It is part of the Southern Illinois University system, which includes a campus in Edwardsville as well as the flagship in Carbondale.

SIU was early to incorporate problem-based learning (PBL) into their curricula (see below) and "standardized patients" for medical student testing purposes.

By the end of their first trimester, they are tested on their ability to obtain medical histories from, examine, and diagnose the diseases simulated by standardized patients.

The School of Medicine offers the following degree programs: medical, MD/MPH, MD/JD, doctoral, master's, and physician assistant studies.

Medical students spend the first year at the main campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale before moving to Springfield.

SIU-Med employs problem-based learning, which involves using small groups of students, along with a faculty mentor.

At their next faculty-supervised meeting, the students teach each other what they have learned, with input also provided on the topics by the faculty member.

Since it is more interactive, these methods promote better problem-solving skills useful in real life situations than traditional lecture-based learning.

A Herpes Simplex Virus vaccine developed at SIU School of Medicine came to be at the center of a 2017 controversy over human trials.

[6][7][8] Clinical trials were conducted without institutional review board oversight and approval, and in apparent violation of SIU and federal rules for medical research.