The Medical University of South Carolina is a freestanding state-supported university offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in a range of health-related fields.  The medical school is one of the oldest in the country and currently graduates approximately 150 medical students annually.  Most of the clinical departments support residency programs and fellowships.  The Medical University Hospital complex includes a Children’s Hospital that has been rated among the best in the country.  The Medical University Hospital is a tertiary care perinatal center servicing the lower third of South Carolina including the entire coastal region.  We currently deliver approximately 2800 babies annually.  Approximately 60% of these patients are considered high-risk because of medical or obstetrical complications.  Our ambulatory practice includes consultative service and ongoing prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies.  Our state-of-the-art AIUM certified prenatal diagnostic center (The Prenatal Wellness Center) performs over 10,000 ultrasounds annually.  We have three genetic counselors on site.  We offer amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, Doppler studies, and cordocentesis for prenatal diagnosis.

The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division currently includes eight faculty members, including the departmental Chairman, and four fellows.   All of our faculty are clinically active and practice the breadth of maternal-fetal medicine.  Each faculty member contributes to both the clinical and didactic education of each fellow.

In addition to the clinical aspects of maternal-fetal medicine, research is also emphasized by our program.  There are excellent opportunities for basic research during your fellowship training.  Dr. Johnson directs a molecular biology lab within the department with specific interest in S-FH, VEGF and PlGF.  Drs. Goetzl and Chang are working with animal models and collaborating with colleagues in MUSC’s Children’s Research Institute.  We expect fellows to link up with the active clinical and/or basic researchers in our department so as to take advantage of our established research strengths.  Opportunities for collaboration with basic scientists in other disciplines also exist throughout the university.  Currently we are enjoying productive collaborations with experts in pharmacokinetics, vitamin D, cytokine metabolism, botanicals and nutraceuticals.

Our program is approved for one fellow at each level.  The fellows are assigned to a total of 15 months of clinical responsibility, 3 months of elective rotations, and 18 months are protected for research and to pursue a graduate degree.  A particular strength at MUSC is the Masters of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) program, which is designed specifically for fellows and junior faculty.  Although not a requirement of the fellowship, the MSCR is strongly encouraged for appropriate fellow candidates.  Fellows also participate in conferences of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, case conferences, and a didactic seminar series designed specifically for the fellows.

If you are interested in applying to our fellowship program, please complete an application through ERAS before the May 31, 2009 deadline.  All completed applications will be reviewed to determine your candidacy for a personal interview.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our fellowship program coordinator, Marti Sturdevant by telephone at (843) 792-1241 or e-mail sturdev@musc.edu.  Thank you for your interest.