Medical Schools in Alabama: How to Get In (2024)
/Learn all about the medical schools in Alabama, types of programs, statistics and strategies to get accepted
There are 4 medical schools in Alabama, 2 allopathic and 2 osteopathic
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Alabama: 2023 rankings & admissions statistics
Part 3: Alabama medical school profiles
Part 4: Alabama medical school admissions strategies
Part 5: Frequently asked questions
Appendix A: Alabama medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Alabama medical schools by institution type
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Part 1: Introduction
The hospitality may warm your heart and the pecan pie may make your mouth water, but the Yellowhammer State is known for things other than its kindness and cuisine. For a relatively small state in land area, it packs a punch in the medical department with 4 high-quality medical schools offering to guide you to a white coat.
With 2 options for an MD and 2 for a DO, no matter which path you wish to follow, there is a home for you across the state.
In this guide, we’ll provide a top-level view of each of the medical schools in Alabama, including rankings, and statistics meant to help you decide on an institution that will best fit your needs. We’ll also include some admissions strategies to assist you in the success of your application.
Suggested reading (Medical School Requirements in 2024: The Definitive Guide)
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Alabama: 2023 rankings & admissions statistics
In the table below, you’ll find the most commonly sought statistics for each medical school in Alabama. With a quick visual comparison, you can weed out any potential issues that may make the school undesirable for you as well as get an idea of what it might take to get in.
During the course of our research into these schools, we noticed that a few things stood out.
The University of South Alabama College of Medicine primarily serves in-state residents and their minimum GPA and MCAT scores required for consideration are different depending on whether you are in-state or out of state.
University of Alabama Birmingham has a higher interview rate but also a higher rate of applicants.
The south and center of the state are all represented by medical schools, but Huntsville, home of many biotech companies, is not.
| Alabama Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (UAB)* | $65,779 (OOS) |
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| University of South Alabama College of Medicine (USA)* | $69,356 (OOS) |
3.8 (Listed for OOS students) |
508 (OOS)(70th percentile in 2022-2023) |
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| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | |||||||||
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn |
As you can see, the DO granting schools are rather recent additions to the state and this could mean the market for DO programs is growing in Alabama. If you’re looking to pursue a DO degree, and you’re a resident of Alabama you will still have stiff competition as there are only a combined 360 places for new students each year.
(Note: Signing up for MSAR is the best way to stay current on the requirements for MD programs. Choose DO is the best resource for DO program data.)
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Part 3: Alabama medical school profiles
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
The Heersink School of Medicine at the University of Alabama (UAB) is the preeminent MD program in Alabama. Composed of the main campus in Birmingham and its sister campuses in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa students have opportunities to engage in learning at facilities across the state.
UAB has unique programs targeting the needs of the state. If you’re from a rural community in Alabama and have always wanted to give back somehow, their rural medicine program may be of interest to you. If you already know that a career in primary care is your calling, UAB’s primary care track can get you there. They even note the lack of primary care physicians in Alabama.
Research opportunities are open to all students in each year of medical school. The Medical Student Summer Research Program offers students the chance to do short course research in a variety of areas, from diabetes to functional neurorehabilitation. In the second year, research opportunities open up for students with grant programs and fellowships in various fields.
The first two years of the MD program at UAB are completed in Birmingham, after which students have the option of doing their clinical training at one of the four campuses. In the third year, students are required to complete 7 different clinical clerkships each one lasting four or eight weeks. The one exception is the Tuscaloosa campus in which students on the primary care track will spend their time in a longitudinal integrated clerkship seeing how patients’ diseases improve or develop over time under the mentorship of a physician.
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
The University of South Alabama is located in Mobile along the Gulf coast where it provides a four-year MD program primarily to Alabama residents. They state that 90% of their students are from Alabama. They do accept out-of-state students, however, the minimum requirements for admission are a little stricter.
All students will be engaged in a rigorous curriculum and have unique opportunities for research and learning. USA offers a summer research program that students can complete before attending medical school or in between their first and second years. If research is something that fascinates you, the M.D. with Research Honors program at USA allows you to absorb yourself in a long-term research project of your choosing under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
The school has recently opened a Health Simulation Building, employing the latest technology that allows students to get hands-on learning with computer-controlled simulators creating real-world conditions serving patients. Students have the chance to practice critical thinking skills and get feedback from instructors both in real-time and after the fact as instructors can review procedures in observation rooms via video. And if you’re looking to the future, USA has recently broken ground on a brand-new state-of-the-art research and educational building that will provide laboratory spaces, enhancing their capacity for research as well as granting them 20 more spaces for medical students.
Gaining extra experience via uncommon opportunities is open to students at USA. If assisting underserved populations is on the top of your list, the Student Run Free Clinic is something you can get involved in. In addition, there are a number of student interest groups where you can swap knowledge with your fellow doctors-in-training. If travel is on your radar, there is even the possibility of overseas clinical experiences.
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is a non-profit medical school that utilizes a particular approach to learning osteopathic medicine which they refer to as a hybrid discipline and systems-based model. Students spend the first two years learning foundational skills in both a traditional manner as well as a longitudinal approach to osteopathic practices that incorporates hands-on learning.
Their Center for Excellence in Simulation is a core part of this with four simulation bays that students use on a weekly basis.
In addition to the DO, there is the option of pursuing an MBA, an MPH, or MSM degree in tandem with your medical studies. Depending on what kind of physician you wish to become upon graduation, these programs can be of great benefit.
ACOM also offers a Medical Student Fellows Scholars program for those interested in becoming teachers and/or faculty themselves. There is a program in anatomy and osteopathic principles and practice or in clinical simulation. This program will extend your training for your DO by one year. You will be expected to assist in research projects, lecturing and teaching and in return you will be given a tuition waiver for two years, plus a monthly stipend during the fellowship year.
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn
With campuses in Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine is bringing DO education to underserved communities in the south.
Specifically for Alabama, they note that there is quite a shortage of primary care physicians throughout the state and through the use of high-tech facilities such as a simulation center and an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) lab they aim to make a difference.
The curriculum is similar to their other campuses where their offerings include a DO, and master’s programs in biomedical sciences, applied healthcare data analytics, and a Master of Health Science in Anesthesia program.
VCOM also runs medical outreach programs with the aim of supporting rural communities and those less fortunate.
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Part 4: Alabama medical school admissions strategies
When it comes to medical schools in Alabama, our tried and tested admissions strategies hold up just as they would elsewhere. However, when crafting your application to these specific programs, keeping the following things in mind can grant you an edge.
Strategy 1: What story is the data telling you and how can you use it to your advantage when creating your Alabama medical schools list?
If we look at the individual programs above, the average GPA and MCAT scores of both MD-granting schools are pretty similar. While these averages are not quite as high as a school like Brown or Stanford, they’re still difficult to achieve. If your heart is set on an MD and your scores aren’t top-tier, Alabama schools may be a good place to apply, especially if you’re from a state like Maryland and its very selective schools such as Johns Hopkins and UMD.
Furthermore, the University of Alabama Birmingham is still highly ranked and matriculating there will afford you a rigorous and high-quality education.
If you’re on the lookout for a DO program, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine would seem to offer a good chance of admission. Its slightly lower average scores may make it worth a shot. Keep in mind that the lower interview rate could mean they are still being quite selective. Bolstering your application with experiences and extracurriculars could put you over the top there.
Strategy 2: What unique qualities does each Alabama medical school possess? Spend your time applying to schools that align with your own strengths and prior experiences.
Determining which schools have programs that connect with your interests and experiences can narrow down your options and help you more accurately target adcoms who are looking for candidates that are a good fit for their school.
For example, if you’re interested in conducting research while in medical school, the MD with Research Honors at USA is something that you could mention in your application. What research have you completed during premed? Did you conduct research under faculty supervision or just of your own accord?
As we can see from a few of the medical schools in Alabama, a consistent focus is the serving of rural communities and those without easy access to healthcare. If serving communities such as these is your passion, try to make that known through your essays. Did you volunteer at a free clinic? Are you from a rural community yourself?
Strategy 3: Demonstrate in your personal statement and secondary essays why you would be a good fit for a school’s academic environment.
Applying to medical schools takes enormous effort and forethought. Likewise, every medical school puts the same amount of effort into their approach to education and their commitment to medicine.
Show that you have a deeper understanding of the ethos and the tenets that drive a school you are applying to by researching their core philosophy and include experiences that line up with it into your personal statement and secondary essays.
A great place to start is with the school’s mission statement. The University of Alabama Birmingham’s mission statement mentions its primary missions are “education, clinical care, and basic, translational, and clinical research.” It also mentions a “commitment to creating an inclusive environment that values differing perspectives and experiences.”
Consider research or volunteering experiences you had as a premed. Did any of those occur in a diverse environment of differing perspectives? Perhaps you were engaged in a research project where some of your colleagues read the data differently than you. How did you manage that and what did you learn? How will that knowledge contribute to UAB?
Furthermore, you’ll want to organize your time around the essays you’ll have to write for each school. Every medical school in Alabama has their own supplemental application and secondary prompts—some requiring more work than others. To help you with the first step toward writing the best possible essays reflective of your candidacy, we’ve put together the table below listing the number of secondary essays required for each Alabama medical school.
Suggested reading: (Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts)
| Alabama Medical Schools | |
|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine | |
| University of South Alabama College of Medicine | |
| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Strategy 4: Consider interview day beforehand
While your primary focus is usually on ensuring your application materials are complete and your essays are submitted on time, you should consider what will happen on interview day for each school you apply to.
Will your interview be held virtually or on-campus? How many interviews will you have on interview day? Will they be open or closed-file?
Most importantly, this means finding out what type of interview you will need to prepare for—traditional or the multiple mini interview (MMI). For example, the University of Alabama School of Medicine utilizes both, with a traditional one-on-one interview and later a nine station MMI. The University of South Alabama, on the other hand, has students engage in two traditional interviews.
Traditional interviews tend to be either one-on-one with an admissions committee member or with a panel of committee members seeking to get to know you better. The MMI consists of many short interviews that seek to give adcoms a greater understanding of your thought process in different situations. They’ll ask you ethical and character development questions rather than questions about your academic or professional background.
Thinking ahead about the different interview types can give you an advantage over your competition and help you feel confident and composed going into interview day. This often makes all the difference to the impression you leave with adcoms.
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Part 5: Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama have a good med school?
The University of Alabama Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine is highly regarded and as noted in the table above, ranks 35th in the nation for research. That said, rankings alone are not the only things you should consider when deciding on a medical school. Aspects such as location, desire to serve particular communities, a school’s facilities, types of research that school is known for, and of course, cost are all factors that make a “good” med school.
What is the cheapest medical school in Alabama?
Our research has shown the cheapest med school in Alabama to be the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, which offers an annual cost of approximately $35,000 per year, with the University of Alabama Birmingham only slightly more expensive.
Keep in mind that factors like in-state residency and the cost of living in your chosen school's location can change the final cost of your education.
What is the hardest med school to get into in Alabama?
Each year, across the nation less than half of medical school applicants actually get accepted. AAMC data for 2023 points to only ~43% of applicants actually matriculated. It’s clear that getting into med school is difficult no matter where you’re applying.
For Alabama medical schools, we can divide them into the MD and DO granting institutions. Our statistics show that the DO schools are slightly easier, granting acceptance to students with lower GPA and MCAT scores compared with other schools in the state. The two MD schools, the University of Alabama Birmingham and the University of South Alabama College of Medicine have almost identical GPA and MCAT averages among acceptees. Furthermore, they have a clear preference for Alabama residents with 84.9% and 92.3% of matriculants already being Alabamians.
This is worth noting when considering the hardest med school to get into in Alabama. If you’ve got your heart set on an MD and you’re from out-of-state, you’ll need to show clear reasons for wanting to study there in addition to having stellar stats.
What is Alabama ranked in health care?
As an aspiring physician and healthcare professional, it’s natural to want to know about the general quality of healthcare in the state you may be calling home for at least the next four years. There are two ways of looking at this question from a doctor’s perspective—either you wish to contribute your skills in improving healthcare outcomes in the state or you’d rather aim to be part of a state system that’s already delivering results for its population.
According to Forbes, Alabama ranks second worst in the nation when it comes to healthcare overall. This includes things like costs, healthcare outcomes, and the number of primary care physicians available for patients. Keep in mind, this is not a ranking merely of the quality of their hospitals or the education of their medical schools. Much of the ranking is affected public health policies, whether employers offer insurance, and lifestyle or cultural factors that can lead to conditions such as kidney disease or stroke.
Final Thoughts
Whichever medical school in Alabama you ultimately wish to matriculate to, you will have to work hard and make a solid case for yourself as a candidate. Coupled with the advice we’ve laid out in this guide, your chances of admission and a career as a physician are sure to increase.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Alabama medical schools by degree type
Allopathic (MD) Schools in Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Osteopathic (DO) Schools in Alabama
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
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Appendix B: Alabama medical schools by institution type
Public Medical Schools in Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Private Medical Schools in Alabama
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
