University of South Carolina Floyd School of Medicine, established in 1977, is a public medical school located in Columbia, South Carolina. Affiliated with Prisma Health (formerly Palmetto Health), the state's largest health system, the school trains physicians for South Carolina's healthcare workforce with a particular focus on primary care, underserved communities, and the Midlands region.
Its Columbia location at the state capital offers distinctive public health policy exposure. The school has grown its research capacity through partnerships with USC's broader university research infrastructure.
What makes USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) different
USC School of Medicine Columbia has always been an LCME-accredited allopathic (MD) school; it welcomed its first class in 1977 and was renamed the Kay and C. Edward Floyd, M.D. School of Medicine in May 2026 following a $30 million Floyd-family gift.
It is a public medical school on the University of South Carolina campus affiliated with Prisma Health (formerly Palmetto Health), South Carolina's largest healthcare system. Its location in the state capital gives students access to the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and policymaking exposure unusual for a regional medical school.
USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Years 1–2: basic and clinical sciences on the Columbia campus. Years 3–4: clinical rotations at Prisma Health Richland, Prisma Health Baptist, Children's Hospital, and affiliated community health sites across the Midlands and SC regions.
USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) research strengths
USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:
- Cancer prevention
- Rural health disparities
- Cardiovascular disease
- Primary care workforce
- Community health interventions
How the USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) interview runs
Format: Traditional individual or panel interviews with faculty and admissions committee
USC School of Medicine Columbia holds interview day in Columbia at the Prisma Health campus, formerly Palmetto Health. It usually includes one or two individual faculty or committee interviews of roughly 25 to 30 minutes each. Interviewers read the full application.
They focus on your motivation for medicine in South Carolina, your community service, your ties to the state, and your values around serving diverse and underserved populations. The day also includes a hospital tour, an admissions information session, and informal time with current students.
The school exists to train physicians for South Carolina, so applicants are expected to articulate a specific connection to the Midlands region or to the state's healthcare needs.
USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) intake
Approximately 100 students per year.
USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) at a glance
Founded in 1977. Based in Columbia, SC.
Programmes offered:
- Primary Care
- Family Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Rural Medicine
- Community Health