MD Medical Schools in North Carolina
5 allopathic MD programs in our catalogue for North Carolina. Use the profiles below to compare MCAT medians, GPA ranges, in-state preference, and AMCAS strategy.
Last reviewed September 4, 2026
About North Carolina: Pop. ~10.8M; Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle and Charlotte are major growth centres. Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest are among the most respected medical programs in the Southeast.
In-state preference: Duke is a private school admitting nationally with no in-state preference. UNC School of Medicine and Wake Forest strongly favour North Carolina residents; public school in-state seats typically 70–80% of intake. Brody School of Medicine at ECU has a strong rural/underserved NC mission.
Major health systems
- Atrium Health
- Duke Health
- UNC Health
- Novant Health
- WakeMed Health & Hospitals
5 MD Programs in North Carolina
- Duke University School of Medicine (MD)
Durham, NC
Duke University School of Medicine was founded in 1930. It pioneered a compressed model that teaches the core basic sciences in the first year only. Year 2 is core clinical clerkships, Year 3 is a dedicated research and scholarship year, and Year 4 is electives. That structure has produced one of the highest numbers of physician-scientist graduates of any medical school in the United States. Duke sits in Durham, North Carolina, and is affiliated with Duke University Hospital and the Duke Health system.
MCAT 521GPA 3.903.3% acceptance - Wake Forest University School of Medicine (MD)
Winston-Salem, NC
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, founded in 1902, is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and is affiliated with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The school is known for innovative curriculum design, clinical research, and a commitment to training compassionate, humanistic physicians. Wake Forest has particular strengths in geriatrics, cardiovascular medicine, and regenerative medicine.
MCAT 511GPA 3.813.3% acceptance - Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (MD)
Greenville, NC
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University was established in 1977 and sits in Greenville, North Carolina. It is a public medical school with one clear mission: to increase the supply of primary care physicians for the underserved communities of Eastern North Carolina. Brody enrols about 90 students a year. That is small by national standards, but its impact on rural healthcare in the region is outsized. Clinical training is based at ECU Health Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center and the academic medical hub for the 29-county Eastern NC region. Students also train across a network of community and rural clinics through the AHEC program.
MCAT 508GPA 3.622.5% acceptanceStrong in-state pref. - Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine (MD)
Fayetteville, NC
Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine is one of the newest allopathic medical schools in the United States. Its charter class begins in July 2026 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school is a partnership between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health. It exists to address physician shortages in the Cape Fear region and to build a pipeline for communities with high rates of military service, rural poverty, and poor health. It sits near Fort Liberty, the world's largest US Army installation, so students get unusual exposure to military and veteran health alongside community and primary care medicine. The first class of 64 students starts in summer 2026. The school is still building its curriculum, faculty, and clinical infrastructure, and no matriculant statistics are published yet.
MCAT 510GPA 3.655.0% acceptanceStrong in-state pref. - University of North Carolina School of Medicine (MD)
Chapel Hill, NC
The University of North Carolina School of Medicine was established in 1879 and sits in Chapel Hill. It is a leading public medical school, known for primary care training, community health orientation, and strong basic and clinical research. It is part of UNC Health, one of North Carolina's largest health systems. About 230 students a year train in a curriculum built around social determinants of health, team-based care, and service to every community in the state. The AHEC network makes clinical training possible in all 100 NC counties. The school is affiliated with UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and has international research strength in genomics, infectious disease, and maternal-foetal medicine.
MCAT 516GPA 3.764.0% acceptanceStrong in-state pref.
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