The Medical University of South Carolina has narrowed the search for its next president to four physicians, two from outside the university and two from its own leadership.

“The presidential search committee has identified four exceptional candidates,” MUSC’s presidential search page says. MUSC posted the names there Oct. 30 with little publicity, the Post and Courier reported. The page links to each candidate’s résumé.

The outside candidates are Dr. Lawrence S. Chin, a neurosurgeon who is dean of SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Norton College of Medicine in Syracuse, N.Y., and Dr. Nathan R. Selden, a pediatric neurosurgeon who has been dean of the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine since June 2024, according to OHSU.

The inside candidates are Dr. Terrence E. Steyer, a family medicine physician who has been dean of MUSC’s College of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs since 2022, according to MUSC, and Dr. Eugene Hong, a sports medicine physician who has been chief physician executive of MUSC Health and MUSC Physicians since 2018, according to his résumé.

“Out of respect for the search process, Dr. Steyer and Dr. Hong have no comment at this stage,” MUSC spokeswoman Kristin Merkel told the newspaper.

In Portland, Willamette Week reported that Selden came close to being named OHSU’s president in 2024 before the school’s board dropped the plan after prominent figures pushed back. An OHSU spokesperson told the paper that Selden continued to be “fully engaged in leading the OHSU School of Medicine.”

The winner will replace Dr. David Cole, who will retire in June 2027 after 13 years as president, MUSC announced in June. According to the search page, the president reports to the board of trustees, oversees MUSC’s six colleges and works alongside the chief executive of MUSC Health.

The candidates still must be interviewed and approved by the full board of trustees, the Post and Courier reported. The search page lists no dates for that step. Trustee and former board Chairman Dr. James Lemon leads the search, SCBIZ reported in June, and MUSC has hired the search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.