Medical University of South Carolina

The Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) College of Medicine (COM) program is, in my opinion, the best program in the state for anyone wishing to become a physician. The atmosphere of the school is hands down the most positive, encouraging, and supportive environment I've ever been in. The administrative staff, full time professors, guest lecturers, supplemental instructors and the Center for Academic Excellence program directors all want you to succeed. Every faculty and staff member I've... Read More interacted with are happy to help you any way they can; whether that be through visiting with them in their office for clarification of academic material, pairing you with a study group and tutor most appropriate for you, or helping you find scholarships or summer opportunities. The College of Medicine truly cares about its students and wants to produce the most successful physicians it can. The same can also be said for my fellow students and peers. Medical school is hard (obviously) and the students at MUSC understand that we all struggle at times, but because of that a sense of camaraderie and support is strongly developed. I've heard from friends at other schools that there are a lot of people who are "gunners" and may even sabotage a fellow student's learning in order to make themselves look better. However, the opposite is the case with my classmates. We share notes, videos, and study tools we've found that help clarify and simplify complex topics. We check in on each other when people are absent from mandatory classes or miss SI sessions they usually attend. I personally only survived neuro-anatomy because I had 2 fellow students stay late in the lab with me and sacrifice their own study time in order to go over the entire brain with me. In a time where saying " I'm studying" is synonymous with "I'm breathing" it's nice to have a support system that understands exactly what you're going through and is helping you succeed and stay sane. Apart from the supportive and collaborative environment, there are dozens of other great things I could say about MUSC: the location (we're only 20 minutes from the beach), the history and reputation of the school (we're the first medical school established in the South), the curriculum (we're taught from a "systems based" approach - dividing material into different organ systems of the body), the fact that about 80% of lectures are recorded and non-mandatory so you can watch them from home and on your own time if you prefer not going to class, the dozens and dozens of clubs and interest groups on campus that allow you to pursue different interests both professionally and personally, and the opportunities we get from workshops and Standard Patient (SP) interviews (including ultrasound and radiology workshops, physical exam workshops with SPs, "SIM workshops" - using high tech robotic patients, and histology labs). However, amongst all of the praise I can give to MUSC's College of Medicine, there is one complaint I feel must be addressed. While the COM does provide us with countless resources and opportunities, it does suffer from some logistical problems and at times is a bit unorganized. There have been a few cases where some students have at the last minute been told (not asked) that they had to switch times for a workshop (say an ultrasound workshop) because of a scheduling conflict either with the room location or assistant professor. There is also some disconnect and miscommunication when it comes to things like how a certain maneuver for a physical exam should be done and how it will therefore be graded (the textbook may say one thing, the in class lecturer another, and your small group preceptor says another thing). And lastly the College of Medicine seems to suffer from its share of technological difficulties such as lectures not getting recorded and uploaded to our viewing program Panopto in a timely manner, or problems with the exam software not working properly when trying to access an exam or even during the middle of an exam. However, to be fair the faculty are very accommodating when these technological problems do arise and try their best to fix the problems as quickly as possible in the best way possible. But overall, MUSC is a wonderful school to be a part of and I'm so glad that I chose it as the institution that will shape me into a physician that can effectively serve and advocate for my future patients.

I have had a wonderful experience at this school and in my current program. I am a military member and had excellent assistance with my school's VA SCO. The academic and financial advisors have an open-door policy and are willing to answer any question and assist in any way to ensure your education is the primary focus of your academic career. I am able to speak with my advisor about and receive advice about my academic pursuits as well as consider future and potential job and scholarship opportunities.... Read More This institution is excellent for anyone wanting to meet the future head-on and pursue a degree and career with intensity and adequate preparation for any future endeavors.

Currently my program is centered around two campuses, Columbia and Charleston. Therefore, we use distance education. Teachers at one campus teaches both locations of students. This can be difficult when communicating with teachers on the opposite campus. However the teachers on Charleston's campus are extremely helpful and receptive to student need. The dean, teachers, and support staff are all willing to help you with whatever you might need. Having two campuses also allows for more resources. The... Read More Columbia campus has a great innovative Kennedy Center, we Charlestonian's can use. Also due to distance education, lectures are recorded and can be watched at any time after class. This becomes incredibly useful when studying for exams.

MUSC is a wonderful institution at which to pursue a health-related education. Its location in Charleston, although somewhat hectic and expensive due to high tourism, provides students with a wide variety of patient experiences. The facilities present on campus are nothing short of state of the art. The fields of cardiology, heart surgery, and nephrology in pediatrics are nationally ranked, along with neurology and neurosurgery in adult specialties being high-performing, according to U.S. News. The... Read More classes are of course rigorous, informative, and engaging and the faculty are very acclaimed, accessible, and helpful. The student body is highly varied, comprising of students from 20 different countries, and the medical curriculum allows interaction not only with one another but also enables us students to reach out into our community. MUSC is involved in groundbreaking medical research and is very enthusiastic in training their students for various useful future prospects to tackle health problems we as a society face. Therefore, I feel MUSC offers a very diverse, rich, knowledge-base hands on experience in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dental medicine, and NIH-funded health-related research fields.

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is right in the heard of Charleston, SC. The charm of the town is reflected in the people who both attend and teach at the university. It's been a wonderful experience so far, and I'm just a little over a month in. I'm from Northern California, where things are a bit different (namely, there are actual burritos). Still, this setting has been more than welcoming. MUSC is a magnificent campus, with incredibly accessible faculty. Something I notice about... Read More this program is that the professors and administration ACTUALLY care about you, something I couldn't say coming out of the University of California undergrad system. There, I was just a number and a tuition bill. Here, I'm a person with dreams. What I find MOST amazing about this program is their incredible emphasis on interprofessionalism between health professions. It takes a team from different backgrounds to treat a patient, and MUSC knows that. I love it. Come here.

I feel supported by my faculty and peers but would love for the school to update some of it's methods to include more technological advancements.The financial aid in the Masters of Social Work program includes graduate assistance-ships but not very many external scholarships. There is reliable public transportation and exceptional housing at an affordable cost. The field placement is not guaranteed to be local so it is imperative to get to know the area and sources of transportation. The community... Read More is beautiful and as a transplant from Colorado it has been easy to find kind and considerate people to get to know!

While Charleston is a great city to live for the food, the history, the night life, the entertainment, it is an expensive place to live as well (at least on tight budget). The great thing about the grad school at MUSC is that you get exposed to a lot of different areas of study and techniques that can be used across the field. To accompany that they try to make sure you have connections across campus in case you need assistance for different aspects of your research. The research workload varies... Read More between department and your particular area of study and project. Some days or some weeks may be much more intensive than others but overall its manageable. The student diversity is great at MUSC - you meet and work with people from all over and from different cultural backgrounds as well.