M.D. Program Application Process

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the state’s only integrated, academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research, and patient care.

Before you apply, learn about the College of Medicine’s application and course requirements, important dates and deadlines, and what the Admissions Committee is looking for in an applicant.

Admissions Snapshot - M.D. Program

Application Process

Each year, the College of Medicine receives nearly 4,000 applications. Applicants must apply through the American Medical College Application Service known as AMCAS. The Office of Admissions holistically reviews candidates based on their experiences, attributes, and academic metrics and invites candidates to interview from September to March.

Please visit the MUSC College of Medicine Application Timeline for an overview of the admissions timeline and important deadlines.

Explore how to apply for admission to the MUSC College of Medicine M.D. program.

Primary AMCAS Application

To apply to the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, applicants must first apply through AMCAS, the American Medical College Application Service. The AMCAS application will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for verification.

• Early Decision Program deadline to apply is August 1, 2025.
• Regular Decision Program deadline to apply is November 3, 2025.

Early Decision

MUSC College of Medicine participates in the AMCAS Early Decision Program (EDP). To be eligible for participation in the EDP, applicants must submit their AMCAS application by August 1 and meet the following requirements:

• Be a legal resident of South Carolina.
• Be eligible for a bachelor’s degree by the date of matriculation.
• Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Have an MCAT score of 506 or higher.

Accepted EDP applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for Early Decision, as well as the Regular Decision admission requirements to the MUSC College of Medicine.

• EDP applicants will be advised of the Admissions Committee decision no later than October 1.
• If an EDP applicant is not accepted as an Early Decision student, their application is released to the “Regular Decision” pool. Once released to the “Regular Decision” pool, applicants are permitted to apply to other schools.
• EDP applicants will remain under consideration by the Admissions Committee throughout the remainder of the cycle.

Supplemental Essays

Upon receipt of the verified AMCAS application, applicants will be invited to complete the supplemental essay questions through the AMCAS Applicant Gateway Portal. Applicants must complete the required supplemental essay questions to be eligible to receive the secondary application and considered for interviews. Applicants must complete the required supplemental essay questions within two weeks of receiving the invitation.

Secondary Application

Secondary Application invitations are sent out starting in mid-July of every application cycle. To receive an invitation to complete the secondary application, applicants must meet all minimum requirements under the MCAT Score, Grade Point Average, Residency/Citizenship, and Credit Hours sections.

Please visit the MUSC College of Medicine Selection Criteria to learn more about the minimum requirements all applicants should meet to be considered for a secondary application.

Once your verified AMCAS application is received, qualified applicants will be emailed an invitation to complete the online MUSC secondary application. Applicants should check their spam folder for any MUSC email communications. The secondary application fee is waived on a case-by-case basis. Requests can be sent to COM-Admissions@musc.edu for consideration. Please include a copy of your AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) waiver.

Interview Process

After applying, please visit the COM Interview Process page for next steps and a deeper look at the College of Medicine’s many offerings and resources. Interviews allow you to meet with members of the Admissions Committee and give them a better understanding of your interests, experiences, motivation, and capacity to be a physician.

For the current Admissions cycle, the interview process will be offered virtually.

Acceptance Status

Once the MUSC College of Medicine Admissions Committee makes a final decision, each applicant will be informed of acceptance electronically. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in October. Applicants who have not received notice of a final decision are still under consideration.

Admitted applicants should visit the Information for Incoming M.D. Students page for insight into important matriculation information, timeline, etc.

Number of Application Attempts

An applicant may apply for admission to the Medical University of South Carolina a maximum of three times (effective beginning with the 2020-21 application cycle).

Exceptions may be granted under exceptional circumstances by the Associate Dean of Admissions only when a previous applicant demonstrates substantial change in their qualifications.

Applying to the MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus

The Primary Care Parallel Track at MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus provides comprehensive clinical training for third and fourth-year MUSC medical students in Anderson, South Carolina. In addition to the required clerkships and selective opportunities, students in this track engage in enhanced education opportunities. These experiences include a longitudinal continuity clinic with an underserved population, increased ambulatory experiences during clerkships, longitudinal professor rounds throughout the clinical years, a longitudinal wellness curriculum, service-learning activities, and much more. The MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus admits a limited number of students per incoming class.

Applicants will demonstrate their interest in the MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus within the MUSC COM secondary application or reach out to Dr. Renee Monaghan, MUSC AnMed Campus Dean. Applicants must first be accepted into MUSC College of Medicine in order to be admitted into one of the spots at the MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus. Please visit the MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus web page for insight into the curriculum, program details, etc. To connect with an MUSC AnMed program representative, please email muscanmedinfo@anmed.org.

International Applicants

International applicants must have a permanent resident visa in order to apply to the regular MD program.

Applicants who have studied or completed degrees at international institutions, please refer to the AMCAS guidelines Applying to Medical School as an International Applicant. 

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants holding DACA status may apply to the MD program and be considered for admission to the College of Medicine under the same policies and procedures as other applicants.

At this time, the Medical Scientist Training Program (combined MD/PhD degree program) is unable to accept international applicants. Please contact the MSTP Program Coordinator, DJ Lester, for questions related to the MSTP program. 

Use of Marijuana and/or CBD Products

Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug and is illegal to purchase in South Carolina. Apart from a narrow and limited scope of codified/documented medical exceptions, it is illegal for individuals to use marijuana/tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in South Carolina, even if purchased legally in another state. Although cannabidiol (CBD) products may be purchased and used in South Carolina, please be aware that CBD products may contain higher levels of THC than represented on packaging and use of CBD products can result in a positive drug screen for THC/marijuana. Be aware that current drug testing methods cannot accurately ascertain the origins of THC metabolites (i.e., whether from marijuana or CBD products). Your academic program has the authority to conduct random and/or scheduled drug testing; if your test result is reported as positive for THC metabolites (even if you only used a CBD product), your ability to be accepted into the program, progress in the program, and/or successfully complete the program may be negatively impacted.

Scholarship Eligibility

MUSC offers scholarships for which you may be eligible. Some are awarded based on academic achievement; others are awarded based on community service, for example. However, the majority of scholarships awarded at MUSC are based on financial need. This means those scholarships are only awarded to students who need some financial assistance to cover the cost of tuition and fees. If you would like to be considered for a financial need-based scholarship, you must have an up-to-date Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. Make sure you list Medical University of South Carolina on your FAFSA form, along with MUSC's code: 003438. We encourage you to submit the FAFSA as early as possible. It is recommended to submit the FAFSA in January if you plan to enroll in the Fall.

Application Deadlines