Campus Assignment Process
As the largest state medical school, UNC School of Medicine takes great pride in students serving and learning across the state during the clinical years. The school offers students the opportunity to complete the Application Phase at one of four campuses: Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, and Central (Chapel Hill, RTP, and Triad areas).
Each campus has the same objectives and assessments, with unique curricular features. The school requires students to rank campuses according to preference, but also must ensure the full use of each campus’s capacity as a commitment to serve the public of the state. Students must rank the campuses, with 1 indicating first choice and 4 indicating their last choice. A student’s first choice is not guaranteed.
Additionally, students must submit:
- An essay explaining their ranking and why a specific campus would be a good match for them.
- A possible request to be placed at a specific campus and assigned to specific clinical locations due to
- care of child or children,
- care of a sick relative or partner who is based locally, and
- personal medical issues that require local healthcare.
Dr. Dent, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, reviews and grants these requests.
To inform rankings, the school offers a series of information meetings on the Application Phase and each campus. Additionally, campuses host open houses. Students are strongly encouraged to attend open houses to see the physical location, community amenities, and meet campus faculty and staff. Each campus also maintains a website where students can gather information. When assigning students to campuses, the school prioritizes student preference while also seeking good student-campus fit. Demand for a campus may fall under or over its capacity in which case a decision is made in the collective interest of all students. While the school prioritizes student preference, there may be circumstances where academic performance is a consideration. For example, if there are more students interested in one campus than there is capacity, academic performance in the Foundation Phase may be taken into account when assigning students.