USC School of Medicine’s graduates serves underserved and local communities in the state. The M.D. curriculum combines traditional coursework, and hands-on clinical opportunities to develop creative new approaches to learning. A state-of-the-art $300 million medical school campus and a separate 162,000-square-foot research &laboratory building, are being built on a new 130,000-square-foot medical school. 

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Admission to USC School of Medicine is very competitive. A total of 3,000 applications were received for an incoming class of 99 students in Fall 2020. An average science GPA of 3.63, GPA score of 3.69, and MCAT score of 507 are required to get admitted into USC.

The opposite of South is North. Check out The University of North Carolina Acceptance Rate.

University of South Carolina (USC) Admission Requirements

When considering the University of South Carolina’s admission requirements, a lot of requirements are needed for a successful college application. This includes:

  1. GPA requirements
  2. Testing requirements, including ACT and SAT requirements
  3. Application requirements

The first factor to consider is the acceptance rate to understand how competitive the school is. University of South Carolina’s acceptance rate is 68.6%. 69 are admitted out of every 100 applicants.

USC has GPA and SAT/ACT score requirements, which are more flexible than other schools. Incoming students who reach and even exceed these requirements have an excellent chance of being admitted. 

University of South Carolina GPA Requirements

The minimum GPA requirement is the bare minimum GPA score you must have before you submit an application that will not be immediately rejected.

The GPA requirement is the average GPA you need to stand a chance of getting in. Below is the University of South Carolina’s average GPA for its current students.

The University of South Carolina requires incoming students with a GPA of 4 to be at the top of their class. To compete with other applicants, you’re expected to have nearly straight A’s in all your classes. Furthermore, taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – can help prove to the admission committee your level of academic brilliance

Junior or senior students may find it hard to change their GPA in time for college applications. Students with a GPA below the school average of 4,  will need a higher ACT or SAT score to compensate. This is very crucial to stand a chance of getting admission despite other applicants having higher GPAs.

SAT and ACT Requirements

The requirements for standardized testing are different for each school. While some schools require SAT subject tests, others require both the SAT and ACT test scores.

It is compulsory you take either the SAT or ACT test before you submit an application to the University of South Carolina. It is important to have your SAT or ACT scores ready to have a strong application.

The University of South Carolina SAT Requirements

The University of South Carolina SAT requirement is based on the school’s average score. University of South Carolina’s average SAT score composite is 1275 on the 1600 SAT scale.

It is a competitive SAT test score that makes the University of South Carolina competitive.

The University of South Carolina SAT Score includes 

  • 25th percentile New SAT score of 1180
  • 75th percentile New SAT score of  1370

In other words, the below-average is 1180, while the above-average New SAT score is 1370.

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READ ALSO: University of North Carolina Scholarships Opportunities 2022 for International Students

2. Medical University of South Carolina

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a public medical school founded in 1824 as a small private college in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and the Deep South and also the largest academic medical center in South Carolina. Charleston architect Albert W. Todd designed the school’s main building.

MUSC is currently a state university with a medical center, six colleges for the education of biomedical scientists, health professionals, and other health care personnel, a public hospital, and a center for research. The school’s motto “She (the college) enriches by giving generously” propels all aspects of the MUSC experience. 

MUSC’s curriculum comprises two years of traditional pre-clinical, and two years of clinical fashion. The first two years focus on basic organ systems science courses before hands-on, real-world clinical training in their final two years. Students also cover programs in physical examination and diagnosis, doctoring, and biomedical ethics as part of pre-clinical and clinical blocks.

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MUSC regional campus in Anderson, SC, is home to MUSC AnMed Health Clinical Campus program for its Primary Care Parallel Track. The track centers on primary care in a community hospital setting. The clinical training Charleston-based program and Primary Care Parallel Track occur in the third and fourth years.

MUSC medical students are paired with elderly (65 years and older) residents of the Charleston area through the MUSC’s Senior Mentorship program to reduce stigmas around aging and the elderly and improve the way future doctors and physicians care for older patients. In this program, medical students meet elderly patients in a non-clinical setting to help them improve their bedside manner, and assess different other health markers. 

Admission to the Medical University of South Carolina is very competitive. A total of 3700 applications were received for an incoming class of 180 students in 2021. 90% of the students came from South Carolina, while 10% were non-residents. An average GPA score of 3.77 and an MCAT score of 509 are required to get admitted into MUSC. In the end, 97.7% of 177 senior MUSC applicants were connected to residency positions. 

Medical University of South Carolina GPA Requirements

The minimum GPA requirement is the bare minimum GPA score you must have before you submit an application that will not be immediately rejected.

The GPA requirement is the average GPA you need to stand a chance of getting in. Below is the University of South Carolina’s average GPA for its current students.

Although the average GPA requirements for incoming students to the Medical University of South Carolina are unknown, applicants are still expected to have nearly straight A’s in all your classes. Furthermore, taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – can help prove to the admission committee your level of academic brilliance.

Students with low GPAs will need a higher ACT or SAT score to compensate. This is very crucial to stand a chance of getting admission despite other applicants having higher GPAs.

SAT and ACT Requirements

The requirements for standardized testing are different for each school. While some schools require SAT subject tests, others require both the SAT and ACT test scores.

The Medical University of South Carolina has no current policy on SAT/ACT requirements, hence there is no published average SAT or ACT scores. Yet, you can still submit your SAT or ACT scores for a strong application.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

There is no report on the Medical University of South Carolina SAT Essay/ACT Writing section requirements, but it might be optional.

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3. USC School of Medicine Greenville (Greenville, SC)

University of South Carolina School of Medicine is a public medical school located in Greenville, SC. The school offers a four-year medical program developed as a partnership between the Greenville Health System (GHS) and the University of South Carolina (USC). It is one of the best medical schools in South Carolina.

USC School of Medicine Greenville also partners with Prisma Health, one of the largest care providers in South Carolina, to provide medical students with quality in-class instruction and significant hands-on opportunities. About two-thirds of the USC School of Medicine’s Greenville students population is from South Carolina. Over $3.3 million dollars is awarded in scholarship funds. 

The School curriculum begins with EMT training and EMT certification that gives students the opportunity to experience immediate hands-on clinical training. The Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum incorporates coursework in nutrition, exercise, self-care, and lifestyle habits because of the growing need for healthy lifestyle modifications and preventative medicine in the United States and worldwide, therefore USC School of Medicine Greenville curriculum is developing a new method of educating medical doctors.  

In addition to EMT training and certification, the USC School of Medicine Greenville also includes “soft skills” training in all four years of the M.D. program, enabling medical doctors to graduate as competent medical practitioners, and humane professionals capable of listening deeply, communicating well, and acting with compassion and empathy. 

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Admission to the USC School of Medicine Greenville is very competitive. Its holistic admission process requires an average GPA score between 3.7 and 3.75 and an MCAT score of 509 to get admitted. South Carolina residents pay lower tuition and are favored during the admissions process than out-of-state students. Yet, non-resident students in their first year can establish residency in South Carolina and then pay in-state tuition.

University of South Carolina School of Medicine Admission Requirements

When considering USC School of Medicine Greenville admission requirements, the requirements needed for a successful college application include GPA requirements, ACT and SAT test scores, and application requirements

The first factor to consider is the acceptance rate to understand how competitive the school is. USC School of Medicine Greenville’s acceptance rate is 13%. 13 applicants are admitted out of every 100 applicants, making the school very selective. 

Incoming students who meet and even exceed their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements have an excellent chance of getting admitted. Other requirements include your application, including extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.

USC GPA Requirements

The minimum GPA requirement is the bare minimum GPA score you must have before you submit an application that will not be immediately rejected.

The GPA requirement is the average GPA you need to stand a chance of getting in. Below is the University of South Carolina’s average GPA for its current students.

University of South Carolina School of Medicine requires incoming students with a GPA of 3.79 to be at the top of their class. To compete with other applicants, you’re expected to have at least a mix of A’s and B’s, with more A’s than B’s in all your classes. If you have lower GPA scores, you can still improve your chances by taking AP or IB classes to show you can handle more difficult academics than an average high school student.

Junior or senior students may find it hard to change their GPA in time for college applications. Students with a GPA below the school average of 3.79,  will need a higher  SAT or ACT score to compensate. This is very crucial to stand a chance of getting admission despite other applicants having higher GPAs.

SAT and ACT Requirements

The requirements for standardized testing are different for each school. While some schools require SAT subject tests, others require both the SAT and ACT test scores.

It is compulsory you take either the SAT or ACT test before you submit an application to the University of South Carolina. It is important to have your SAT or ACT scores ready to have a strong application.

USC SAT Requirements

The University of South Carolina SAT requirement is based on the school’s average score. University of South Carolina’s average SAT score composite is 1440 on the 1600 SAT scale.

It is a competitive SAT test score that makes USC School of Medicine Greenville competitive.

The USC School of Medicine Greenville SAT Score includes 

25th percentile New SAT score of 1350

75th percentile New SAT score of  1530

In other words, the below-average is 1350, while the above-average New SAT score is 1530.

Visit School Website

FAQs on the Best Medical Schools In South Carolina

What is the number 1 medical school in South Carolina?

The University of South Carolina (USC, U of SC, South Carolina, or SC) is a public research university founded in 1801 in Columbia, as South Carolina College. It is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System with seven satellite campuses in the state and over 350 programs of study.
There are approximately 52,000 students enrolled, making it the largest university in South Carolina. There are also several thousand USC future students in feeder programs at nearby technical colleges.

How many medical schools are in South Carolina?

There are four medical schools in South Carolina.

Conclusion

And that’s it. Everything important information you need to know on the 5 best medical schools in South Carolina. 

These schools are reputable institutions that provide rigorous medical programs, faculty resources, patient care commitment, and research activity, and train medical students to become outstanding future doctors.

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