How did Charlotte finally get a four-year medical school? See timeline
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- Wake Forest University opens Charlotte's first four-year medical school in 2025.
- The school anchors The Pearl, a $1.5B development blending health and education.
- Class of 49 students begins July 14, with plans to reach 100 per class by 2030.
As the Wake Forest University School of Medicine — Charlotte prepares to welcome its first class of students for their first day of classes July 14, we wanted to take a look back at how we got to this point.
The new med school is part of The Pearl, a $1.5 billion mixed-use district that will include shops, apartments, medical offices and med tech companies like Siemens Healthineers and IRCAD.
Here are key dates to know about Charlotte’s path to its first four-year medical school:
1887
Doctors in the 19th century tried to start a medical school in Charlotte. In 1887, the Davidson School of Medicine was established in Mecklenburg County. It expanded and came to Charlotte in 1907. The North Carolina Medical School had more than 80 students that year at 229 N. Church St.
It closed in 1914 after criticism about its facilities from the Carnegie Foundation, a policy and research center. The medical school didn’t have enough funding or was unwilling to spend money on improvements, according to historians.
2019
Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University announced a plan to bring a new medical school to Charlotte.
2021
In July, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Atrium Health announced accreditation approval to move forward with plans to open a med school in Charlotte.
That December, Atrium named the building for the new medical school after Howard R. Levine, the former CEO of Family Dollar. Levine’s foundation donated $25 million to the academic building.
Along with the medical school, the Howard R. Levine Center for Education will host the Wake Forest University School of Business, Wake Forest School for Professional Studies and Carolinas College of Health Sciences.
2022
The Pearl became the name of the innovative district in March after Pearl Street Park — one of the last remaining landmarks in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Brooklyn was once Charlotte’s biggest Black neighborhood.
2023
A groundbreaking for The Pearl District was held on Jan. 17, with leaders from Atrium Health, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Wexford Science & Technology.
2025
Atrium announced the first medical school class would have 49 students, during a presentation in March for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Over the next five years, Wake Forest will gradually increase each incoming class of students at the Charlotte campus to around 100.
A grand opening for The Pearl was held on June 2, with hundreds of people in attendance for presentations and music performances. Developers paid homage to Brooklyn residents with artwork and exhibits throughout the area.
The first group of med students start classes in mid-July.
Total tuition for a first-year student at the new med school is nearly $67,000, according to the university. Additional costs for things such as books, lodging, food and transportation brings the first-year total to more than $113,000. The cost is about the same for the next three years.
After four years, the total for tuition and fees stands at almost $459,000. The university also offers a range of scholarships and financial aid options for students.
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How did Charlotte finally get a four-year medical school? See timeline."
