Tour Information

• Always smile and remember that this may be the only time prospective students will see the school and interact with a current student. You are one of their first impressions!

• Keep the tour relaxed and have fun (if you are giving a tour on an interview day - remember how tired we all were after a full day of interviews)

• HAVE FUN! We want tours to be an enjoyable experience for not only the potential students, but also the tour guides

• It is okay not to know an answer. Admit that you are not sure and have them email Lucy Conaway, the admissions coordinator, at admissions@greenvillemed.sc.edu 

• Personal stories and experiences are an essential part of the tour. We suggest thinking of some beforehand so you can have them in your back pocket! You will probably get the question "Why did you choose this school?" 

• You can always give your opinions, BUT remember to preface that they are YOUR opinions.

• Do NOT denounce other medical schools 

• Introductions

  • Introduce yourself

    • Background: Hometown, Undergrad, Major, 

    • If you took time off, what you did before starting medical school 

    • Interests outside of school

  • Have the group briefly introduce themselves

    • If it is an interview day tour you can skip this part if the group is exhausted (which they may very well be!) 

    • Learning where they are from and where they are on their journey to medicine will give you an idea of your audience when conducting the tour 

    • Do not ask where they are applying or where they have interviewed - they are welcome to bring this up on their own but we do not directly ask them (asking them this could put them on the spot and make them uncomfortable) 

• School Background 

  • Public School, Privately funded (by Prisma Health and Donors) 

  • Being a state school we take about 70% of SC residents and about 30% of out of state students

  • Building was designed to fit the curriculum and students needs 

  • Student-centered approach to learning 

    • Students represented on all major committees (academic, admissions, professionalism, etc.) 

    • Charter class came up with the dress code (business casual) 

    • Students are able to start their own initiatives and organizations (Root Cause, Innovation Lab)

  • Relationship with Prisma Health 

    • Hospital within walking distance

    • 13th largest healthcare system in the nation

• EMT

  • Students get hands-on experience starting their first day on campus 

  • Training is an opportunity to get to know other students

  • Better understanding of holistic medicine and healthcare 

• Integrated Practice of Medicine 

  • • Note: if you are giving a tour on an interview day the applicants should have already heard about this during their curriculum overview, but you can always remind them what IPM entails and see if they have any questions 

  • Discuss the case aspect of IPM during your introduction or in the learning studio 

  • How some IPM sessions humanize what you are learning (patient panels) 

  • Opportunity to get to know your faculty leader 

    • IPM groups often go to dinner at their faculty's house 

    • Some students are able to go shadow their IPM faculty

• Explain that the school gives students the option to go to class

  • Allows students to make the schedule that best fits that individual

  • Instead of downplaying the importance of attending class, focus on how individuals may watch the lectures at half or double speed, pause to take notes, etc to better grasp the material

• Explain the collaborative nature of the learning studio

  • Gives the opportunity to work with practicing physicians and why attendance is necessary to learn in that environment

• Remind the attendee that lectures are important and may require hard work, but only 40% of our curriculum are traditional lectures

• Quiet Study Area

  • Show them the individual cubicles to allow for focus

    • This area functions as a first come, first served basis

  • Explain that our library has books available for checkout, but we also have access to the library at the hospital

• Printers

  • All printing is wireless

  • Explain that the school sets apart a portion of tuition for printing to assist students that would prefer to use paper

• Electronic Resources

  • Every student is matched with a librarian through the College System 

    • This can be a great opportunity to mention the college system if you haven't already 

    • Librarians are there to help you find articles for any of your research needs 

  • Free access to UpToDate, Clinical Key, First Aid, UWorld and ALL of the textbooks for each class

    • • *you can also rent hard copies of all of the textbooks in the library*

• SIM Center Talking Points 

  • State of the Art facility 

    • 30,000 square foot facility 

    • state of the art equipment and simulators

    • One of the largest simulators of its kind in the Southeast! 

  • We have manikins that range in age (babies, toddles, adults) - some can cry, bleed, and sweat

    • We have Harvey the heart manikin that gives students audio samples of over 40 different heart rhythms 

    • We have trauma manikins

    • There are rooms in the SIM Center the mimic individual hospital rooms, there are rooms in the middle that can be used for boot camp or other training session, and we have specialty rooms (Labor and Delivery, ICU, and OR)

    • The equipment that you see in the SIM Center is the same that is used in the hospital 

  • Student led Interest Group hosts nights in the SIM center

    • Learn interesting procedures from physicians during M1 and M2

  • Explain that this is the training center used not only for the medical students, but also for Clemson Nursing, U of SC CRNA program, the GME residency program, and Prisma Health employees

    • Learning the importance of collaboration in health care

• Clinical Skills Lab 

  • Over 100 trained individuals to represent patients and real world situations

  • High-tech manikins to learn new skills or perfect old ones

  • Working with trained faculty and current physicians to apply topics discussed in lecture

• Please see attached letter from Dr. Morgan (Medical Director of the Simulation Center) for additional information. You will find this letter at the bottom of the website.  

• Student Lounge

  • Area designed for student enjoyment and relaxation

    • Faculty unable to enter; Best view in the house 

    • Multiple refrigerators to store food at the school

    • Coffee makers and dishes for our use

    • Ping pong, NEW pool table, television and couches

    • Large tables for eating and hanging out

    • Fit desks 

• Study Areas

  • Large group study rooms

  • Large monitors

    • Can log in directly to the computer or connect your screen

• Tutoring 

  • Small Group and individual tutoring is free for all students 

  • On the flip side, you can also get paid to be a tutor M2-M4 

• Radiology and Histology

  • Seating arranged focused around the screens

  • Faculty are able to project their screens so that students can see exactly what is desired

  • Allows for collaboration between students and faculty

  • Classroom is set up like a large lab - microscope in the middle of the room and you can project slides on to each table's monitor 

• Connection point between UofSC SOMG and Clemson Nursing

• Great study area

• NO PHOTOGRAPHY; Only take tours in lab during lab interview days  or when showing accepted students around campus

• Give prospective students a heads up before entering and give them the option to way in the hall if they are not comfortable going in. 

• Facility 

  • Windows and downward draft system (not in basement) 

  • Touchscreen monitors at every table + faculty camera to guide students through every lesson 

  • separate lockers and showers 

  • are able to access the lab from 6am-10pm (and can stay after 10 if you are already in there) 

• Donors 

  • referred to as "donors" out of respect 

  • Ceremony to honor donor and donor family at the end of the year 

• Discuss the group centered approach to learning anatomy (small group dissections, lots of group studying, etc) 

• Language from Dr. William's to share: 

  • The gross anatomy lab allows students to see, touch, and dissect human tissue, enhancing their understanding of human anatomy. Educational opportunities are available year-round for medical students and healthcare professionals within the Prisma Health system. 

• • During the tour, you may see closed body bags or visible dissections, which could include muscles, organs, or limb disarticulation.

  • In light of the potentially sensitive nature of things you may see, feel free not to participate in this tour OR if you feel uncomfortable due to the embalming fluid or anything you do see, please step outside or notify your tour guide.

• • Also, please refrain from photography and posting on social media out of respect for our donated individuals and their families.

• Living 

  • Facebook Group to meet other students looking for housing 

  • Physician owned houses across the street from the Medical School for rent 

  • Apartments both downtown and near the school

  • Free Path Membership to Life Center and all YMCAs in the area

• Food 

  • You can mention your favorite places to eat near the school and in Greenville 

  • If you need some help: 

    • Moe's BBQ 

    • Tsunami Sushi 

    • Grill Marks or Bad Daddy's for a Burger 

    • Pita House 

• Fun Things to do

  • Weekend Hiking trips are a fan favorite for students 

  • Downtown Greenville 

    • Drive Baseball, Swamp Rabbits Hockey 

    • Falls Park 

    • Farmers Market (Saturday), Events 

    • Night Life 

  • Swamp Rabbit Trail 

  • Paris Mountain State Park

This is just an example and is not to be followed exactly. Each tour should be personal, fun and include as many anecdotes as possible!

Rotunda:

• Good afternoon, my name is Corbin Morris. I am a second-year student here at UofSC SOMG. I grew up locally in Spartanburg. I then went to Clemson University where I was a biochemistry major. I applied regular decision and was lucky enough to be selected to this incredible school.

• Just beside us, you can see the walkway leading to the hospital just next door to the school. One argument for the success of our school, aside from the faculty and previous students, is the hospital system that we are associated with. Prisma Health, formerly known as GHS. Prisma is now the 13th largest health system in the nation. This allows for exposure to unique patients and situations as well as the opportunity to work with some of the best physicians in the area and country.

• You will notice that I am dressed in business casual today. This is due to a decision made by the charter class in 2010. To me, this initially seemed like a requirement more than an opportunity. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I have appreciated the dress code. You never know when you will need to walk over to the hospital for something or when you will run into a physician. In my opinion, it makes us look prepared and confident.

• We will now move into the school

Lecture Hall:

• This is our lecture hall. This is the only traditional lecture hall in our school. This is the room where we have what you probably think of when you think of med school lectures. This is where most of your physiology lectures and anatomy lectures will be held.

• All lectures in this room are recorded and posted on our viewing website so that you can either go back to a concept you missed or watch the lectures after the fact if you were unable to attend.

• There are microphones at the seats in the crowd. If someone has a question, then they can turn on the microphone and the questions will be recorded as well.

• As daunting as lectures may seem, only 40% of our curriculum is lecture based. Our school chooses to emphasize patient care and interpersonal work just as much as lecture.

Learning Studio:

• This is the learning studio. This room is set up for collaboration between students. Each week, we hold IPM sessions with our physicians. However, we have many screens to help accommodate these.

• In IPM, we have the opportunity to review cases each week and discuss topics specific to the cases such as food deserts, treatment of children or rare disease occurrences. We are also able to discuss why a physician thinks the way that they do, as well as how to handle unique situations.

Library:

• ·This is our library on the first floor. Not only do we have access to our library, but there is an additional library in the hospital that we can use.

• ·This space is set up for quiet, individual studying. You will commonly find students in the cubbies. On the wall are books that are accessible by anyone. They can be used as a resource or borrowed for a short time.

• There is also a printer in the library. We have 3 printers scattered throughout the school. Each student is allotted funds that is included in their tuition for printing. It is all done wireless and typically works very well.

Floor 1 ½:

• ·Here we have individual study rooms on the first floor. They can be referred to anything from floor 1 ½ to the bubbles or even space shuttles. These are for quiet, individual studying. These are nice to get away and focus if the traditional cubicles of the library are not what you prefer.

• In these rooms, the window, door, and tabletop are all dry erase boards. So, students can make notes, draw diagrams or simply doodle as they work.

SIM Center and Clinical Skills Lab:

• SIM Center

  • This is our simulation center. This is a state of the art facility that is used by many people. This helps create relationships that will help us learn and succeed in the future. Here we have 2 classrooms as well as multiple replicas of the rooms that will be seen in the hospital including: Labor and Delivery, Surgery and ICU. These rooms are modeled to exactly match those in the hospital so that we are aware and prepared upon arrival third year.

  • We have many manikins to help us learn. For example, we have Harvey the heart simulator. Using a remote, the administrators are able to change heart rates and rhythms or add murmurs and irregularities that we can see in clinic. We also have models that breathe, have pulses that can be modified and can even give birth.

  • We also have smaller manikins that are helpful in practicing skills such as putting in an IV or central line.

• Clinical Skills Lab

  • This is the area where we meet with our standardized patients. These patients are trained actors who have been given specific scenarios that we will see day in and day out in practice. We are able to practice exams with these patients as well as increase the fluidity of our patient interactions.

Small Group Study Room:

• ·These are our small group rooms. These are typically for a handful of people that want to work together. While these tables are not dry erase, each room has a monitor that can be accessed, and the glass wall also acts as a dry erase board. These work well for students who work well as a group, but do not need too much space.

MDL:

• This is the multi-disciplinary lab: our third and final lecture area. As you can see, the majority of our space is set up to work together to learn and achieve a goal rather than doing so individually.

• You will have most of your radiology lectures and histology labs in this room. Each table is set up with a monitor that can either mirror the screen of the lecturer or be controlled by the students. It is set up to allow for collaboration between students.

• Our histology labs done during Structure and Function 1 and 2, use a computer program loaded with previously stained slides. During lab, you just open the slides, label them appropriately and can then use them to study later.

Student Lounge:

• ·This is our student lounge. Here we have refrigerators, microwaves and coffee makers. You can store food or beverages here and there are plenty of tables to eat at. We also have ping pong, pool (billiards), foosball and television to help students relax after class or for study breaks.

• We often have a large group of students in here during lunch. They typically eat and hang out until the next class or lab. It is not uncommon to find students here in the evening relaxing after a long day or watching sports on the weekend for study breaks.

Large Group Study Room:

• Next are our large group study rooms. These are used not only for students studying, but also for IPM meetings. It is here that your dedicated groups of 6-8 people will present and solve a case as a team. These rooms are great for open discussion with the people around you.

• These rooms are also used as studying for a group that wants to work together or for a tutoring group. These rooms are also equipped with a television we can connect to and glass that is dry erase. Tutors are encouraged for students, regardless of previous success. Talking topics through is always helpful. Worst case scenario, you make a new friend.

Connector:

• Finally, is the connector. This is a shared space between UofSC SOMG and the Clemson University Nursing Building. This area is a nice change of scenery from the rest of the school and offers the feeling of being closer to outside.

• This is generally a quiet area, but some group work is acceptable depending on what everyone is working on.

Back in the Rotunda:

· I hope you enjoyed the tour of UofSC SOMG. As you can see, we have a state-of-the-art facility with connections to an incredible hospital just next door. Our curriculum is rigorous but focuses on working as a team to best benefit the patient. In this building, we learn not only the knowledge required to be a physician, but also the personal and interpersonal skills. If you have any questions, please feel free to email our admissions team or me, personally, at ….... We look forward to meeting you in the future!

Initially opened in 2008, the Greenville HealthCare Simulation Center (GHSC) moved into its present location in 2012 and serves as a focal point for the educational and training endeavors of thousands of students and faculty members in programs throughout the Upstate.  The Center itself encompasses almost 30,000 state-of-the-art square feet, serving the needs of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, the Clemson University School of Nursing, the University of South Carolina CRNA program, the GME residency programs of Prisma Health, the faculty and staff of the entire Prisma Health Upstate system (physicians, nurses, and allied health), as well as multiple high school and college organizations whose students have an interest in future healthcare careers.

As one of the largest simulation centers of its kind in the Southeast, the GHSC provides a synergistic array of simulation options for faculty and learners, including oversight of a Standardized Patient program (over 100 men and women who are trained to play the role of patients in a clinical setting), the operation of a wide array of high fidelity mannikins, and dozens of low fidelity "task trainers" that allow personnel from every healthcare discipline to practice and improve their proficiency with a multitude of procedural skills.  GHSC faculty also provide both clinical and pedagogical expertise in helping build and sustain numerous courses utilizing a highly advanced software system that can simulate almost any type of clinical scenario while capturing audio/video footage for debriefing purposes as well as summative data that can objectively provide the basis for learner assessments.

From the first time a learner attempts to start an IV to unraveling the complexity of the clinical presentation of septic shock to discussing a treatment plan with a patient newly diagnosed with cancer, the Greenville HealthCare Simulation Center provides a safe, collegial environment for healthcare training and education.  With over 50,000 individual visits to the Center annually, our team remains focused on our mission to improve the efficiency and efficacy of learning while fostering inter professional collaboration and training in the interest of improved outcomes and patient safety.

-Dr. Rob Morgan