Effective July 1, 2026, Dr. Phyllis MacGilvray will serve as dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG). Dr. MacGilvray, an Abbeville native who brings decades of leadership as well as clinical experience to the role, was named interim dean at SOMG in June, 2024.  

“Dr. MacGilvray’s vision, integrity and commitment to students, faculty and staff have made a meaningful and lasting impression,” said Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of South Carolina. “I am confident that under her continued leadership, the school will build on this strong foundation, with many exciting opportunities and initiatives ahead.” Fitzpatrick made the announcement April 29.  

MacGilvray started her journey in medical education and has held leadership roles at various research and educational institutions, including Eastern Virginia Medical School, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Before being named interim dean at SOMG, Dr. MacGilvray served, from 2022 to 2024, as the senior associate dean for academic affairs at SOMG.

A compassionate leader in primary care and a medical education expert, Dr. MacGilvray is proud to continue leading the medical school — which opened to its inaugural class of students in 2012 — in its mission to “Educate. Innovate. Serve. Where Lifestyle is Medicine,” and empower the next generation of physicians. 

In her announcement, Fitzpatrick noted several of Dr. MacGilvray’s recent accomplishments:

• Dr. MacGilvray is the nation’s first medical school dean who is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and leads a school that has achieved Platinum-level certification from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her leadership has elevated the school’s national profile and strengthened its emphasis on prevention, wellness and whole-person care.
• A distinguished physician, educator and leader, Dr. MacGilvray previously served as senior associate dean for academic affairs, where she oversaw undergraduate medical education and led key strategic initiatives, including the design and launch of the Primary Care Accelerated Track (PCAT). Looking ahead, this program and other initiatives will continue to grow, reflecting the school’s commitment to addressing critical workforce needs across South Carolina.
• Her impact extends beyond campus. Dr. MacGilvray was named one of the “50 Most Influential” leaders in 2025 and serves on several prominent boards across the Upstate, including The United Way of Greenville, the Greenville Chamber and SCBio. These roles reflect her deep commitment to community engagement and regional collaboration. As a physician, Dr. MacGilvray has maintained a full-scope family medicine practice for the past 20 years, and as department chair of Family Medicine at Prisma Health, she spearheaded the development of new residency programs to triple the program’s capacity.
• Under her leadership, the School of Medicine Greenville has reached important new milestones, including securing its first National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 research grant “Exercise is Medicine Greenville" — an achievement that signals the school’s growing research enterprise and expanding impact.

“Here at SOMG we are embarking on a new chapter, as we continue to address the challenges in health care and improve health and well-being within our community and beyond,” MacGilvray said. “Driven by a patient-centered focus, cutting-edge technology, interprofessional collaboration, innovative teaching, and transformational research, SOMG is poised to build on our successes and continue to be an innovator in medical education.”