The Importance of Undergraduate Coursework in Student Success at South Carolina Medical Institutions

The importance of undergraduate coursework in determining medical school student readiness
reaches far beyond preparation to take the standardized Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT®).
Since medical schools employ a rigorous and fastpaced
learning system to instruct prospective
medical students on (A) didactic information in the basic sciences and (B) the critical methodology of
clinical practice, it is essential for applicants to be well equipped
for the challenge that this type of
scholarship requires. A research study investigated current medical students enrolled at the four
medical schools in the State of South Carolina: The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC),
University of South Carolina College of Medicine Columbia (USCSOMColumbia),
University of South
Carolina College of Medicine Greenville (USCSOMGreenville)
and Edward Via College of Medicine
Spartanburg (VCOMSpartanburg).
Questionnaires were distributed in the form of Google surveys to
all medical institutions in order to distribute them to all students enrolled (M1M4)
.The results were
received, compiled, and analyzed. The data demonstrated striking similarities in the responses
received from medical students representing all four professional schools regarding their evaluation
how well they were prepared as undergraduates. The significance of these results is discussed.