Medical Student Education
Education of medical students is a priority for our department. Our faculty (and residents) are involved in medical education throughout the four-year curriculum in areas that include:
- ICM-1 and ICM-2 (serve as instructors and preceptors during these longitudinal classes that span the M1 and M2 years)
- Required 6-week M3 Family Medicine Clerkship
- Acting Internship in Family Medicine (M4 year)
- A number of M4 electives including Primary Care Sports Medicine, Global Health, etc.
We help to advise an active Family Medicine Interest Group and many of our faculty serve as group advisors for our medical students. We also offer electives for visiting students that would like to learn more about our specialty and clinical campus.
Family Medicine Clerkship
The Family Medicine Clerkship is a six-week, six-credit-hour required clerkship in the third year. A variety of settings are utilized, from rural sites to suburban and urban locations.
Clerkship experiences include:
- Ambulatory family medicine
- Maternity care
- Ultrasound
- Quality Improvement
- Hospital Services
- Community family medicine
MIII Medical Student Electives
- FRMD D623 – Family Medicine Preceptorship
- FPMD D624 – Primary Care Sports Medicine
- FPMD D625 – Family Medicine Rural Medicine Elective
- FPMD 632 – Global Health & Primary Care
- FPMD D626 – Office Based Counseling Skills in Primary Care
- DMED D636 – Women’s Health Selective
- FPMD 615 – MS4 Acting Internship
Residencies and Fellowships
Our Preventive Medicine Residency trains physician leaders who will improve health through a population-based approach with the skills and knowledge of public health practice and prevention-oriented clinical medicine. Training in preventive medicine equips learners with the skills necessary to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability and death in individuals and populations. Our residency combines academic and clinical training with practicum rotation experiences in a variety of settings such as public health agencies as well as community-based and managed care organizations. Residents obtain a Master’s of Public Health degree in addition to the development of skills in clinical preventive medicine, epidemiology, quality improvement, health care management and administration, community health program development and evaluation, public health practice and health policy.
Completion of residency training in preventive medicine provides eligibility to become board certified in general preventive medicine/public health, which is one of three specialty areas of preventive medicine. Other specialties within preventive medicine include occupational medicine and aerospace medicine. Preventive medicine also has subspecialties in addiction medicine, medical toxicology, undersea and hyperbaric medicine and clinical informatics. Specialists in preventive medicine pursue careers in clinical preventive medicine, health care administration, academics and public health practice in public health agencies at the federal, state or local level. You can learn more about the residency, including how to apply, on the Prisma Health website.
The University of South Carolina Department of Family and Preventive Medicine created a Global Health Fellowship to help address the growing field of global health. We address the practice of medicine in resource-poor settings, development of public health and sustainable indigenous health care, project management and team leadership. A master’s degree from the Arnold School of Public Health will be completed during the second year. You can learn more about the fellowship, including how to apply, on the Prisma Health website.
The ACGME-accredited Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship helps advance the knowledge and skills of learners in the areas of musculoskeletal medicine in sport science. We teach advanced knowledge and skills in the management of physically active patients. The scope of training includes injury prevention, pre-participation evaluation, management of acute and chronic illness or injury and rehabilitation. A strong emphasis is placed on physiology, biomechanics, medical/legal aspects of exercise and sports. You can learn more about the fellowship, including how to apply, on the Prisma Health website.