USC School of Medicine

A national leader in primary care medical education, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine also sponsors research focused primarily on South Carolina health care needs and provides a wide range of clinical care services to South Carolinians. In addition to the degree of Doctor of Medicine, the School of Medicine offers the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Science, Master of Science in Genetic Counseling, Master of Biomedical Science with specialization in Nurse Anesthesia, and Master of Rehabilitation Counseling. A wide variety of residency and fellowship programs is offered in cooperation with affiliated hospitals, and the school sponsors a continuing medical education program for state health care practitioners.
    The school's administrative offices and basic science departments, which adjoin the Dorn VA Medical Center, have the advantage of both a beautiful, historic campus and well-equipped, modern laboratories and classrooms. Clinical departments are located on the rapidly expanding USC School of Medicine campus at Richland Medical Park in central Columbia.
    Affiliated hospitals are the Byrnes Center for Geriatric Medicine, Education, and Research, the Dorn VA Medical Center, the Greenville Hospital System, the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Moncrief Army Hospital, and Richland Memorial Hospital. The school also collaborates closely with state agencies involved in health service delivery.

The M.D. Program

Medical Students earn the Doctor of Medicine degree in a general four-year program designed to be followed by graduate training in a specialty area. During the first two years of the program, students study the sciences basic to medicine -- anatomy, behavioral science, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology.
    Clinical correlations to basic material are emphasized, and professional skills are nurtured in a four-semester Introduction to Clinical Practice course continuum.

In the third year medical students leave the classroom and enter the hospitals and clinics full-time for hands-on training with residents under the close supervision of faculty. The final two years of the medical curriculum include required clinical clerkships in family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. There is also ample opportunity in the fourth year for elective courses, allowing the student flexibility and time to pursue individual interests. While most medical students complete their core clinical training at Columbia-area affiliated hospitals, an optional clinical clerkship program at the Greenville Hospital System is available.

The M.D. program is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges. Class size for each of the four years is limited to 72 students. With this relatively small class size, a favorable faculty/student ratio, and varied hospital resources, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine is able to offer the medical student personalized instruction and excellent patient contact opportunities.
    As a community-based medical school, the USC School of Medicine provides medical students with preceptorship opportunities in the offices of practicing physicians in the Columbia area. An innovative Rural Primary Care Education Project, in Winnsboro, S.C., provides students with first-hand experience in rural practice. An active faculty research program keeps the medical education program up-to-date and reinforces training in the scientific approach to medicine. As part of South Carolina's flagship state university, the USC School of Medicine also makes available to medical students all the benefits of a large university community, including contact with students and faculty in related disciplines and a variety of university cultural and recreational events.

The Ph.D. in Biomedical Science

Designed to train students for careers in teaching and research, the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Science is an interdisciplinary program with specializations in anatomy, cell biology, experimental pathology, microbiology and immunology, pharmacology, and physiology.

    The curriculum includes required and elective courses and seminars, supervised laboratory research, and participation in teaching. The program's size of approximately 40 students provides extensive student-faculty interaction.

The M.S. in Genetic Counseling

The Master's Program in Genetic Counseling prepares genetic counselors to work with families at risk for genetic disease or birth defects. Graduates are also involved in teaching, research, and administrative aspects of this growing field. The curriculum includes course work and internship opportunities at the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, the Medical College of Georgia, the Greenwood Genetic Center, the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, and Savannah Perinatology Associates. The only one of its kind in the Southeast and one of only 20 in the United States, the Genetic Counseling Master's Program is accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

Master's Program in Nurse Anesthesia

The Master's Program in Nurse Anesthesia trains registered nurses to develop, implement, and evaluate the anesthetic care of patients. Co-sponsored with Richland Memorial Hospital, the program includes both course work and clinical experience.
    The Master's Program in Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. Graduates are eligible for certification by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists.

Master of Rehabilitation Counseling

The Master's Program in Rehabilitation Counseling provides professional training which prepares counselors to aid in the rehabilitation of disabled and disadvantaged persons. The curriculum includes both classroom and field-based experiences. Most graduates pursue careers with the S.C. departments of Vocational Rehabilitation, Mental Health, and Disabilities and Special Needs, as well as various substance abuse programs. The program is accredited by the Commission on Rehabilitation Education.

Graduate Medical Education

Residencies in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery are co-sponsored with Richland Memorial Hospital, the Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute. A residency program in preventive medicine and fellowships in medical and psychiatric specialties are offered by individual School of Medicine departments.

Continuing Medical Education

To help South Carolina physicians and health care professionals keep up with rapid advances in medical knowledge, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Richland Memorial Hospital jointly sponsor an extensive continuing medical education program. The program includes regular grand rounds, seminars, and conferences which give the health care professional an opportunity for both in-depth study and review of topics of current interest.

Research Programs

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine emphasizes research partnerships with affiliated hospitals and agencies to direct investigations to areas of greatest potential benefit to South Carolinians. The Centers of Research Excellence, a joint interdisciplinary venture with Richland Memorial Hospital, includes research centers focused on cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, biomedical ethics, and primary health care. The Rural Primary Care Education Project in Winnsboro, S.C., serves as a center for research on rural health care delivery, including telemedicine.
    Innovative research on geriatric health care and child and community mental health issues is under way in cooperation with the Byrnes Center for Geriatric Medicine, Education, and Research and the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute. Other areas of research strength include developmental disabilities, infectious diseases and immunology, and reproductive biology and endocrinology.