PRE-MED HANDBOOK

II. The Office of Pre-Professional Advising

The academic courses offered at the University of South Carolina compare very favorably with those in other colleges and universities considered to have excellent pre-medical programs. We have a talented faculty, well-equipped laboratories and other instructional facilities, plus excellent libraries. pre-medicine is not a degree program or major, but a pre-professional intention or self-designation. For you to get the most out of the curriculum, the proper courses must be taken in the proper sequence and with the proper prerequisites. The advising process is designed to ensure that you have the information necessary to make proper decisions while choosing courses in preparation for admission to medical school. It is also important that all degree requirements be completed without losing credit or having unnecessary complications or delays.

The advising program for pre-medical students at USC is two-tiered. All students have an academic advisor within the department of their major. This academic advising process is complemented by advisors in the Office of Pre-Professional Advising. Students with specific questions about any aspect of preparation for medical school including course work, evaluations, preparation for the MCAT, where to apply, etc. are urged to come by the Office of Pre-Professional Advising to discuss the issue. It is a good idea to periodically stop by our office to check the bulletin board for events, workshops, field trips, and new information. Drop-in office hours are available; please call to verify the times, (803) 777-5581. Appointments may be made if the drop-in hours are not convenient.

Pre-Professional Advising can assist you in a number of ways. Liaison is maintained with a number of people and programs concerned with medical school admissions, including the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) administrators, and the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Close contact is also maintained with the chairs of the admissions committees or admissions directors of our two state medical schools. This allows for the timely dissemination of information regarding changing policies or requirements for admission. Additionally, we also have a resource room with Internet access, current publications regarding admissions information, and other helpful information. Various registration and application forms are available through our office and assistance is available in the preparation of documents required in support of an application, including a credentials service and composite evaluation compiled after an optional pre-med interview. This is explained in detail in the section about the admissions process

Periodic group meetings and information sessions are held for students in pre-medicine, usually scheduled by class. Topics of interest to the particular class are discussed and questions are answered. At the spring meeting for juniors, available application material is distributed and instructions are given on completion of the application and the necessary supporting documents including composite evaluations.

These meetings also permit better interaction and distribution of information to students. Notice of these meetings is announced at least a week in advance on various bulletin boards throughout Coker, the Physical Science Center, and the Earth and Water Science building, and on the bulletin board located outside of our office

We also try to keep our Web site up to date with information and send out notices on our listserv.  You can visit our Web site at http://www.sc.edu/oppa

If you are a post-baccalaureate student enrolled at USC as non-degree student, completing requirements for medical school admission, you may also use the services of this office. You may be on a very tight schedule and must carefully coordinate your courses so as to meet deadlines for completing required courses, taking the MCAT, etc.

It should be stressed that the final responsibility for planning the academic program and other activities rests with the student and not with an advisor. Students have an advisor in their major who will assist them in meeting their degree requirements. It is up to you to inform your advisor of your pre-med intentions, so that you will be sure to meet your degree requirements and any courses required by medical schools to which you plan to apply. The advisor should explain the options, including requirements that must be met, but the final decisions as to which courses to take and when to take them must be made by you. Good judgment will be required, for there are many options available and many decisions to be made. The mature student will seek as much information as possible to make any decision. One of the best sources of information will be your fellow students, particularly those ahead of you who have already taken the courses and who are acquainted with the instructors and course content. It is usually a mistake to register for a course with no idea who will teach it and perhaps only a hazy idea of what is covered. The better informed student will usually be in a much more competitive position.

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