Statement of Thomas L.

Stephenson
Chair of MUSC Board of Trustees

I have been asked if I believe whether the establishment of a third public medical school

in Greenville is a good idea. My answer is “no”. Some might question my objectivity given that

I am the Chair of MUSC’s Board of Trustees. However, consider the following:

I have served on MUSC’s Board for over 14 years. I have a very good understanding of

the challenges in operating a public medical school in a poor state like South Carolina. On the

other hand, I was born, raised and live in Greenville where I practice law. My family, including

mother and father, adult son and two brothers live in Greenville. I received two degrees from the

University of South Carolina. My father was a long time board member of the Greenville

Hospital System, USC’s partner in the proposed new medical school. If anyone should be biased

toward the University of South Carolina and Greenville, it is me. However, my affinity for the

University of South Carolina and Greenville does not change important considerations impacting

the entire state.

First, I do not believe it is possible to run a medical school for the amount of money

estimated by the proponents of the new school. Second, even though proponents profess

otherwise it cannot be sustained for long without significant state funding. Contrary to the

representations of the proponents, I predict that the new medical school will be at the public

trough in the near future.

Third, the proponents have not adequately considered the fact that the residency slots in

South Carolina are full. There will likely be nowhere for the new graduates to train except for

out of state. The number one predictor of where a new doctor practices medicine is where the
doctor serves his or her residency. The fact is most of the new graduates from the new medical

school will end up obtaining a residency (if they can find one) in another state means that it is

very unlikely that a new medical school will increase the number of physicians in South

Carolina.

Fourth, the proponents of the new medical school have not considered the fact that a

private medical school has already begun the process of matriculation in Spartanburg. This will

result in over 100 new graduates every year, from it. These doctors will be in addition to the

graduates from a new public medical school in Greenville. The Spartanburg doctors will also be

seeking the limited of residency slots in South Carolina.

Fifth, MUSC is unquestionably the premiere medical school in the state. Any objective

criteria whether it be qualifications of new students, percentage that pass boards or dollars

generated in research backs up this statement. MUSC has expanded its class in a responsible

manner over the last few years. Because of the influx of new doctors MUSC will be limited

from doing so in the future. This will inevitably result in a lower percentage of MUSC graduates

in the future and a higher percentage of graduates from inferior medical schools.

I am most disappointed by the fact that no independent body will study the need and

financial feasibility of the new medical school. Until two weeks ago, the South Carolina

Commission on Higher Education (CHE) was slated to have hearings to study the need and

financial feasibility of the new medical school. Last week, the Attorney General unexpectedly

issued an opinion which stated that such hearings were not only unnecessary but improper. As a

practicing attorney, I strongly disagree with this opinion and it flies in the face of decades of

work by the CHE. This opinion, if followed, renders the CHE almost totally ineffective. The
fact is this state cannot afford for its public institutions to establish costly new schools without

some sort of public oversight. In this era of inadequate state funding for higher education, the

lack of oversight of our numerous public universities could result in a disaster. It is my sincere

hope that the legislature will correct this situation and some objective body will examine the

need for a new medical school in this state as well as the need for any new program offered by

our public universities.