North Carolina’s New Medical School Receives Accreditation, Opens Applications

BREAKING: North Carolina’s newest medical school, the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, has just received official accreditation, paving the way for its inaugural class to commence in July 2026. This milestone is crucial as the school gears up to tackle the urgent shortage of physicians across the region.

Located within the Cape Fear Medical Center campus in Fayetteville, the state-of-the-art facility is a collaborative effort between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health System, representing a significant investment of $65 million. “We are short of doctors in every single specialty in this region, and the purpose of this medical school is to correct that,” stated Dr. Hershey Bell, the Founding Dean.

In an exciting development, the school will begin accepting applications from prospective students within the next 10 days. Anticipating high demand, Dr. Bell shared that they expect to receive between 2,000 to 2,500 applications. The selection process will include interviews for approximately 350 students this fall or winter, with a final acceptance of 64 students into the charter class.

The school has already made significant strides in staffing, hiring over 50 faculty and staff, and plans to engage more than 200 clinical faculty from the Cape Fear Valley Health System, ensuring a robust educational environment for the incoming students.

This new medical school is particularly vital for addressing the healthcare needs of the area, where the demand for medical professionals is critical. As the recruitment phase begins, the excitement builds around this transformative initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality in North Carolina.

Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available about the application process and the school’s future impact on the community. This development marks a significant step forward in medical education and healthcare service in the region, making it an important topic for local and national audiences.