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School of Medicine

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The UNC SOM Asheville campus provides clinical education for third- and fourth-year medical students at MAHEC, regional hospitals, and outpatient practices in Western North Carolina utilizing an innovative longitudinal curriculum that has been replicated across the nation.

The Asheville campus started in 2009 with a cohort of four students in collaboration with UNC School of Medicine, Mission Health, and MAHEC. Since then, the Asheville campus has grown to more than 30 Application Phase (third year) students per year.

Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum

The foundation of this program, the longitudinal integrated curriculum, is similar to Harvard’s “Cambridge Model” in which third year medical students are placed in longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) in outpatient settings for much of their curriculum. This allows students continuity with their preceptors and patients; students develop relationships with their primary preceptors over a long period of time and are more likely to see the same patients over time through the continuum of care. The Asheville community is well-suited to this type of curriculum with its diverse specialty practices and robust primary care services.

The Application Phase

The Application Phase academic calendar at Asheville comprises three trimesters with a mix of two types of clinical experiences. The inpatient experience is 15 weeks and includes surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, cardiology, and ob/gyn. The remainder of the year is spent in the longitudinal outpatient setting. In addition, students complete time in emergency medicine throughout the course of the year.

The Individualization Phase

The fourth-year curriculum reverts to month-long block rotations. Asheville campus students have the same fourth-year requirements as all other UNC SOM students. All required courses and many electives are available in both Asheville and surrounding rural areas.

Campus Assignment Process

The Asheville campus is one of four UNC SOM campus programs where students can choose to complete their Application Phase. We offer a distinct but comparable experience that prepares students for Individualization Phase and future career endeavors.

For more information regarding the campus assignment process and our Asheville campus curriculum, please click here

UNC SOM Asheville Campus

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