Application Timeline

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AMCAS Application

M.D. applicants are required to apply through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The AMCAS application cycle runs from June through December. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) processes and verifies the completion and submission of the AMCAS application, application fee, and supporting documents before the Office of Admissions reviews an applicant's file. The verification process can take 6-8 weeks before the College receives verified AMCAS applications.

Number of Application Attempts

An applicant may apply for admission to the Medical University of South Carolina a maximum of three times. Exceptions may be granted under exceptional circumstances by the Associate Dean of Admissions and only when a previous applicant demonstrates substantial change in their qualifications.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation must be submitted and verified through the AMCAS Letters Service. Only letters submitted and verified through AMCAS will be included in your application for review by our admissions committee. The Office of Admissions does not accept letters of recommendation outside of your AMCAS application.

For insight into letters of recommendation requirements, please visit the MUSC COM Selection Criteria. All letters of recommendation must be received in order to be considered eligible for further consideration.

AMCAS Applicant Gateway: Supplemental Essays

Upon receipt of the verified AMCAS application, applicants will be invited to complete the supplemental essay questions through the AMCAS Applicant Gateway. Applicants must complete the required supplemental essay questions to be eligible to receive the MUSC secondary application and be considered for interviews. The supplemental essay questions should be completed within two weeks of invitation. Failure to complete the supplemental essay questions will result in no further action to your file.

Please visit MUSC COM Applying to Medical School for more information on applying to MUSC College of Medicine.

MUSC Secondary Application

Secondary application requests are sent out in early August of every application cycle. Applicants who meet our selection criteria, and who have completed the above requirements, may receive an invitation to complete the MUSC secondary application. Please refer to our MUSC COM Selection Criteria to learn who will receive a secondary application request.

The MUSC secondary application fee of $95 may be waived for those who qualify for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP). Requests can be sent to COM-Admissions@musc.edu  for consideration. Please include a copy of your AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) waiver.

The Office of Admissions is required to verify an applicant’s legal residency status. Out-of-state applicants are encouraged to review the minimum academic requirements found in the State Residency section within the MUSC COM Selection Criteria. For more information on legal state residency, please visit the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management SC Residency Questions page.

Interview

The College of Medicine utilizes a holistic admissions process when selecting applicants for interview consideration. Interview invitations are extended based on a comprehensive review of each applicant’s academic preparedness, experiences, service and leadership activities, personal attributes, motivations for pursuing medicine, alignment with the College of Medicine’s mission, and demonstrated potential to become a compassionate physician.

The interview process provides an opportunity for members of the Admissions Committee to learn more about who you are, what matters most to you, and why you have chosen to become a physician. Through conversations with faculty, physicians, students, and other members of the MUSC community, we seek to better understand your experiences, values, personal qualities, and readiness for a career in medicine.

Interviewers will have access to your AMCAS application, supplemental essays, and letters of recommendation. To promote a more holistic evaluation, interviewers do not have access to your MCAT scores or cumulative GPA(s).

As a public, state-supported institution, MUSC College of Medicine is committed to educating future physicians who will serve the healthcare needs of South Carolina and its citizens. Consistent with this mission, applications from South Carolina residents are reviewed first during the admissions cycle. Out-of-state applicants who meet the College of Medicine’s academic criteria and demonstrate strong connections to South Carolina are reviewed later in the admissions cycle. As a result, interview invitations for eligible out-of-state applicants are typically extended in late Fall (December), with interviews generally occurring in early Spring (late January-February). For insight into academic minimums and the criteria for demonstrating connectivity to South Carolina, out-of-state applicants are encouraged to visit the MUSC COM Selection Criteria webpage.

Applicants invited to interview are encouraged to visit the MUSC COM Interview Process webpage for more information about the Virtual Interview Day, interview preparation resources, and next steps in the admissions process.

Contact Information

Applicants must maintain updated contact information with AMCAS throughout the entire application process. Your AMCAS contact information is the only source of contact information for applicants.

For questions or assistance, please contact the Office of Admissions via COM-Admissions@musc.edu.

Admissions Timeline