MUSC Bicentennial: Always Innovating

For nearly two centuries, MUSC has been a leader in health care innovation. Since its founding in 1824, the institution has continuously pushed boundaries, embracing modern clinical trials and pioneering telehealth services. In the contemporary landscape, MUSC stands at the forefront of medical innovation, particularly in precision medicine and genetics. Through these cutting-edge approaches, MUSC is transforming patient care by offering personalized treatments and therapies that were once unimaginable. This legacy of innovation reaffirms MUSC's position as a leader in shaping the future of health care by enriching the lives of patients through groundbreaking advancements.

Young African-American doctor in a lab with a dark illumination in a lab coat and protective gloves works late with a HUD screen with a brain projection in a futuristic laboratory, we see her sitting at a table.
Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at MUSC.
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Innovation at MUSC

The Chisholm inhaler sits on a sollid white surface
Then. Innovation Through the Ages

Innovation has been central to MUSC’s mission to serve South Carolinians since its founding in 1824. The Medical University was conceived of by innovators who went on to create the first medical school in the South, with no tradition to build on. Even during the Civil War, MUSC faculty members, such as John Chisolm, were developing new medical techniques and devices, like the Chisolm inhaler, to the care for patients more effectively.

A man in a mask lies on a bed in a doctor’s office. The doctor, in a suit on the right, also wears a mask as the two are in a discussion.
Now. Paving the Way for Health Care Advancements

Today, MUSC continues this nationally recognized culture of innovation to ensure that future health care providers are supported through clinical and educational discoveries. With more than 700 active clinical trials, MUSC researchers are creating breakthroughs and advancing telehealth to create more equity throughout the state.

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Next. A Vision for Precision Medicine

Remaining at the forefront of innovation allows MUSC to harness the power of next-generation technologies in fields such as precision medicine and continue to lead genetic studies like In Our DNA SC to revolutionize medical training and patient outcomes. Through the integration of  these models into routine clinical care, patients will benefit from cutting-edge approaches to personalized treatments, and clinicians will be able to predict more accurately which treatments are more likely to work for a patient, considering his or her individual genetic and molecular make-up, environment, and lifestyle.