Campus Assignment Process

Thank you for visiting this page. Please read on for key events, information, timelines, and FAQs related to the Application Phase site assignment process. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, please reach out to Mary Hauser (mary_hauser@med.unc.edu) and Valerie Glassman (valerie_glassman@med.unc.edu).

UNC School of Medicine: One School, Six Application Phase Sites

UNC School of Medicine is made up of six sites: Asheville, Central Cross-Regional, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Wilmington where students engage in clinical learning across Application and Individualization Phases (3rd and 4th years). Capacity at each of the six sites is maximized to ensure that students get the clinical experiences they need to progress in their training.

In 2023, the capacity for each site was as follows:

• Asheville—35 students
• Central Cross Regional—77 students
• Charlotte—9 students
• Greensboro—18 students
• Raleigh—27 students
• Wilmington—27 students

Capacity changes slightly from year to year and exact numbers are communicated at class meetings during the MS1 year.

Site Representatives Visit Class Meetings

Representatives from the sites visit MS1 Class Meetings throughout fall to share information about their campuses with students.

Site representatives are available to meet with students to answer individual questions for the half hour after the Class Meeting (1:30 – 2:00 PM). This is a good opportunity to ask about things like housing, research options, etc. at each site.

Open Houses

Each site holds an Open House in the fall/winter to give students a chance to visit in person and learn more about the unique aspects of Application Phase experiences in different locations. Open House dates are all scheduled during curriculum-free times and are announced at class meetings and via email.

The Offices of Medical Student Education sponsors a bus to take students to the Wilmington, Asheville, and Charlotte Open Houses. Instructions for how to sign up for Open Houses and bus seats are shared via email and during class meetings. Students are not required to ride the bus—they may drive on their own—but all students are required to sign up for Open Houses and to notify campus representatives if their plans change so that campuses can plan for the correct number of visitors.

Student Government Campus Representatives

Another great way to learn more about each site is to talk with its Student Government Curriculum Representative. This 2023-24 representatives for each site are:

• Asheville: Peter Said, Peter_Said@med.unc.edu
• Greensboro: Max Rerkpattanapipat, pirapat_rerkpattanapipat@med.unc.edu
• Raleigh: Minakshi Pillai, minakshi_pillai@med.unc.edu
• Charlotte: Bhavana Ambil, bhavana_ambil@med.unc.edu
• Wilmington: Joanmarie Lewandowski, joanmarie_lewandowski@med.unc.edu

Campus Assignment Process Details

In early March, students receive a Qualtrics survey that asks the following:

• Are you a member of one of the School of Medicine’s special programs?
  • MD/PhD
  • FIRST
  • Kenan Scholars
• Do you have an exemption that requires you to be assigned to a certain campus? Exemptions include:
  • Primary and substantive responsibilities for the care of another person who is unable to live independently (brief description of caregiving responsibilities required)
  • A health matter that requires regular, in-person health care at an established provider (attestation from provider required at the time of form completion)
    • Applies to Central, Cross-Regional Campus, only
• How do you rank the six sites?
  Each student will rank the six sites (Asheville, Central Cross-Regional, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Wilmington) in order of preference.

Next, the form asks if students would like to enter the lottery as a “pod.” A pod is a group of up to three students who apply to the lottery as a single unit. The purpose of pods is to offer students the opportunity to maintain community formed during the Foundation Phase (e.g., friends, roommates, academic support systems). If students wish to “pod,” they submit the names of group members and an attestation that all group members agree to a single site rank list. Students in special programs (FIRST, etc.) and those who request exemptions may not participate in a pod.

Students in the aforementioned special programs and students with approved exemptions are assigned to campuses. The remaining students and pods of students are assigned to campuses using a computer program that generates an optimal set of placements given campus capacities and student rankings.

Site assignments are announced via email in early April. Students with immediate concerns should first contact their advisors and then Dr. Glassman (Valerie_Glassman@med.unc.edu) and Dr. Alice Chuang (Alice_Chuang@med.unc.edu).

Life happens! If students need to appeal their assignment, they may do so during the Neurons to Networks course in the MS2 year (September). Students who have had a change in their medical needs or other change in life circumstances that requires them to reconsider site assignment may submit an appeal to the Student Success Committee via Dr. Glassman (Valerie_Glassman@med.unc.edu). Appeals may be made on the grounds of:

1. A change in health status that requires an individual to be placed at a particular location to maintain care with a provider (attestation required)
2. A change in personal circumstances that would make it significantly preferable for a student’s well-being to be placed at a particular site (e.g., illness of a loved one)

Campus Assignment Process Timeline

• Early March—Site Assignment Form opens for one week
• Early April—Site assignments shared with students via email
• September (Neurology/Neurons to Networks Course)—Fall Appeals Period (students may submit an appeal regarding their site assignment)