MUSC breaks ground on College of Medicine building that aims to enhance medical education
December 17, 2024
New facility marks first dedicated facility for medical students in more than a century
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) leaders, physicians, medical students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the future College of Medicine building that will enhance and better support innovative medical education.
The project marks the first time in more than a century that the university’s flagship college will have a dedicated building. The College of Medicine, which educates more than 720 medical students per year, currently shares classroom and study spaces across the campus with students from MUSC’s other colleges, and staff support personnel is scattered across eight locations.
“The new College of Medicine building is desperately needed to meet the demands for health care in our state and to train our students in the ever-increasing knowledge required to be a successful physician while maintaining the humanistic side – the compassion and empathy – that patients desire,” said Terrence E. Steyer, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for Medical Affairs.
Lisa K. Saladin, PT, Ph.D., executive vice president for Academic Affairs and provost; Terrence E. Steyer, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for Medical Affairs; David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of Medical University of South Carolina; Henry Frederick “Fritz” Butehorn III, M.D., MUSC Board of Trustees; W. Melvin Brown III, M.D., vice chairman of the MUSC Board of Trustees; Donald R. Johnson II, M.D., MUSC Board of Trustees; Bartlett J. “Bart” Witherspoon, Jr., M.D., MUSC Board of Trustees; Richard M. Christian, Jr., M.D., MUSC Board of Trustees
The new facility will be a 186,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building that will provide a centralized place for medical student support staff and provide a true “home” for students to learn, study, relax and socialize. The facility will also provide offices for many educational leaders and college departments as well as provide spaces that can be utilized for residency education and continuing medical education. Some of the features include:
- Active-learning spaces
- Large classrooms
- Student study and relaxation spaces
- Faculty/alumni commons
- College of Medicine dean’s office
- Faculty and staff offices
- Wellness studio
As part of the building-design planning, College of Medicine leadership invited medical students to provide input in work-group sessions. “We asked the students to help us design the building. We wanted to make sure we were reflecting their needs in the building,” Dr. Steyer said.
The building will help the College of Medicine expand its educational offerings and, with appropriate approvals, increase the number of future physicians who are trained here. A shortage of more than 3,000 physicians is predicted for South Carolina during the next 10 years, indicating a need to increase the size of MUSC’s incoming classes.
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“We are building a future where MUSC College of Medicine graduates will be able to lead the charge to address the most challenging health issues of tomorrow,” said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of MUSC. “I look forward to seeing the profound impact the accomplishments of those who train and work here will have on the lives of individuals and communities.”
The estimated cost of the new building is $175 million, which is being raised from public and private funds.
The new facility is scheduled to open in summer 2027.
“Today is a hallmark for the next 200 years for MUSC and its College of Medicine,” Steyer said. “We will continue to ‘change what’s possible’ through the education, research and personal connections made in this new building.”
For more project information, please visit: musc.edu/COMbuilding
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,100 students in six colleges and trains 950+ residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health and research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
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. In 2024, for the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $7.1 billion. The 31,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.
