Student and faculty member at the MUSC Oath Ceremony.

Student Mentors and Mentees in Medicine (SM3)

Student Mentors and Mentees in Medicine is an umbrella pathway program that engages students from underrepresented groups, including students with disabilities, those from rural backgrounds, first-generation college students, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those from disadvantaged or marginalized backgrounds, and other students interested in addressing health disparities in the communities they serve. The program aims to attract students from all counties in South Carolina with a goal of increasing the representation of students applying and matriculating into medical school.

Current medical students serve as mentors to participants and guide them through the process of preparing for a career in medicine. The program consists of a series of monthly large-group sessions and individual one-on-one sessions with a student mentor. Participants are provided mentoring through various endeavors such as clinical shadowing experiences, educational discussions, test taking and study skills, exposure to various summer science programs, and academic guidance. This program grew from ‘A Gentleman and A Scholar' and 'A Lady and A Scholar' mentoring programs that were developed by former MUSC College of Medicine students.

Applications for the Student Mentors and Mentees in Medicine (SM3) program are currently closed and will reopen in the fall of 2025.

Apply Here

A Gentleman & A Scholar Mentoring Program

Photo of the founding members of “A Gentleman and a Scholar”
Founding Members
Drs. Vandy Gaffney II, Cerrone Cohen, Andres Ayuso, Brandon Williams,
Larry Shuler, Michael Smith, and Hubert Roland White, III

In 2006, the Medical University of South Carolina surpassed the national average by admitting ten African American males into its incoming medical school class. Seeking an opportunity to give back to their community, ten (10) MUSC African American male medical students founded "A Gentleman and A Scholar Mentoring Program" in 2007. The program, now an entity of Student Mentors and Mentees in Medicine (SM3), targeted African American male high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in medicine. The program has expanded to include all underrepresented groups.

Each student participant is assigned to a student mentor who advises their respective student on scholarly success and leadership. Participants meet monthly at the Medical University of South Carolina as a group and individually with their mentors throughout the academic year.

The mentoring program, in a collaborative effort with “A Lady and A Scholar Mentoring Program, aims to provide mentoring through various endeavors such as clinical shadowing experiences, educational discussions, test taking and study skills, exposure to various summer science programs, and academic guidance.

A Lady & A Scholar Mentoring Program

Photo of Crystal Johnson, Surgery Resident
Crystal Johnson, M.D.
College of Medicine Class of 2012

In 2010, Dr. Crystal Johnson, College of Medicine Class of 2012 graduate, became the first female mentor for the "A Gentleman and A Scholar Mentoring Program," mentoring the program's first female inductee. Officially founded in 2011, "A Lady and A Scholar Mentoring Program", now an entity of Student Mentors and Mentees in Medicine (SM3), serves to provide females under-represented in high school and college students with opportunities that will both enlighten and broaden their knowledge base regarding the field of medicine.

Each student participant is assigned to a student mentor who advises their respective student on scholarly success and leadership. Participants meet monthly at the Medical University of South Carolina as a group and individually with their mentors throughout the academic year.

The mentoring program, in a collaborative effort with "A Gentlemen and A Scholar," aims to provide mentorship through such opportunities as educational discussions, test taking and study skills sessions, clinical shadowing experiences, exposure to various summer science programs, and academic guidance.