Medical School Admissions

Although there are no prerequisite courses required, it is strongly recommended that applicants applying should complete two semesters each of: General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, General Physics, and Biochemistry, also recommended is one semester each of: Introductory Psychology and Introductory Sociology. For additional detail, please view the College of Medicine Entrance Requirements. 

 You can find tuition and fees information for the M.D. program through the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management.

We take a holistic approach to our selection process. Academic readiness such as, undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores are a large factor in qualifying for an interview, at which point we look for the other traits essential to becoming great physicians. These include key personal attributes, leadership experience, volunteering, clinical exposure, shadowing experiences, etc.

For additional information, see Applying to Medical School and College of Medicine Technical Standards. 

For more information about scholarship opportunities, please visit the College of Medicine Scholarships page.

Please see "Accreditation vs. Licensure to Practice Medicine" for detailed information on this. 

College of Medicine Dean's Office
Attn: Admissions
Medical University of South Carolina
96 Jonathan Lucas Street
Suite 601, MSC 617
Charleston, SC 29425

843-792-3283
843-792-0204 (Fax)
COM-admissions@musc.edu

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. 

Yes. Please see the Visit MUSC College of Medicine page for more information. 

Yes. The Primary Care Parallel Track at MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus provides comprehensive clinical training for third and fourth year MUSC medical students in Anderson, SC. In addition to the required clerkships and selective opportunities, students in this track engage in enhanced education opportunities with a primary care emphasis. These enhanced 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. 

 We strive for a varied class and welcome all majors as long as your degree is from an accredited college/university. Please see our Entrance Requirements for additional information. 

Yes. The Primary Care Parallel Track at MUSC AnMed Clinical Campus provides comprehensive clinical training for third and fourth year MUSC medical students in Anderson, SC. In addition to the required clerkships and selective opportunities, students in this track engage in enhanced education opportunities with a primary care emphasis. These enhanced 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. 

There is no minimum GPA set for applicants to apply. However, students with GPAs lower than 3.4 are typically encouraged to complete a graduate degree to become a more competitive applicant. Please see our Entrance Requirements for additional information. 

 The average GPA for the current class is a 3.87 on a 4.0 scale. 

Applicants must complete the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and must be taken within 3 years of matriculation. Though multiple MCAT attempts are permitted, the highest composite MCAT score is factored into an applicant's overall competitiveness.

South Carolina residents must achieve a minimum MCAT score of 500 to apply. The average accepted in-state student has an average MCAT score of 511.

Out-of-state applicants achieve a minimum MCAT score of 511 and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.7 to apply to the M.D. program. In addition to meeting the minimum academic metrics, out-of-state applicants must possess strong Close Ties to South Carolina to demonstrate connectivity to the state. Close Ties are described in the State Residency section of the MUSC COM Selection Criteria – M.D. Program.

Please visit the MUSC COM Application Timeline for important MCAT deadlines for the Early Decision and Regular Decision program.

For MCAT information and resources, please visit the AAMC Applying to Medical School: Prepare for the MCAT Exam.

MUSC College of Medicine is a public, state-funded institution; therefore, primary consideration is given to in-state applicants. Out-of-state applicants must meet the average academic threshold of the current accepted class which consists of a minimum MCAT of 511 and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.7. In addition to qualifying for the minimum academic metrics, out-of-state applicants must possess strong close ties to South Carolina to demonstrate connectivity to the state. Close Ties are defined as:

• Having lived in South Carolina for multiple years.
• Parents who currently live full-time in South Carolina.
• Completed an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from a South Carolina institution.
• Currently living in and/or working in South Carolina.

Out-of-state applicants will provide their Close Ties to South Carolina within the AMCAS: Applicant Gateway questions. For detailed information on residency requirements, please visit the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management SC Residency page. Residency-specific questions should be directed to the MUSC University Residency Officer, at oesadmis@musc.edu.

International applicants to the MD degree program must have a permanent resident visa (green card) in order to be considered for admission. 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.

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

Transfer students are very rarely admitted to our institution. Of primary importance, the student must have a “hardship” reason for wishing to attend medical school at MUSC. Those considered must be in good standing at one of the LCME accredited medical schools within the US. They must also have taken, and passed the USMLE Step 1. View the College of Medicine's Transfer Admissions Policy for the MD Program.

The MUSC 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 in your request.

After completing your application with AMCAS, a supplemental MUSC application will be sent to you. Please note it can take 4 to 6 weeks for applications to be verified by AMCAS. Your complete application will be reviewed to determine if you are eligible for an interview and, if so, you will be notified of your interview date by e-mail. Early Decision interviews are scheduled for September. In our rolling admissions cycle, regular interviews will continue through March. Please be sure to check your spam folder for any MUSC email communications.

If there is a significant application update such as additional experiences, research, and/or noteworthy accolade that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, please complete the Admissions Application Update Form. The Admissions Committee will only accept updates submitted before your interview date.

Please visit the MD Admissions Policies page to learn more.