UNC Wilmington wants to launch its own medical school. The degree program would have an accelerated three-year and traditional four-year track, and focus on primary care specialties.
Chancellor Aswani Volety presented an initial plan at a UNC Board of Governors committee meeting Wednesday. He said the last time the board approved a medical school was over 50 years ago.
"There have been addition of medical seats, medical programs in our state and expansion of medical seats in the public sector, yet the physician supply does not meet the current demand," Volety said. "This is especially more severe in rural areas like we have in Southeast North Carolina."
In Wilmington, the nearest public four-year medical degree program is over two hours away. Volety said North Carolina ranks 40th in the country in medical students per capita. He claims this isn't due to a lack of student interest, but rather a lack of options.
According to his presentation, 1,400 North Carolina residents applied to medical schools in 2025 and fewer than half were accepted.
Yousry Sayed, a UNCW trustee and large donor to the university, echoed Volety at the BOG meeting. Sayed said when he was a faculty member, he spent decades trying to figure out how to get local students into the medical profession.
"Year after year, I write hundreds of recommendation letters to medical schools and I'd be lucky to get one student," Sayed said. "I had to get in my car, take a student to go and meet with the admissions committee to try to beg for that student to get in. So I think we all agree that if there's an opportunity, we need to pursue this."
Volety told trustees his goal is to secure a nine-figure gift to help create the medical school. He's already been collaborating with several healthcare organizations for clinical partnerships, placements, and residencies. Later, he plans to address state and federal agencies for additional investments.
He said his vision for the medical school is one that goes beyond a traditional teaching hospital model.
"This curriculum is built from ground up and not an add on," Volety said. "It includes technology-enabled learning, such as simulations, artificial intelligence, clinical experiences (to) leverage many of the modern tools that we have today."
Overall, it could take about seven to eight years before the school sees its first graduates.
"This is a very lengthy process. The need is there. The shortage is significant. The best time to tackle any problem like this was yesterday," Volety said to trustees. The second best time to do it is today."
Volety's presentation was just an introduction of UNC Wilmington's proposal. In May, the BOG committee will discuss and vote on an authorization for his team to plan further. Several board members, however, have already voiced support for the project.
