Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

The College of Medicine admits approximately 172 students each year into the M.D. degree program. Students receive a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree upon completing the college's academic and professionalism requirements. The education consists of two years of foundational pre-clerkship instruction, one year of core clinical clerkship instruction, and one year of advanced clinical clerkships and clinical elective rotations. An accelerated track allows a select group of eligible students to finish their degree in three years and join one of the participating residency programs at MUSC. Additionally, a parallel clinical track at the MUSC-AnMed Health Clinical Campus provides students with the chance to complete a primary-care focused clinical curriculum for the third and fourth years in a community-based setting.

All students are taught, mentored, and supervised by MUSC faculty members. The M.D. degree program's curriculum, instruction, and assessment are founded on the program objectives, which are the COM Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs).

Admissions

Learn more about the admission steps and requirements for the program.

More Info

FLEX Curriculum

All courses within the M.D. Degree's required curriculum must be passed to graduate. The program doesn't calculate grade point averages or produce class ranks.

Phases

The Pre-clerkship Phase is structured in organ system blocks. It seamlessly integrates learning about both normal and abnormal conditions, effectively covering the spectrum of human health and disease using engaged learning formats. During this phase, learners participate in early clinical experiences with real patients and in simulation settings, promoting the application of basic science concepts in each block.

During the FLEX Phase, learners select a scholarly concentration aligning with their educational needs, professional interests, and career goals. Options for concentration pathways include research, humanities, global health, and medical education. Alternatively, eligible students may choose an accelerated parallel pathway for earlier graduation, which then leads to a residency position at MUSC.

The Immersion Phase (Year 3) consists of seven core clinical clerkships: family medicine, internal medicine, neurology and rehabilitation medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. In addition, students select two specialties for further immersion.

The Enrichment Phase (Year 4) features required advanced clinical rotations. This includes critical care, an acting internship (externship), a diverse range of electives, and the "Internship 101" Capstone course. The intention of this phase is to prepare learners for the increased responsibilities they will encounter in their chosen specialties.

Year 1, Fall

MDCOR 711 Clinical Skills 1 3
MDCOR 720 Foundations of Health 8
MDCOR 722 Foundations of Disease 8
MDCOR 725 Cardiovascular System 9
Semester Total 28

Year 1, Spring

MDCOR 712 Clinical Skills 2 3
MDCOR 727 Respiratory/Renal Systems 7
MDCOR 728 Gastrointestinal 9
MDCOR 731 Reproductive/Endocrine System 8
IP 711 IP Foundations & Teamstepps 1
Semester Total 28

Year 1, Summer

MDCOR 713 Clinical Skills 3 3
MDCOR 733 Women and Pediatric Health 5
MDCOR 735 Ethics and Biostatistics 5
MDCOR 736 Autoimmunity and Hematology 3.5
Semester Total 16.5

Year 2, Fall

MDCOR 714 Clinical Skills 4 3
MDCOR 739 Sensory and Motor Systems 13
MDCOR 741  Special Senses and Cognition 8
MDCOR 742 Behavioral & Geriatric Health 4.5
MDCOR 892 AMP Research II 3.5
IP ### IP Concentration Course 1
Semester Total 33

Year 2, Spring

MDCOR 750 USMLE Step 1 Board Review 2
Choose from the following concentrations:
Global Health
MDCOR 764 FLEX1 Global Health 5.5
MDCOR 766 FLEX2 Global Health 5.5
Health Humanities
MDCOR 760 FLEX1 Health Humanities 5.5
MDCOR 762 FLEX2 Health Humanities 5.5
Physician as Teacher
MDCOR 768 FLEX1 Physician as Teacher 5.5
MDCOR 770 FLEX2 Physician as Teacher 5.5
Research
MDCOR 772 FLEX1 Research 5.5
MDCOR 774 FLEX2 Research 5.5
Semester Total 13

Year 2, Summer

MDCOR 891 AMP Research I 5
MDCOR Clinical Foundations 3
2 x 6-week Junior Clerkship *  16
Semester Total 24

Year 3, Fall

2 x 6-week Junior Clerkship* 18
2 x 2-week Junior Selectives 5
Semester Total 23

Year 3, Spring

MDCOR 893 AMP Research III 3.5
MDCOR 835 Topics in Clinical Medicine 1
3 x 6-week Junior Clerkship* 24
Semester Total 28.5

Year 3, Summer

MDCOR 705 Fundamentals of Patient Care 3 3
MDCOR 865 Clinical Competency Exam 3 1
MDCOR 866 Transition to Clinical Med 1
ELEC 4-week Critical Care Elective 5 
Semester Total 10

Year 4, Fall

ELEC 20 Weeks of Electives 25
Semester Total 25

Year 4, Spring

MDCOR 706 Fundamentals of Patient Care 4 3
MDCOR 626 Internship 101 2.5
4-week Externship 5 
ELEC 4-week Advanced Medicine or Surgery Elective 5 
Semester Total 15.5
Curriculum Total 244.5

* All third year students are required to take seven clerkships in the following disciplines. These clerkships may be completed in any sequence over Summer, Fall & Spring of the third year.

  • Family Medicine
  • Medicine
  • Neurology
  • OB/GYN
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery