All students who have applied to the South Carolina Honors College by the Nov. 15 deadline are eligible to apply. Interested students complete a comprehensive, online application that requires additional essays and a letter of recommendation, separate from what is required in the Honors College application.  Top candidates are then invited to participate in a second-round selection process, which includes an interview with the USC School of Medicine.  This interview is typically conducted in March.  Final selections for the program occur shortly after the interview.

Successful students bring a high level of academic achievement, experience in health and science-related activities, community service and leadership skills, as well as strong desire and motivation to reduce the undergraduate experience to three years in order to enter the medical path a year early. 
 
Only incoming first-year students accepted to the South Carolina Honors College and who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents are eligible for admission to the program.

An SAT or ACT score is required prior to the completion of the application process. If a score is initially unavailable, the applicant will still be considered. The score may be self-reported but the official score report will need to be submitted if selected for the interview phase of the application process.  Standardized testing is an important component of medical education and medicine and part of our holistic review of the applicant as a candidate for the program. 

Students typically have a minimum SAT score of 1450 or a minimum ACT score of 33. Applicants with less than these scores may apply and will be evaluated based on the strength of the remainder of the application.

Students should select a major they would be comfortable pursuing if they are not accepted to the Accelerated Undergraduate to MD program. Students do not have to select a STEM major to be eligible to apply.  Students who are selected are automatically enrolled in the Accelerated Pre-Medicine Concentration of the BARSC major after committing to the program.

Students enrolled in this program complete the Accelerated Pre-Medicine Concentration of the BARSC degree. Of note is the nine-hour senior thesis, required research course and 126 total credits, of which 69 are Honors credits. Along with required pre-med coursework in the sciences, students have an opportunity to take classes in multiple disciplines in the combination that most interests them. Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.6 to remain in the program and a student’s senior thesis is completed by the end of the junior year before entering medical school.

If participating in the Accelerated Undergraduate to MD program, the MCAT is not required.

The direct admission to the USC School of Medicine in Columbia is conditional upon successful completion of the BARSC degree Accelerated Pre-Medicine concentration program requirements. Students are not required to complete the full AMCAS application with letters of recommendation and MCAT waived.

No.  Accelerated Undergraduate to MD program  is exclusively in collaboration with the USC School of Medicine in Columbia.

Students are guided and mentored by an experienced advisor who directs the program as well as a small group of medical school faculty. Each undergraduate student is also paired with a program alumnus who is currently enrolled in the School of Medicine. While an undergraduate, students typically work closely with faculty on important health- and medical-related research.

Yes.  Although participants complete all of their undergraduate curriculum by the end of the third year of the program, graduation occurs at the end of the fourth year/ first year of medical school.  Students in the program are also invited to participate in Revocation with their graduating class at the end of their first year of medical school.

The first year of medical school is very rigorous and we expect students to complete all their undergraduate requirements, including the senior thesis, prior to matriculation.  In unusual circumstances students may use first year medical school courses to fulfill remaining bachelor degree electives. The grades from these courses will also apply to the undergraduate GPA.

At this time, fourth year funding through a student’s general university scholarship and/or state scholarship can be used to fund the first year of medical school if you do not graduate at the end of your third year. Interested students should consult with the university’s financial aid office for specific information about funding.

Yes.  As a student participating in the Accelerated Undergraduate to MD program you are eligible to apply for School of Medicine scholarships, subject to application requirements for each scholarship opportunity.  Check the School of Medicine website for further details.

Only incoming first-year students who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents are eligible for admission to the program. The program is not limited to S.C. residents.