UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine

The mission of the UNC SOM is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We will accomplish this by achieving excellence and providing leadership in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. Our school’s mission informs the structure and content of our curriculum. Our curriculum reflects the ever-changing practice of medicine, meets the desire for early career differentiation and exploration, and promotes social justice as a cornerstone for equitable and safe healthcare. Our school’s mission impacts student life and support services. Our student support bench is extensive to promote learning in a respectful and diverse environment. We have an Advisory College system which provides a more accessible social and educational structure in the context of a large student body. Our Wellness Program includes group discussions surrounding stress, coping, loss, and more. One-on-one counseling, with therapists, provide services dedicated to medical students and increases access for our students. UNC SOM has a multipronged strategy to optimize the Learning Environment including enhanced reporting structures, robust incident management, bystander training, and intentional culture change. Students arrive to medical school at varying points developmentally in their professional identity formation. The Student Professionalism Committee assures that students are educated and held to the highest standards of professionalism by addressing professionalism issues with an eye towards education and support rather than disciplinary action. The Office of Academic Excellence (OAE) provides academic support for students across all training sites around the state. The OAE’s goal is to enable students from all backgrounds to be academically successful in medical school and prepared to pursue the careers of their choosing. Our school’s mission influences admissions practices and priorities. To care for and represent our state and our nation, the UNC SOM recruits students from a variety of lived experiences to create a socially responsible highly skilled workforce. We not only wish to recruit primary care doctors and individuals who wish to practice in rural communities, but also recruit individuals who will be leaders in academia, science, and industry. We believe that interaction between students with varying clinical, research, and education interests enhances the experience of students at the UNC SOM. Particular programs that help us achieve our goals are described below. The Community Health Track is a partnership that has grown from the pre-existing accelerated FIRST Program and the Kenan Rural Scholars Program. Leadership from FIRST and Kenan recognized the opportunity for collaboration and the creation of a dedicated track experience for students with shared interests, including rural and underserved care, commitment to the state of North Carolina, and the desire to work within Primary Care. The UNC MD-PhD Program prepares high-achieving students to be leaders in academic medicine and scientific health discovery. The primary goal of the MD-PhD Program is to train physician-scientists, fully capable of bridging the gap between science and clinical medicine. The Medical Educational Development program (MED) is a summer pipeline program for aspiring medical and dental students. Our school’s mission is reflected in the professional activities of our graduates. After graduation, our students train in competitive residency programs at top institutions across our state and country ( https://www.med.unc.edu/ome/studentaffairs/residency-and-the- match/residency-placements/ ). Beyond residency, we are proud to see our graduates joining the faculty of top academic centers, as well as successfully practicing clinical medicine.