The primary mission of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine is to train primary care physicians to work in South Carolina. The library supports this mission by providing extensive services to both current and former students.
School of Medicine Alumni can retain their circulation privileges as long as they are employed within the state of South Carolina as a medical professional. To obtain more information please contact the circulation department at (803) 216-3200.
The Library has two multifunction devices located in the computer pods on the first floor. Alumni must purchase a “Unicard” from the Circulation Desk. For more information, see Unicard FAQ.
Reference librarians are available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday, to assist alumni. Requests are accepted by mail, by email via ask a librarian, by telephone to (803) 216-3213, or on a walk-in basis. They should come directly from the person requesting the service whenever possible. Experience has proven that direct communication between the requestor and the librarian gives the most efficient and satisfactory results.
Information services offered include those in the following categories:
The School of Medicine Library will provide bibliographic searches in the numerous databases to which it has access, with the primary ones being MEDLINE, Web of Science (Science Citation Index), and PsycINFO.
The Library provides access to OVID MEDLINE, a networked system containing the complete MEDLINE databases (featuring many full-text articles) from 1966 to the present and a number of other databases. Alumni may access OVID from the Library's public workstations at no charge.
NOTE: Mediated searches performed by a librarian on MEDLINE and other databases on our network are provided to School of Medicine alumni at the cost of $25 per search.
The Library offers free classes on various databases, such as PubMed, Ovid, and Web of Science. Library classes are open to alumni and offered on demand. All classes are hands-on and last about an hour. They are held in the library's computer classroom.
Requests for biomedical academic or clinical materials that are not available in the School of Medicine Library are accepted from SOM alumni, as long as they are South Carolina residents. Verified requests can usually be filled within a week.
As a participant in the Southeastern/Atlantic Regional Medical Library Program, the Library is bound by its policies and procedures. USC SOM alumni in South Carolina will be charged $10.00 per filled request.
The loaning of material to the library's clientele by other institutions constitutes a courtesy and a privilege, and the patron must thus adhere to the principles of the national interlibrary loan system. The system was not designed to support extensive research requiring materials not found in our library. Individual abuse of the system will necessitate the establishment of quotas. Further, the library also abides by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code), which governs the making of photocopies of copyrighted materials.
To request an Interlibrary Loan, go to https://uscm.med.sc.edu/illhome.asp and follow the links for "First-Time Users."
The Library also participates in the National Library of Medicine's Loansome Doc system. SOM Alumni wishing to use Loansome Doc should fill out the ILL Express! form as well as the form at the Loansome Doc website. YOU MUST CHOOSE THE SAME USERNAME FOR BOTH ILL EXPRESS! AND LOANSOME DOC. Upon receipt of the completed form the necessary LIBID will be supplied. This LIBID and a username and password assigned by the National Library of Medicine will enable electronic submission of requests for materials.
Carolina Alumni Association members have access to online research databases through a partnership between the Carolina Alumni Association and the University Libraries. Please click here for more information