Novant Health says it’s going to expand the number of residencies it offers to would-be physicians at Charlotte’s Presbyterian Medical Center, starting in 2027.
The expansion will target med-school graduates seeking advanced training in general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and neurology, Novant said in a press release.
It will also seek to expand its existing family medicine residency program in the Charlotte region by adding an “urban family medicine track,” Novant says.
All told, the system is looking to “have 100 residents training in Charlotte no later than 2032.” The plan is for the first of the recruits to begin training in 2027, Novant says.
“The need for well-trained and empathetic physicians is critical, and with this investment we are continuing to shape the future of medicine with doctors who join our commitment to improve access to quality, affordable healthcare for all,” said Dr. Mark Higdon, Novant’s vice president of medical education.
Novant announced the move on Wednesday, a week after Atrium Health and Wake Forest University School of Medicine welcomed the first batch of students to a new campus on the edge of Uptown Charlotte. The group includes “nearly 50” students, Wake Forest says. Its plan is to eventually enroll 100 new students a year.
The WFU School of Medicine satellite is several blocks from Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center. Atrium is the largest N.C.-based healthcare system with annual revenues topping $32 billion. Winston-Salem-based Novant is second-largest with revenue topping $10 billion a year.
Wake Forest University’s move answered long-time grumbling in the Charlotte region about the lack of a medical school in the state’s biggest city.
By responding with residencies, Novant is focusing on a statewide problem. State officials have long lamented a shortage of training slots. This spring, 1,124 new residents found positions in North Carolina, filling almost 99% of the 1,137 available, the National Resident Matching Program reports.
The only specialty that wasn’t fully booked by March 21 was family medicine, with only three vacancies remaining.
Statistics that show new doctors are more likely than not to set up their practices near the places where they’ve completed their residencies.
