I visited my first med school. The Medical University of South Carolina. MUSC.

MUSC accepts mostly South Carolina natives. But they also will accept out-of-staters with “ties to the area.” Thankfully, I have an aunt and uncle and a set of awesome grandparents just sitting there in Charleston waiting to be my “ties.”  Also, with declining subsidies from the state, MUSC plans on increasing out of state admissions (because we pay more).

Our tour guide James had just finished his first year there and drove in special to give us a t0ur. Seems he owed the dean’s office a favor.  The campus was pretty deserted as the semester had just wrapped up, the first years had finished their finals and were on break for the summer.

He was a nice little talker and my BFF and I were aggressive with our question asking, so there was not a lot of down time in that hour long walk around campus. We saw some lecture halls, simulation labs, libraries, anatomy labs, and dining areas.

James was hesitant about taking us to the gross anatomy lab. He was like “Well, we don’t have any safety gear on. And if I get caught, I’ll be lectured cause I should have known better.” But he let us in anyway because that seemed like an essential part of a medical school tour.  The gross anatomy lab contained about 30 dead bodies covered in individual black tarps. I don’t know what I expected walking in there. But it was jarring.  He mentioned that some people find the gross anatomy lab an emotional place. And I was like, “yeah…” letting my voice trail off.   I found it more than a little disconcerting for sure.

I had  concurrently been reading a fictional book (The Good Thief) which was tangentially about a couple of men hired to dig up recently dead bodies so that a surgeon could teach his pupils about anatomy. Apparently, from 1742 till 1832, this was a relatively common practice.  The practice officially ended with the Anatomy Act in 1832 even though it wasn’t really legal to begin with.  Today, med schools are still not allowed to purchase dead bodies, and all specimens must be donated.

We asked questions about “the day in the life of.” Which he answered, “class from 8 to 12, lab till 4, study in the evening. But you get used to it.”  We asked about the cost of living, to which he replied, “Well, if you want to live in a NICE place, you could go over there next to campus and pay $$…” And he names a price that’s the exact same cost as the PoS apartment that I live in now (in Los Angeles). So at least if I get in to school in South Carolina, I can expect a decent living conditions upgrade from my current apartment for about the same price.

Charleston is beautiful and the med school school seemed great. The tour guide raved about how much the staff wants you to succeed. (Apparently 90% of the students have private tutors that are provided by the school (included in tuition)). My close family is nearby and so is their super cuddly miniature poodle.  The school is also decently close to my big sister, who I could visit on weekends.  And gaining entrance into this university seems attainable.  I could really be happy there. It’s fo sho going on the list of places to apply.