Interested in attending the USC School of Medicine Greenville? Some Helpful Tips from the Office of Admissions

Guest Post: On occasion, we accept guest submissions to the blog.  Today’s post was written and submitted by the USCSOMG Office of Admissions.

This is the special time of year when future physicians are considering the right school to pursue their medical education. We, the USC School of Medicine Greenville Admissions team, are excited you are considering our school’s one-of-a-kind program.

Our team is dedicated to making the application and admissions process, which could seem daunting, as straightforward as possible. In fact, in today’s post, we hope to provide some useful information about USCSOMG’s entire process.

The Whole You!

The admissions committee at USC School of Medicine Greenville takes a holistic approach to admissions. They take various factors into consideration when reviewing an application. There are several areas of focus in their holistic approach: your academics, clinical observation and shadowing experience, extra-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, personal statement, supplemental application, and your interview.

Your GPA and MCAT are indicators of academic success. The admissions committee will review your academics to ensure that you are prepared for the rigors of medical school. But there is much more to your application than that! You could have a stellar GPA and MCAT score but lack the communication, listening and interpersonal skills critical to the doctor-patient relationship. This is why the admissions committee reviews applications in a holistic manner. At the School of Medicine Greenville you will hear the phrase “you leave the doctor knowing how comfortable they made you feel, or how well they listened-not what their GPA or MCAT score was”.

Clinical observation and shadowing experience is important for a number of reasons. First, you get a sense of what it is like to be a doctor; – you witness firsthand the commitment, challenges, rewards, schedules, patient interactions, teamwork, and more. You can reflect upon these experiences and determine if this is the best career path for you – and confirm you motivation for medicine. Patient-centered care is an integral component of the guiding principles of The School of Medicine Greenville. As a student you participate in patient care right from the start with EMT certification and hands-on clinical training. The admissions committee evaluates an applicant’s passion for medicine and ability to immediately utilize one’s interpersonal skills at the onset of medical school through EMT training and patient interactions. Serve your community, get involved in your school, pursue your hobbies, and work to support yourself- and be sure you list these endeavors in your application. Your organizational and time management skills will be challenged in medical school; the admissions committee reviews your extra-curricular activities as evidence of your skills to plan and use your time wisely. Whether you do community service, work your way through school, serve with the military, participate in Greek life or intercollegiate athletics fine tune a hobby-all these activities are equally important! Make sure you list these on your application. Not only do they demonstrate your skills, but they allow the committee to get to know who you are and what is important to you.

Get solid letters of recommendation. Ask people who know you well and can speak to your work ethic, character, and other attributes. i.e. professors, employers, members of a health care team, etc. Our admissions committee requires at least 3 and no more than 5 letters of recommendation; a single pre-medical committee letter is also acceptable.

Reflect and reveal-your personal statement is not just an essay. Your statement is an opportunity to tell the committee who you are-aside from the facts and numbers. Take advantage of this opportunity to share who you are, your motivations for pursuing medicine, and share something meaningful to you. Keep in mind some interviewers might pull questions from your statement. Be able to speak about it.

We will be the first to admit that the School of Medicine Greenville has a lengthy supplemental application! It is not our intention to tire your hand. Our application is a way for you to update the committee on your current work, academics, research, projects, etc. Use these answers to tell more about yourself and give the committee more insight on you who are, why you interested, and what you can bring to the table. This is another opportunity to take advantage of! The interviewers might refer to your answers on this application as well.

Last but not least, be yourself! You can do this in person with an interview. As mentioned previously, you may have the best academics but if you couldn’t talk to your patient you might make a lousy physician. The interview is the time to show off your beautiful interpersonal and communication skills. At School of Medicine Greenville our interviewers are your advocate to the admissions committee. You have two 45 minute interviews. Our interviewers will present you application along with your interview to the committee for review. They will also pass along any message you might want to convey to the committee. There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewers are interested in seeing how you think, reflect, reason, communicate, and want to learn more about your motivation and passion for medicine. You work hard to get to the interview, so when you are there try to relax and be yourself. Remember, schools are looking at you, but you are also looking at them! Both parties are trying to find a fit. At School of Medicine Greenville we dedicate your interview day to trying to make it a smooth and friendly experience. We welcome you to school and give you information about our school as well as provide tips for the imamate interviews. If it would ease your mind feel free to schedule a tour to get familiar with the campus before you interview.

All these factors make up the holistic admissions approach at the USC School of Medicine Greenville. You are much more than an application or numbers. Show us what you’ve got!

Interviews: Helpful Hints

Congrats, you’ve got the interview! Yikes, now what?! Relax! Getting to the interview is hard work; don’t let your nerves get the best of you. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the interview:

Learn about the school. Research the website, ask a friend, look for student blogs (these are great perspectives!), or take a tour. Being well informed will help you with any kind of interview. The more you know about the school the better prepared you will be. You will have a sense of what the school offers, the location, the student body, available opportunities, and more. You might come up with some great questions to ask the admissions office or your interviewer. If you are taking the time and effort to interview with a school it is to your advantage to know what you are getting into. The interview day is overwhelming enough! It will be helpful for have an idea of the school and what it is about before you go to campus.

Dress for success. If you look good, you’ll feel good. You are making a first impression. Make sure you look sharp. Don’t forget the basics like eye contact, a firm handshake, and posture….you’ll be great!

Remember fit. No, I’m not still talking about dress. To calm your nerves just remember the school is interviewing you to see if you are a fit for them-but you are also seeing if the school is a fit for you! When you are at your interview observe the campus, facility, faculty, staff, students, location, and see if the setting and curriculum are a fit for you. Medical school is four rigorous years, you want to make sure the school you choose has the factors right for you and your learning experience.

Be punctual. This goes along with first impressions. You will be nervous, don’t do yourself a disfavor by adding the stress of running late. Make sure you know where you are going, if you aren’t clear feel free to contact the admissions office and clarify. Allow time for traffic or other unforeseen things that might put you behind schedule.

Be yourself. As previously stated, you have done much hard work to get to your interview. You deserve this time, this day! The admissions committee has read your application, they know the facts, the numbers, now it is time they meet you. Show off your great personality; share your reflections, motivations, and passion for medicine. Ask questions. Smile. You will be fine!

What to expect at the School of Medicine Greenville: a full day! Amanda and I will guide you through the interview day. We will greet you and start the day off with lunch. Don’t be shy; we are here to make the day as smooth and painless as possible. The next few hours you will spend meeting our Assistant Dean of Admissions, current student, and our Dean and Associate Deans. We will take the time to tell you about our program, the curriculum, and how to prepare for the interview. You later will have two 45 minute interviews. Our interviewers will present you application along with your interview to the committee for review. They will also pass along any message you might want to convey to the committee. There is no right or wrong answer. The interviewers are interested in seeing how you think, reflect, reason, communicate, and want to learn more about your motivation and passion for medicine. After your interviews you will finish the day with financial aid, student life information and a tour given by our current students. Get excited about coming to Greenville, we are looking forward to having you on campus!

Highlights: Acceptance Calls

One of our favorite parts of admissions is working with the applicants. We love to answer your questions, take you on a tour, welcome you to campus, guide your through your interview day, and more. A definite highlight is making acceptance calls. We understand that waiting can be difficult and nerve-wracking. As soon as our admissions committee finalizes the decisions we pick up the phone and reach out to the awaiting applicants. This is a great time for you, but for us too! Delivering the exciting news and welcoming you to campus is a rewarding part of our job. USC School of Medicine Greenville has rolling admissions; October 15^th marks the start of these anticipated acceptance calls and they continue through March. The admissions committee meets every 3-4 weeks to review every application and each month we get to make our calls! The newly accepted students can expect an official acceptance email after the call-good news twice. Once the good news sets in and questions arrive we are to help. Feel free to contact us; it’s our job and we love it!

Need More Information? Contact Us, Schedule a Tour and Visit our Website

Still have questions? Feel free to contact the Admissions team. We are here to help! Also, be sure to check out our website and follow us on social media – all provide some great insight into our unique program and student life.

You can take it a step further and even come for a visit. A tour is a great opportunity to see our campus and learn more from our staff and students. Click here to view our tour dates and schedule online.

Our staff looks forward to working with you as you pursue your dream of medicine!