North Carolina's Medical School Boom [View all]

New schools in Charlotte and Fayetteville—and soon Wilmington—could help ease the state’s doctor shortage.

by Morgan Casey
May 27, 2026
...
When Mostella learned that the steel beams and paved lots would become the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, his goal of becoming a doctor took shape.

Mostella was among more than 1,500 applicants for the school’s inaugural class that will start in July. He got in, along with 63 other students.
...
The new medical school is the sixth in North Carolina. But there could soon be a seventh: The University of North Carolina Wilmington plans to open a medical school in 2029. Meanwhile, Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem launched a campus in Charlotte last year.

University and health officials say the new schools are necessary because North Carolina does not have enough doctors to care for the 11 million people who live in the state, particularly those in rural communities. The state is predicted to be short more than 7,000 doctors by 2030, said UNC Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety.
...
https://www.theassemblync.com/news/health/healthcare/north-carolina-medical-schools/