A satisfactory background check is required for all matriculating students. You will receive an email from Certiphi with instructions for completing the background check.
A 10 panel drug screening is required for all matriculating students. You will receive an email in May from the Office of Admissions with instructions on how to complete the drug screen. The fee for the 10 panel drug screening is $29.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) training and compliance is required for all new students. Once you have completed the training, please complete the Attestation of HIPAA Security Training Form and return by email (preferred) to Jane.Hixenbaugh@uscmed.sc.edu or mail to: USC School of Medicine, Office of Information Technology, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208.
Immunization requirements must be met and on file with the Student/Employee Health Nurse within 30 days of your offer of acceptance. You will not be registered or allowed to attend orientation or fall classes until these requirements have been satisfied. All questions and documentation should be directed to the Student/Employee Health Nurse: Jennifer Evans, Jennifer.Evans@uscmed.sc.edu.
The University of South Carolina requires that the School of Medicine Columbia has a complete record of your undergraduate and/or graduate preparation with degree(s) conferred prior to your matriculation to medical school. An official, terminal transcript from ALL institutions from which you received degrees or certifications must be received as soon as possible after completion of your academic work.
Please note that transcripts sent to AMCAS during the application process do not fulfill this requirement.
If you attended the University of South Carolina (any campus), the Office of Admissions can pull that transcript, therefore it is not necessary to send us the USC transcript. However, we will still need all other institution transcripts from which you received a degree or certification.
Transcripts must be on file with the Office of Admissions no later than the end of the fall semester. Spring registration may be withheld for those students who have not fulfilled this requirement.
Transcripts may be sent electronically (preferred) to: Admissions@uscmed.sc.edu
or mailed to:
We oppose intolerance by promoting integrity within our campus community. Our common values are formed upon the foundation of our creed, which emphasizes openness and civility. Please read the Carolinian Creed in its entirety and read more about the Creed history.
If you had academic accommodations at your last educational institution and would like to continue them, please register with the Student Disability Resource Center ASAP, and certainly before the undergraduate students start on the main campus. There will be a HUGE rush at that time.
Students must provide their own laptop computers. Please review our computer recommendations. The laptop MUST have a camera. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) can assist you with specific questions.
We utilize ExamSoft, which helps institutions improve student learning with secure software that provides valuable data. Please review the ExamSoft computer requirements.
All new students will be provided a School of Medicine email account. You will receive your login credentials for this account before you arrive in July.
The School of Medicine is unable to answer questions or provide advice regarding an applicant’s legal residency. Applicants should contact the Residency Office at the University of South Carolina for advice on their specific situation.
Residency affects both your tuition and eligibility for scholarships. The University of South Carolina is required by state law to determine the resident classification of all applicants interested in claiming South Carolina as their state of legal residence. South Carolina Residency makes initial determinations for all students at the time of their admission. The School of Medicine Columbia does not make any decisions regarding legal residency. Decisions for all students are made by the Residency Office at the University of South Carolina.
- SC Code 62-602.H.2 – An independent person ‘cannot claim the domicile of another individual as their own for the purposes of establishing intent to become a South Carolina resident’
- Students can no longer sign a lease for a house that is the principal residence and place of habitation of another person and then claim it for residency
- Students can only rent homes and apartments that are strictly rentals, not rent a room in someone else’s home or pay rent to family members
Upon admission, all students claiming South Carolina as their state of residence MUST complete a SC Residency Certification in Self-Service Carolina. Any new student claiming South Carolina as their residence, who does not apply for residency, will be billed at non-resident tuition rates.
You will receive an email once a preliminary determination has been made. The preliminary decision will also be available in Self-Service Carolina. Your official status will only be updated to resident upon receipt and processing of any additional documents.
The SC Residency Office reviews its records to determine if a student’s residency status may have changed. The office may request additional information to determine if you still meet residency eligibility requirements.
Tuition and Fees for the upcoming academic year are determined by the University Board of Trustees in July of each year.
The School of Medicine Columbia requires you to have health insurance, but you must be registered for classes before you can apply for health insurance. If you have specific School of Medicine questions, please contact Mr. Jerel Arceneaux (Student Affairs) by phone at (803) 216-3629 or by email: Jerel.Arceneaux@uscmed.sc.edu.