Methodist University receives accreditation for new med school, begins recruit inaugural class
Fayetteville, N.C. (WTVD) -- Central North Carolina is closer to having its first medical school in nearly 50 years.
Methodist University has earned accreditation for its new medical school, enabling the recruitment of students for the inaugural class, which will begin in summer 2026.
University President Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D., announced, "This accomplishment is the result of years of dedication, planning, and collaboration... With preliminary accreditation in hand, we now begin the exciting work of recruiting our charter class-students who will one day transform healthcare throughout Southeastern North Carolina."
The school will be the first in the Fayetteville region and the first new medical school in North Carolina in decades. Over 50 faculty and staff have already been hired, with plans to involve over 200 clinical faculty from Cape Fear Valley Health.
A study by Michael Walden of N.C. State University estimates the school will boost annual spending in the area by $72 million and create nearly 850 new jobs.
The next major step is securing substantive change new program approval in December, pending review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
