Wake Forest School of Medicine

What Wake Forest School of Medicine does

Wake Forest University School of Medicine is a private, nonprofit academic medical institution founded in 1902 and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, operating as part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist within the broader Advocate Health enterprise. The school delivers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs — a four-year MD program (194 new students in the most recent cohort, split across Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses), a nationally #11-ranked PA program, academic nursing programs including a #12-ranked Nurse Anesthesia DNP, biomedical graduate programs with online and onsite options, and graduate medical education across residencies and fellowships — serving nearly 1,900 students and fellows. Its research engine generates over $400 million in annual extramural funding, anchored by the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, and a cardiovascular sciences cluster.

The institution's business model combines tuition from degree-granting programs, competitive federal and foundation research grants (NIH, NCI, PCORI, Doris Duke Foundation), and clinical revenue generated through its network of affiliated hospitals (Davie, High Point, Lexington, and Wilkes Medical Centers) and the DEAC Clinic, a student-run, physician-staffed free clinic for uninsured patients across five Piedmont-Triad counties. Strategic reach extends across two campuses — the Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education in Winston-Salem and the new Howard R. Levine Center for Education inside the 20-acre Pearl innovation district in Charlotte — positioning the school within both a regional hospital network and a broader urban innovation district. Distribution relies on direct admissions processes, the AAMC VSLO platform for visiting student rotations, and the Atrium Health clinical network, while marketing leverages a comprehensive website, a student ambassador program, and community outreach tied to the DEAC Clinic's free-care mission.

Name

Wake Forest School of Medicine

Legal name

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Website

https://school.wakehealth.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Wake Forest University School of Medicine is a nonprofit academic medical institution in Winston-Salem, NC, delivering MD, PA, nursing, and biomedical graduate programs to nearly 1,900 students across two campuses, generating over $400 million in annual extramural research funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education and Biomedical Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC), Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) & Teaching Hospitals (HLAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Medical education
• Biomedical research
• Physician assistant training
• Nursing education
• Graduate medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Major source of revenue from competitive extramural research funding including NIH grants, PCORI awards, National Cancer Institute grants, and foundation grants from Doris Duke Foundation and others. Over $400 million in extramural funding annually.
2. Tuition and Educational Programs: Revenue from MD program, PA program, nursing programs, and biomedical graduate program tuition and fees.
3. Clinical Care Services: Clinical care provided through Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist network generating revenue from patient services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wake Forest School of Medicine is an academic medical institution delivering medical, physician assistant, nursing, and biomedical graduate education alongside biomedical and clinical research. It operates two campuses (Winston-Salem and Charlotte), runs residency and fellowship programs, and provides clinical care through its affiliated Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist hospital network, including a student-run free clinic serving uninsured populations.

Product overview

Wake Forest University School of Medicine is an academic medical institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs including MD, PA (Physician Assistant), Academic Nursing (DNP), and Biomedical Graduate Programs, along with Residencies and Fellowships. The institution operates from two campuses (Winston-Salem and Charlotte) and includes the DEAC Clinic, a student-run free clinic providing care to underserved populations. The school has received over $400 million in extramural research funding and maintains nationally ranked programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DEAC Clinic: Delivering Equal Access to Care - a student-run, physician-staffed free clinic for those who cannot afford health insurance
• Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)
• Brenner Children's Hospital
• Comprehensive Cancer Center

Products and services

• MD Program Four-year medical degree program training future physicians, offered at both Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses with hands-on clinical experience starting in the first week of medical school and progressing through pre-clerkship to clinical rotations.
• PA Program Physician Assistant studies program ranked #11 in the country, offering PA and DMSc degrees with clinical rotations across multiple specialties for prospective physician assistants.
• Academic Nursing Programs Nursing education programs including the Post Master's to DNP Program and the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program (ranked #12 nationally) for advanced practice nurses and CRNA candidates.
• Biomedical Graduate Programs Graduate-level research and biomedical science programs offered both online and onsite, covering various specializations in biomedical sciences for students pursuing academic research careers.
• Residencies and Fellowships Graduate medical education programs providing specialty and subspecialty training across a comprehensive list of programs for post-graduate physicians.
• Continuing Professional Education Ongoing educational opportunities including the Center for Experiential and Applied Learning, Northwest AHEC, and Office of Continuing Medical Education for practicing healthcare professionals.
• DEAC Clinic (Delivering Equal Access to Care) Student-run, physician-staffed free clinic providing healthcare to uninsured individuals in Forsyth, Davie, Stokes, Davidson, and Yadkin counties who cannot afford health insurance and do not qualify for government assistance, accredited by the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% of participants experienced substantial stress relief within two weeks using Cereset BrainEcho technology
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Atrium HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWake Forest University School of Medicine is part of the Atrium Health system, operating as Wake Forest Baptist and collaborating on clinical care, research, and education initiatives across North Carolina.
• Brenner Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive pediatric hospital within the Wake Forest Baptist health system serving as training site for medical students and residents.
• Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center providing research and clinical care integration for cancer treatment and training.
• Network Hospitals (Davie Medical Center, High Point Medical Center, Lexington Medical Center, Wilkes Medical Center)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network hospitals affiliated with the medical school providing clinical training sites and healthcare services across North Carolina.
• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Downtown Health PlazamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver high quality healthcare to DEAC Clinic patients through referral and collaborative care.
• North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEAC Clinic became first student-run clinic to receive accreditation from NCAFCC, demonstrating compliance with high standards for free clinics.
• City With DwellingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Vision Clinic and Foot & Ankle Clinic services at DEAC Clinic.
• End OverdoseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to distribute Narcan kits and fentanyl testing strips through DEAC Clinic community outreach.
• Wake Forest Campus KitchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to distribute meals, produce bags, and pantry items to DEAC Clinic patients.
• Wake Forest Office of Community Outreach and EngagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for cancer screenings at DEAC Clinic through community outreach programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Duke University School of Medicine: A top-tier U.S. medical school in North Carolina that competes with Wake Forest for MD applicants, faculty, and research funding. Both are private research-intensive medical schools within major health systems (Duke Health vs. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist).
• University of North Carolina School of Medicine: North Carolina's flagship public medical school, directly competing for in-state MD applicants, NIH funding, and clinical training partnerships. Operates an NCI-designated Lineberger Cancer Center analogous to Wake Forest's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Emory University School of Medicine: A private research-intensive medical school in the Southeast with a similarly broad portfolio (MD, PA, nursing, biomedical graduate programs) and a major NCI-designated cancer center (Winship). Comparable scale and mission.
• Vanderbilt University School of Medicine: Top-tier private medical school with strong research funding, broad degree programs, and an academic medical center model comparable to Wake Forest's Atrium-integrated structure.
• University of Virginia School of Medicine: Public academic medical school in the mid-Atlantic with a research-intensive profile, NCI-designated cancer center, and parallel educational portfolio. Competes with Wake Forest for regional applicants and federal research dollars.

Regional players

• Medical University of South Carolina: Southeast-based academic medical center with comparable research funding scale and an NCI-designated Hollings Cancer Center, but operating primarily in South Carolina rather than North Carolina.

Emerging players

• Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Newer, smaller private-public medical school that, like Wake Forest's Charlotte campus, represents a recently scaled model of medical education expansion in the Mid-Atlantic / Southeast.

Broad incumbents

• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist: Wake Forest School of Medicine's parent integrated health system and academic medical center, which delivers the clinical care revenue, hospital network (Davie, High Point, Lexington, Wilkes), and translational infrastructure that the medical school depends on.
• Advocate Health: The overarching nonprofit health system formed through the Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health merger, encompassing Wake Forest School of Medicine as a core academic component of one of the largest U.S. nonprofit health systems.

Others

• Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM): A wholly-owned subsidiary/institute of the medical school and a recognized U.S. leader in regenerative medicine R&D, providing translational research depth and external partnership/licensing pathways.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wakehealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wake-forest-university-school-of-medicine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wake Forest School of Medicine