Medicine's Class of 2020: Highest Minority Enrollment Ever

Contact: Heather Woolwine
843-792-7669
woolwinh@musc.edu

Aug 18, 2016

CHARLESTON, SC – The Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Medicine (COM) has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as having the fifth largest number of African-American medical students in the U.S., outside of historically black colleges and universities. In addition, the American Association of Medical Colleges ranks MUSC COM in the 96th percentile for medical schools with the most African-American students. In the 2015-2016 academic year, COM enrolled 129 underrepresented medical students (URM), or 18 percent of the medical student body. Of those students, 95 (13 percent of the student body) identified as African-American. The class of 2020 has 19 percent URM students, continuing the upward trend.

MUSC recognizes that the solution to increased diversity in the physician workforce starts with bringing minorities into medical education, and is focused on recruiting, supporting and graduating diverse medical students through a number of initiatives. For example, the cost of a medical education is a hindrance to many students, and particularly URM students. Since 2012, MUSC’s “Opening Doors” medical scholarship program has funded 27 scholarships to students to ease their financial burden as they pursue medical careers.

For a deeper look at recruitment and retention efforts for COM URM students, see the table and links below:

MUSC College of Medicine Diversity Initiatives

URM Student Pipeline Programs for development and recruitment

URM Student Mentorship for development and retention

URM Resident recruitment, development and retention

URM Faculty recruitment, development, and retention

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state's only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy – and trains more than 900 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $300 million in research funds in fiscal year 2023, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding. Learn more about our academic programs.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned or governing interest), with approximately 2,700 beds and four additional hospital locations in development, more than 350 telehealth sites and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2023, for the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the Number 1 hospital in South Carolina. Learn more about our patient services.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $5.9 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC family members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.