University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia
MD program · public · South Carolina
Median GPA
3.82
entering class
Median MCAT
509
entering class
Acceptance rate
~6.1%
approximate
Class size
99
76% in-state
In-state vs. out-of-state
76% of the last entering class were South Carolina residents, which leaves about 24 seats for everyone else.
South Carolina resident
~27%
estimated odds
Out-of-state
~2%
estimated odds
Estimates for an applicant with this school's median GPA (3.82) and MCAT (509), from AAMC and AACOM applicant outcomes and this school's published figures. Where you live makes a big difference here. Estimates, not guarantees.
What they look for
- Service30%
- Clinical experience25%
- Academics23%
- Research13%
- Leadership9%
USC Columbia trains physicians for South Carolina's rural and medically underserved communities and ranks first nationally for graduates practising in medically underserved areas, which makes the mission a measured outcome rather than a claim. Third and fourth-year students can rotate at the Florence Regional Campus paired with physicians in the McLeod Family Medicine Residency, learning primary care delivery in rural South Carolina directly. Interviewers look for evidence of commitment to community health, ability to work in teams, and readiness to contribute to the state's healthcare needs.
Watch out: A specialty-focused applicant with no rural or underserved exposure is a mismatch at a school defined by where its graduates end up. Preference goes to applicants holding a bachelor's degree at enrolment, though 90 semester hours of outstanding work is occasionally accepted.
Our reading of this school's own published mission and selection criteria, not an official formula. How we source this
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The In-Depth Analysis ranks all 204 MD and DO schools for your whole file: hours, MCAT sections, grade trend and where you live.