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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location Columbia, SC, United StatesEstablished 1977Interviews September–FebruaryDecisions March 30 (AAMC standard)
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Full guide

How to get into USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) medicine

Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.

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Interview guide

Prepare for the USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) interview

Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.

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Overview

About USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD)

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 it 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.

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.

Research strengths

USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Cancer prevention, Rural health disparities, Cardiovascular disease, Primary care workforce, Community health interventions.

Interview

USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) interviews via Traditional individual or panel interviews with faculty and admissions committee. USC School of Medicine Columbia interview day is held in Columbia at the Palmetto Health (now Prisma Health) campus and typically includes one or two individual faculty or committee interviews of approximately 25–30 minutes each. Interviewers review the full application and focus on motivation for medicine in South Carolina, community service, ties to the state, and values around serving diverse and underserved populations. The day includes a hospital tour, admissions information session, and informal time with current students. Given the school's identity as a state campus training physicians for South Carolina, applicants are expected to articulate a specific connection to the Midlands region or to the state's healthcare needs.

Intake

Approximately 100 students per year.

At a glance

Founded in 1977, based in Columbia, SC. Programmes offered: Primary Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Rural Medicine, Community Health.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via AMCAS. South Carolina residents are strongly preferred. Community service, clinical experience, and demonstrated commitment to SC healthcare needs are important. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
511 (range 506–517)
GPA median
3.73 overall / 3.68 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
3.5%
Class size
100
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
76%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
South Carolina residency; primary care and community health commitment; ties to the Midlands region; service background.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / class-profile data; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Primary Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Rural Medicine, Community Health
Interview

How USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
Traditional individual or panel interviews with faculty and admissions committee
Interview window
September–February
Decision date
March 30 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Estimated post-interview acceptance rate approximately 25–35%; SC residency and mission alignment are primary factors in a competitive in-state pool.
Tutor insight
USC School of Medicine Columbia is often the first-choice public option for SC residents who want to train in the state capital with Prisma Health's broad clinical network. The Columbia Midlands region has significant health disparities (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, limited rural access) — demonstrate knowledge of these in your interview. The school's state capital location means public health policy is an accessible research and advocacy avenue; if that excites you, mention it. For out-of-state applicants, ties to SC are even more important than at MUSC, given this school's smaller national profile.
Practice

Practise for your USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

HardMMI · PanelQ1

AAMC Core Competency: Oral Communication — Delivering Difficult News

You are a third-year medical student on a general medicine team. Your patient — a 48-year-old woman admitted for workup of a new lung mass — has just received a biopsy result confirming non-small cell lung cancer. The attending is unavailable for the next two hours. The pathology report has been loaded into the chart, visible to the patient through the patient portal. You walk in to check on her and she immediately says, 'I saw my results — can you explain what it means?' How do you handle this conversation?

Likely follow-up · What is the protocol most hospitals follow for delivering serious diagnoses, and how does the patient portal's real-time result delivery complicate that protocol?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
MediumPanelQ2

US Healthcare Ethics: ACA Marketplace and the Pre-Existing Condition Guarantee

Before the Affordable Care Act, a 28-year-old patient with Type 1 diabetes could be denied coverage or charged prohibitively high premiums in the individual market. The ACA's community rating and guaranteed issue provisions changed that. A patient tells you that he is considering dropping his ACA Marketplace plan because premiums have increased and he feels healthy. As his primary care physician, what do you advise, and what does his situation illustrate about the structure of US health insurance markets?

Likely follow-up · What is adverse selection, and why is it the central actuarial challenge of any insurance market that prohibits medical underwriting?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
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FAQ

USC Floyd School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

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