Mountain Area Health Education Center Program
About This Program
Program Length
5 Years
First Year Positions
5 Positions
Application Deadline
Oct 14, 2025
Avg Work Hours
72 Hours/Week
Program Setting
Community
Application Service
ERAS
Program Statistics
Types of Graduates
Resident Gender
Contact Information
Program Director
Courtney Sommer, MD, BS, MPH
Mountain Area Health Education Ctr
Primary Program Contact
Amanda Espinel, MD
Mountain Area Health Education Ctr
Survey Received: 7/9/2025
Program ID: 4403600420
Locations
Mountain Area Health Education Ctr
Surgery Pgm
121 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, NC 28803
Mountain Area Health Education Center
501 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801-4686
University of North Carolina Hospitals
101 Manning Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-7600
Haywood Regional Medical Center
262 Leroy George Dr
Clyde, NC 28721
Charles George VA Medical Center (Asheville)
1100 Tunnel Rd
Asheville, NC 28805
Application Information
Applicant Interview Format
Virtual
Interviews Conducted Last Year
72 Interviews
Interviews/First Year Positions
14.5:1
Participates In
Main Match of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
Code: 3023440C0
ERAS®
Yes
Doesn't Participate In
- Advanced or Fellowship Match of NRMP
- San Francisco Match
- Military Match
- Urology Match
U.S. MD Applicants
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
IMG Applicants
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
DO Applicants
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 1
Yes
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 2
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Dean's letter)
Minimum
3 Letters
Maximum
--
Required specialty-specific letters of evaluation within total letters of recommendation
- Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)
Requires Previous GME
No
Offers Preliminary Positions
No
Required Specialty-Specific Away Rotations
No
Required Supplemental Information
No
Osteopathic Recognition
No
Medical School Graduation Timeline
No cap on the number of years.
Gap Experience Requirement
Data not provided by program
Resident / Fellow Characteristics
Three year averages. Medical school type does not include graduates of Canadian schools.
Types of Graduates
Resident Gender
Program Faculty
Faculty/Resident Ratio
0.8:1
Program Faculty
40
Female Faculty
--
Faculty Distribution
Work Environment
Program Start Dates
July 1
Avg Hours/Week on Duty (During First Year)
72 Hours
Maximum Consecutive Hours on Duty (During First Year)
24 Hours
Avg Number of 24 Hour Off Duty Periods Per Week (During First Year)
1.00
Program Allows Moonlighting (Beyond PGY-1)
No
Night Float System
Yes
Most Taxing Schedule & Frequency Per Year
Beeper or Home Call (Weeks / Year)
Year 1 - Once per week for 5 week(s)
NGO
Year 2 - Once per week for 5 week(s)
NGO
Year 3 - Once per week for 10 week(s)
NGO
Year 4 - Once per week for 10 week(s)
NGO
Year 5 - Once per week for 10 week(s)
NGO
NA = Not Applicable
NGO = Negotiable
OTH = Other
Visa Status
This program will consider an appropriately qualified applicant with the following visa or visa status. Contact the program for additional information.
J-1 visa sponsorship through ECFMG
Yes
H-1B visa
No
F-1 visa (OPT 1st year)
No
Program Size
25
Current Residents
Key Dates & Timelines
2026 - 2027
OCT14
Application Due
Oct 14, 2025
OCT31
Interview Period Starts
Oct 31, 2025 - Jan 16, 2026
2027 - 2028
OCT15
Application Due
Oct 15, 2026
OCT31
Interview Period Starts
Oct 31, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027
Average PGY-1 Educational Environment
Structured Didactic Activities
4
Hospital Outpatient
N/A
Non-Hospital Ambulatory Care
N/A
Employment Policies & Benefits
Free parking
On-call meal allowance
Placement assistance upon completion of program into practice, fellowship or academia
Educational Benefits
Formal program to foster interprofessional teamwork
Yes
Debt management/financial counseling
Yes
Off-campus electives
Yes
Research rotation
Not available
Integrative medicine curriculum
No
Curriculum to develop health systems leadership skills (e.g., QI project leadership, community/organizational advocacy)
No
Instruction in medical Spanish or other non-English language
No
Alternative/complementary medicine curriculum
No
Economics of health care systems curriculum
No
Academic support for USMLE Step 3 and/or COMLEX-USA Level 3 preparation
No
International experience/global health
No
Resident/fellow retreats
No
Hospice/home care experience
No
MPH, MBA, PhD or other advanced degree training
No
Tracks & Educational Features
Data not provided by program
Evaluations
Aggregate resident Milestone achievements
Yes
Graduates’ board certification pass rates
Yes
Performance-based assessment scores (e.g. OSCE, patient or computer simulations)
No
Patient surveys
Yes
Portfolio system
Yes
Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)
No
Medical Insurance Coverage
- Major medical for residents
- Major medical for dependents
- Major medical for domestic partners
- Group life insurance
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
--
Salary Compensation
$60K-$74K
PGY-1 through PGY-7
PGY-1
$60,349
PGY-2
$62,394
PGY-3
$64,553
PGY-4
$66,915
PGY-5
$71,338
PGY-6
$73,848
PGY-7
$74,256
Salary paid by a non-profit institution.
Vacation & Sick Days
Residents receive 15 Vacation Days and 10 Sick Days annually to support work-life balance and personal well-being.
Maximum # of paid days
NGO
Maximum # of unpaid days
NGO
For more information, view the program's leave policy on their website.