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 classes to commence. This significant milestone signals the start of recruitment for its inaugural class, aimed at addressing the urgent shortage of doctors in the region.
The $65 million state-of-the-art facility will be located on the campus of Cape Fear Medical Center in Fayetteville, N.C.. Dr. Hershey Bell, the Founding Dean, emphasized the critical need for medical professionals, stating, “We are short of doctors in every single specialty in this region, and the purpose of this medical school is to correct that.”
Within the next 10 days, the school will begin accepting applications from prospective students. Dr. Bell anticipates a substantial response, projecting 2,000 to 2,500 applications. Of those, about 350 students will be interviewed this fall or winter, with 64 students set to be accepted into the charter class.
The school has already made strides in staffing, hiring more than 50 faculty and staff, and will collaborate with over 200 clinical faculty from the Cape Fear Valley Health System. Classes are scheduled to begin in July 2026.
This development is crucial for the health landscape in North Carolina, as the state grapples with a dire shortage of healthcare providers. The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine aims to make a significant impact, providing new opportunities for aspiring medical professionals and enhancing healthcare quality in the region.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story and the opening of applications, which could change the medical community in North Carolina forever.
