Dr. Michele Birch had an early love for education, which she has now fostered into the development and implementation of a world-class and forward-thinking curriculum at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte, the city’s first and only four-year medical school.
Birch is associate dean for pre-clerkship education at the medical school, which opened as the academic anchor of The Pearl in summer 2025. The pre-clerkship years are typically the first two years of medical school, where students are prepared to begin clinical rotations, known as clerkships, in the hospital.
“It definitely feels like a huge responsibility but one that I love,” Birch says. “The students are just so amazing and give me so much energy that it always inspires me to say, ‘How can we do it better? How can we train them better?’ And we have an amazing opportunity just being here in The Pearl.”
Growing up in California, Birch’s father was a university vice president, and her mother, an elementary school teacher.
A family medicine physician mentored and inspired Birch to merge her passion for education with medicine, leading her to eventually relocate to the Southeast to attend medical school. As her career progressed, Birch became dedicated to advancing medical education, with involvement in national organizations, along with curriculum reform, accreditation and advising.
Today, Birch’s multifaceted role includes developing and implementing the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s integrated biomedical sciences curriculum in Charlotte and overseeing its execution.
A hallmark of the highly integrated curriculum at the Charlotte campus is a “problem-based learning approach,” where students explore the foundational sciences in coordination with actual clinical cases, through both small and large group learning sessions.
These cases are also the springboard for student understanding of how to interact with patients, perform physical exams and ultrasounds, interpret radiology images and other clinical skills. They also serve to help students learn the social drivers of health that can impact patients' lives.
“I have written many of these cases, with colleagues, based on actual patients I have seen, so, they are very meaningful and true to patients that students may encounter as a future physician,” says Birch. “I often attend our students’ learning sessions and meet throughout the week with our various course directors and facilitators to review how students are doing, while performing continuous quality improvement on each aspect of the curriculum.”
Her days also involve both virtual and in-person meetings with academic leaders across Charlotte and Winston-Salem. This ensures that program objectives are met across both campuses of Wake Forest University School of Medicine – the academic core of Advocate Health – and that leaders are bold and deliberate in how they approach training the physicians of tomorrow.
Designed for the future of medicine, the Charlotte campus’ curriculum pairs problem‑based learning with a multi‑modal anatomy education, where students use plastinated specimens from Germany and next generation technologies, such as immersive 3‑D virtual dissection tables.
“We know that our future physicians need to be master adaptive learners who are able to interpret and apply the latest medical evidence but also be excellent communicators and team players,” Birch says. “I am constantly working with others to make sure we are preparing them for things – from responsible use of AI, to exposure to the latest surgical advances, to working side-by-side with colleagues from across disciplines to ensure the best care of our patients.”
The innovative , inspiring and collaborative environment at The Pearl embodies this approach to curriculum and culture. Students are already involved in learning, mentorship and volunteer opportunities with our many tenants and partners at The Pearl, as well as interprofessional education opportunities alongside Carolinas College of Health Sciences.
“The partnerships at The Pearl are amazing and what truly elevates Wake Forest University School of Medicine to the world-class stage,” Birch says. “We have so much potential between expertise in academics, clinical, medical technology, biomedical engineering, imaging and business. The possibilities are endless.”
Outside the classroom, Birch loves to visit the tiered patio of The Pearl, where she can enjoy working under the sun and reflect on the impact that the medical school and its students will have for generations to come.
“We really are training the next generation of physicians,” Birch says. “We have the incredible responsibility of making sure that every single student we train is going to be a physician that we would entrust to our family and the community.”
