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	9
MDCOR 725	Cardiovascular System	9
Semester Total		29

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
IP ###	IP Concentration Course	1
Semester Total		29.5

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 3, Summer

MDCOR 866	Transition to Clinical Medicine	1
	3 x 6-week Clerkships *	24
Semester Total		25

Year 3, Fall

MDCOR 853	Ethics in Clinical Care 3A	1
MDCOR 872	Geriatric Medicine 3A	0.5
MDCOR 835	Topics in Clinical Medicine	1
	1 x 8-week Clerkship*	10
	2 x 2-week Selectives	5
Semester Total		17.5

Year 3, Spring

MDCOR 854	Ethics in Clinical Care 3B	1
MDCOR 873	Geriatric Medicine 3B	0.5
	3 x 6-week Clerkships*	24
Semester Total		25.5

Year 4, Summer

MDCOR 865	Clinical Competency Exam 3	1
ELEC	4-week Critical Care Elective	5
ELEC	4-week Externship	5
Semester Total		11

Year 4, Fall

MDCOR 859	Ethics in Clinical Care 4A	1
ELEC	Emergency Med Elective	2.5
ELEC	12 Weeks of Electives	15
Semester Total		18.5

Year 4, Spring

MDCOR 862	Ethics in Clinical Care 4B	1
MDCOR 874	Geriatric Medicine	1
MDCOR 626	Internship 101	2.5
ELEC	12 Weeks of Electives	15
Semester Total		19.5

Curriculum Total

233

* 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