East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine: A Comprehensive Overview

East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine (ECU BSOM) is a public medical school located in Greenville, North Carolina. If you've searched for "best medical schools near me," ECU Brody School of Medicine has likely appeared in your results. This guide provides vital information and advice for prospective students navigating the application process to this esteemed institution.

A Vision Realized: The History of ECU Brody School of Medicine

In 1974, East Carolina University leaders envisioned a medical school that would address critical needs in the state. Three core missions were established to guide ECU Brody School of Medicine:

Increase the supply of primary care physicians serving North Carolina.
Improve the health status of citizens in eastern North Carolina.
Enhance access to medical education for minority and disadvantaged students.

In August 1977, the school welcomed its first class of 28 four-year MD students. The following year, residency programs were established in psychiatric medicine, general medicine, pediatrics, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Why Choose ECU Brody School of Medicine?

ECU Brody School of Medicine offers a comprehensive medical education, blending academic learning with clinical experience. The program emphasizes close interaction between faculty and students, ensuring personalized attention. The curriculum provides a solid foundation in medical science and patient care. Traditions of service, achievement, and ethical standards are highly valued.

East Carolina Medical School maintains small class sizes to ensure personal attention and foster friendships among students. The faculty is knowledgeable and committed, and the facilities are efficient and well-regarded.

Read also: Affording ECU

ECU Brody School of Medicine has been a leader in innovation and technology. In May 2000, Dr. Randolph Chitwood, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Brody, performed the first robotic heart valve surgery in North America.

East Carolina Medical School is recognized for community service, with students treating patients in underserved regions. In 2016, the Association for Medical Education in Europe honored ECU Brody School of Medicine with an Aspire to Excellence Award for social accountability in training primary care physicians.

ECU Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) is an LCME-accredited medical school.

ECU Brody School of Medicine Ranking

#7 in Family Medicine (tie)
#9 in Most Diverse Medical Schools (tie)
#13 in Most Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas
#22 in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Fields (tie)
#26 in Best Medical Schools: Primary Care (tie)
#31 in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas (tie)
#95-124 in Best Medical Schools: Research

Medical Programs at East Carolina Medical School

The curriculum is designed to adapt to changes in the medical community, remaining relevant through innovation and technology. It combines foundational science with clinical experience, emphasizing personal attention between faculty and students.

4-Year MD Program

The 4-year MD program curriculum at ECU Brody School of Medicine is divided into three phases:

Read also: Your Guide to ETSU Academics

Foundational Phase: A 20-month phase focusing on basic science content, clinical skills, critical thinking, and social and systemic issues within the healthcare system. It includes clinical care experiences and emphasizes identity formation, wellness, and lifelong learning skills.
Clinical Phase: A 12-month phase comprising six core clerkships and a four-week period of electives for career exploration. Each core clerkship includes a longitudinal experience in radiology.
Differentiation Phase: A 13-month phase with advanced core clerkships and electives, allowing students to explore their medical interests and tailor their clinical experiences.

Para-curricular Distinction Tracks

Students can participate in a scholarly concentration program, beginning in the Foundational Phase and culminating in a capstone experience and Distinction Day in the final year.

Dual Degree Programs

MD/MBA Program: Students in the top three quartiles of their class can apply. The MBA coursework is completed during the second and third years of medical school.
MD/MPH Program: MPH coursework can be completed over summer breaks, during a leave of absence between the second and third years, or via distance learning. Both degrees can be completed within five years of full-time study.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

The MPH program addresses the increasing need for knowledgeable public health professionals, particularly in underserved, rural regions of North Carolina. Students can customize their graduate studies with concentrations in:

Epidemiology
Health Policy, Administration, & Leadership
Community Health & Health Behavior

Facilities, Student Organizations, and More

Facilities

The facilities at East Carolina Medical School include the William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library and Vidant Medical Center.

William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library: A resource with references, a computer center, and individual study spaces.
Vidant Medical Center: The primary teaching hospital for Brody students, located in Greenville, North Carolina.

The ECU Medical Center

The ECU Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, is the hub for the ECU Health System. It serves over 1.4 million people, including those in underserved regions of the state. As the flagship teaching hospital for the ECU Brody School of Medicine, it offers a variety of clinical experience opportunities.

High-Tech Equipment Available to Students

Core Facilities

These facilities are available to students at both campuses for a minimal fee.

Student Organizations

ECU Brody School of Medicine offers a wide array of student organizations, including:

School & Home Integrated Parenting (SHIP)
Serve Greenville
Seventy Sevens
Sexual and Gender Diversity Organization
Sexuality and Gender Alliance
Smile Squad Honor Society
Spanish in Medicine
Sports Medicine Interest Group
STAR Fire (Support. Trust. Aspire. Respect)
Student Affiliates in School Psychology
Student Health Informatics and Information Management Association
Student Interest Group in Neurology
Students for Equitable Health Outcomes
Students for Life at East Carolina
Students for Railcare Health
Students Interested in Pathology
Surgery Interest Group
SustainabiliBEES
The Black Makers Guild
The College Diabetes Network at East Carolina University
The French Club
The Health and Nutrition Club
The W.I.R.E.
The Well: Episcopal Lutheran Campus Ministry
Turning Point USA at East Carolina University
Typecast
UterUs
Vietnamese Student Association
Woman Organization for Minorities Achieving Now
Young Democratic Socialists of American at East Carolina University
Young Life College

Sports Clubs

Baseball - Club Sport
Bass Fighting - Club Sport
Cheerleading - Club Sport
Club Boxing
Club Sports
Club Yoga
Dance - Club Sport
Dance-Ability
Competitive Sporting Clays Club
ECU Club XC & Track
Equestrian - Club Sport
Esports and Gaming Club
Field Hockey - Club Sport
Figure Skating - Club Sport
Golf - Club Sport
Ice Hockey - Club Sport
Lacrosse-Mens - Club Sports
Lacrosse-Womens - Club Sports
Martial Arts - Club Sport
Rock Climbing - Club Sport
Rugby-Mens - Club Sport
Rugby Womens - Club Sport
SCUBA Club
Swimming - Club Sport
Tennis - Club Sport
Ultimate-Mens - Club Sport
Ultimate-Womens - Club Sport
Volleyball-Mens - Club Sport
Weightlifting - Club Sport
Women’s Club Volleyball
Wrestling - Club Sport
YACHT Club

Selection Factors: What East Carolina Medical School Looks for in an Applicant

The admissions committee at ECU Brody School of Medicine consists of 30 members from the science and clinical faculty, as well as BSOM students. The committee considers several factors to determine an applicant's eligibility and fit for the school, including:

Completed Coursework
GPA
MCAT Results
Knowledge of Medical Field
Diversity
Professionalism
Flexibility
Degree or 90 Hours Towards Degree
Residency
Citizenship
Letters of Recommendation

Admissions Requirements for ECU Brody School of Medicine

Candidates must have completed all required coursework at an accredited college or university and received a bachelor’s degree. A grade of "C" or above is required for all prerequisites. Applicants must have taken the MCAT within a year of applying.

There is no minimum MCAT score at East Carolina Med.

The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (BSOM)

The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (BSOM) offers several programs:

Doctor of Medicine program
Combined Doctor of Medicine / Master of Public Health
Doctor of Medicine / Master of Business Administration programs
Standalone Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Public Health programs

Brody is recognized as a leader in family medicine.

Brody School of Medicine History

The Brody School of Medicine was first appropriated funds from the General Assembly in 1974. Under the leadership of former Chancellor Leo Warren Jenkins, the first class of 28 students enrolled in 1977. Today, under the leadership of Dean Michael Waldrum and Executive Dean Jason Higginson, Brody School of Medicine has a student body of about 470 students and around 450 faculty members and researchers. BSOM organizes research through more than a dozen research centers and institutes, receiving around US $30 million annually in externally funded grants and contracts.

Since 1977, when the first class of 28 students enrolled in the four-year School of Medicine, the institution has grown dramatically in its teaching, research and patient care roles. Today, it is partnered with Vidant Health and Vidant Medical Center.

East Carolina University is a pioneer in minimally invasive robotic surgery. On May 3, 2000 at East Carolina's Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Randolph Chitwood performed the first robotic heart valve surgery in North America. Using this technology, surgeons at the school have performed more operations on the heart's mitral valve than any other center in the world by far.

Medical School Facilities

The medical school facilities at East Carolina University sit in a complex on the health sciences campus of East Carolina's grounds and include academic, administrative, research and presentation facilities. BSOM is served by one library, the William E. Laupus Library. The main facility is the Brody Medical Sciences Building. The Biotechnology Building houses all of the laboratory equipment for the school. Also housed in this building is the Pediatric Outpatient Center. The East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU houses the outpatient center and primary teaching and research location for cardiovascular care. The Family Medicine Center houses the outpatient facility for the Department of Family Medicine. The facility is soon moving to a separate building that will triple the available space. The Health Sciences Building houses the Laupus Library, along with the College of Nursing and College of Allied Health Sciences. The Hardy Building houses the Department of Public Health and Moye Medical Center I houses the General Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care and ECU Gastroenterology.

Vidant Health (formerly University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina), is associated with the Brody School of Medicine by means of a long standing affiliation agreement with Vidant Medical Center (formerly Pitt County Memorial Hospital), Vidant's 861-bed inpatient facility, acts as the medical school's teaching hospital and "primary teaching site". This facility is located adjacent to the Medical School. Vidant has other constituent elements that include the Bertie Memorial Hospital in Windsor, Chowan Hospital in Edenton, Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, Heritage Hospital in Tarboro, The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head and Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie.

Community Engagement

Greenville Community Shelter Clinic

The Greenville Community Shelter Clinic is a free medical clinic run by medical students. The patients primarily come from the Greenville Community Shelter. It first opened in 1988 and is housed in the former Agnes Fullilove School in West Greenville. The students have a general, women and pediatric clinic.

James D. Bernstein Community Health Center

The James D. Bernstein Community Health Center is a $2.8 million, 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2). The program has enabled faculty and students from BSOM and College of Nursing, ECU Physicians Pharmacy Services, Medical Family Therapy, Health Psychology, and Social Work to work and learn side-by-side both in the center and in a partnership with Pitt Community College.

Pirates Vs. Cancer

Pirates Vs. Cancer is a student-led fundraising and advocacy organization that raises money for local children's cancer needs at the James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital in Greenville, NC. The group was founded at the Brody School of Medicine in December 2016 and officially chartered as a recognized student organization on the East Carolina University campus in the fall of 2017.

The organization operates throughout the academic year with fundraising efforts centered around an interdisciplinary head-shaving and hair donation event held each April or May on the ECU Health Sciences Campus. Originally comprising solely medical students, the group's leadership and participants now spans numerous departments and disciplines including students, faculty, and staff from medical, dental, nursing, PA, PT, and various other graduate and undergraduate degree programs. As of the third annual fundraiser on April 5, 2019 the organization has raised a total of $86,050 in gross donations for children's cancer-related needs, with $7,639, $25,008, and $53,403 raised in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.

Telepsychiatry

Between 2006-2014 mental health and substance abuse-related ED visits increased by 44.1%. Under the leadership of Dr. Sy Saeed, the Center for Telepsychiatry and e-Behavioral Health (CTeBH) at East Carolina University (ECU) developed a proposal in collaboration with a statewide telepsychiatry group representing major healthcare systems, universities, professional organizations, and other stakeholders. At the same time, the legislature in North Carolina, under the Session Law 2013-360, directed the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to implement a telepsychiatry program throughout hospital emergency rooms in North Carolina.

One of the main benefits of the Portal is that it provides a single platform for conducting telepsychiatry assessments across EDs and providers, regardless of the electronic health record (EHR) vendor or if there is no EHR available to an ED or provider. The Portal takes advantage of a secure messaging capability of all EHRs that are certified for Stage 2 or higher of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. NC-STeP has 22 adult primary care sites and 4 primary OB/GYN locations participating in the program. NC-STeP aims to enhance access to evidence-based mental health practices in other areas with limited access to these services by partnering with practices, healthcare systems, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and other sites.

The team led by Dr. Saeed in North Carolina is dedicated to advancing the field through the enhancement and dissemination of knowledge. Their efforts have garnered significant national and international attention. Currently, 15-20 states are interested in replicating the NC-STeP model or some variation of it. Many have reached out to the NC-STeP team to explore how they can implement this model within their own states. The innovative telepsychiatry approach developed by NC-STeP is gaining recognition in emerging literature, and the team has created a comprehensive playbook to assist others in launching similar initiatives. Their emphasis is on generating new insights and collaborating with states to tailor their model to fit local needs. The NC-STeP playbook serves as a flexible framework, outlining the key elements necessary for success. Furthermore, NC-STeP has significantly influenced state-level policy, leading to the creation of numerous telemedicine bills. On both national and international platforms, the NC-STeP model has been referenced in various literature and policy discussions.

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