Methodist University Gets Go-Ahead to Recruit First Med School Students for 2026

North Carolina’s medical education landscape is expanding, as Methodist University has been given the go-ahead to start recruiting new students for its new medical school.

The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine was given approval by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) to welcome its first class in summer 2026.

"Today marks a truly transformational milestone," Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden said at a news conference Friday. "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 milestone marks the first standalone medical program to launch in North Carolina since the 1980s.

"By granting this candidate status, the LCME is saying that they believe we are moving toward what is necessary for accreditation. This shows Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health have the necessary resources to begin a medical school in our community," Wearden said.

The decision positions Methodist University as North Carolina’s fifth MD-granting institution and the first new independent program since Campbell University’s School of Medicine opened.

The LCME approval process unfolded over several months, including site visits in the spring and final evaluations in the fall of 2025. Teams of medical and academic professionals worked together to ensure the proposed program met all national education standards.

"None of this happens in isolation," said Dr. Hershey Bell, the founding dean of the School of Medicine. "It takes the full partnership of our University, our health system, our faculty and staff, and the extraordinary people of this community who share a belief in what’s possible when vision meets purpose."

University and health system officials said the school is being developed to help address the region’s ongoing shortage of physicians and to expand access to medical training in the southeastern part of the state.

"For decades, our University has been deeply committed to preparing professionals who make a difference in the lives of others," Wearden said. "Now, with this medical school, that mission reaches an even higher calling."