With approximately two-thirds of that amount coming from the National Institutes of Health, the school received more federal research funding than any other public or private university in the South.

Each block combines daily lectures by faculty from diverse fields, and therefore provides a highly integrated curriculum.

The first block, titled Principles of Medicine, includes cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, histology, and genetics.

Specific focuses on histology allows students to gain a better understanding of how the microscopic structure of a tissue affects its physiologic function.

Additionally, students begin anatomy lab with human cadavers as they explore the heart, lungs, mediastinum, and major bones, nerves, and muscles of the chest cavity.

They also apply their fledgling medical knowledge through occasional case study small groups, called the Clinical Applications Course or "CAC."

Lastly, students receive training in the conduction and critical reading of medical research through the Clinical Epidemiology course.

Through Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC, students can complete longitudinal, integrated core clerkships with the option to pursue rural rotations,[5] with similar opportunities available through Southeast Regional AHEC (SEAHEC) in Wilmington and through Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

[citation needed] A Charlotte campus is scheduled to open in February 2022 at Presbyterian Hospital with nine third- and fourth-year students and plans for up to 30.