How much does it cost to attend UAB? What are the UAB medical school requirements? What is the UAB medical school ranking? This article has the answers.

The University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine is an internationally ranked medical school. Also, it has a high acceptance rate. UAB School of Medicine is the only public medical school in Alabama. The colleges and schools have a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees offered to students.

UAB Medical School Acceptance Rate

University of Alabama School of Medicine (Medical School at University of Alabama at Birmingham) is located in Birmingham, AL, founded in 1859. University of Alabama at Birmingham is Public, 4 or more years school and offers both undergraduate and graduate programs with total enrollment of 21,923.The average tuition & fees of University of Alabama School of Medicine is $28,978 for Alabama residents and $62,714 for others for academic year 2020-2021. The acceptance rate is 6.86% and total 191 first-year students enrolled into University of Alabama School of Medicine. The average GPA of the enrolled students is 3.84 and the average MCAT score is 508.

University of Alabama School of Medicine

• Location: Birmingham, AL
• GPA: 3.85
• MCAT: 509
• Tuition: $32,118 In-state, $65,854 Out-of-state
• Public/Private: Public

The University of Alabama School of Medicine maintains its primary campus in Birmingham with regional branches in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. Six departments within the school have ranked among the top 10 in their fields in National Institute of Health funding, topped by the Department of Dermatology in first place.

The college and its hospitals hold a number of other distinctions, including the nation’s first public university diabetes hospital and the first use of color doppler echocardiography.

Recently ranked 21st nationally in research by U.S. News & World Report, the school focuses on five research areas, including basic science discovery; inflammation, infection and immunity; informatics; population health, health disparities, and outcomes effectiveness; and precision medicine. You as a student have several research programs from which to choose, ranging from dual degrees to summer projects.

University of South Alabama School of Medicine

• Location: Mobile, AL
• GPA: 3.9
• MCAT: 509
• Tuition: $31,803 In-state, $62,807 Out-of-state
• Public/Private: Public

Located on the university’s 1,200-acre campus in Mobile, the University of South Alabama School of Medicine offers both an M.D program and a Ph.D. in Basic Medical Sciences program. A member of the Association of American Medical Colleges, this Alabama medical school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The Gulf Coast’s only health educational institution, the school has, since its founding, provided one-third of Mobile-area physicians.

The four-year holistic curriculum toward your M.D. degree centers around six core competencies that you begin to study your first week of instruction. Your first two years involve the study of sequence modules, each highlighting a particular organ system.

If you wish, you may participate in the school’s Summer Research Program prior to your freshman and/or sophomore years. Prior to graduation, you may also participate in the M.D. With Research Honors Program as long as you remain in good academic standing.

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Location: Auburn, AL
• GPA: 3.6
• MCAT: 500
• Tuition: $39,530
• Public/Private: Private

Located on 16 scenic acres on the campus of Auburn University, the private, nonprofit Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine combines a four-story, 100,000 square-foot high-tech facility with the personalized learning environment of a small academic institution.

As one of three of the college’s branches, VCOM-Auburn offers its students the opportunity to engage in activities, events, the arts and research at all campuses. This medical school in Alabama grants both D.O. and M.A. in Biomedical Science degrees. In order to be considered for admission, you must have achieved at least a 3.2 grade point average both in science and cumulatively.

The beautiful, state-of-the-art VCOM-Auburn building features classrooms throughout, spacious second-floor auditoriums and a third-floor library with small study rooms. The spacious first-floor research lab houses special equipment that, among all VCOM campuses, is available only at Auburn.

Other labs at the Auburn campus include a high-tech anatomy lab and an osteopathic manipulative medicine lab equipped with electrically-controlled adjustable tables.

Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Location: Dothan, AL
• GPA: 3.4
• MCAT: 503
• Tuition: $52,800
• Public/Private: Private

Located in Dothan, the private Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, or ACOM, was not only the state’s first osteopathic medical school but also the only one that’s an educational division of a county health care system.

The college emphasizes providing patient-centered primary care to the underserved populations of Alabama, as well as those of the entire country. The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation has granted the school full accreditation.

ACOM’s 110,000-square-foot facility provides students with a high-tech learning environment. The library features predominantly electronic access, and the Clinical Competency Center testing environment is similar to that of the National Board of Osteopathic Examiners. Your first two years toward your D.O. degree include classes in basic science, and your third and fourth years consist of clinical clerkships.

uAB medical school requirements

Secondary Application

To receive an invitation to complete the secondary application, applicants must meet all minimum requirements under the MCAT Score, Grade Point Average, Citizenship, and Credit Hours sections.

Academic Requirements

Applicants should meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for a secondary application.

MCAT Score

Applicants with a 495 total MCAT score are typically eligible to receive an invitation to complete our secondary application. Alabama residents with above average academic performance (our average GPA for entering students is typically in the 3.7-3.8 range) with a 493 or 494 total score on the MCAT may be invited to submit a secondary. The Early Decision and EMSAP programs have different MCAT criteria.

• Scores from the September 2021 MCAT dates are the latest that will be considered.
• A 2019 MCAT score is the earliest score considered for the 2022 entering class.

We will use the most recent MCAT total score for consideration of interview. The committee will consider the applicants’ scores from all MCAT tests when evaluating applicants for admission.

Grade Point Average

Alabama residents must have a 3.0 science (BCPM) GPA at the undergraduate level or a 3.0 science (BCPM) GPA after 20 or more BCPM credits at the post-baccalaureate or graduate level to receive the secondary application invitation. Since pass/fail grades are not included in the GPA, they do not count toward the 20 credit requirement at the post-baccalaureate and graduate level to receive the secondary application.

Out-of-state applicants must have a 3.3 science (BCPM) GPA at the undergraduate level or a 3.3 science (BCPM) GPA after 20 or more BCPM credits at the post baccalaureate or graduate level to receive an invitation to complete the secondary application. Since pass/fail grades are not included in the GPA, they do not count toward the 20 credit requirement at the post-baccalaureate and graduate level to receive the secondary application.

All applicants must demonstrate solid knowledge of relevant sciences and the ability to manage a rigorous academic curriculum. You must also have received a “C” or better in all required courses.  The GPA minimum requirement does not apply to MSTP program applicants to receive a secondary application.

Credit Hours

Applicants should report at least 90 hours of undergraduate course credit from an accredited U.S. college or university on the AMCAS application. Applicants educated at a college or university not regionally accredited in the U.S. should complete a minimum of 24 credits in biomedical sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, and/or math) at a U.S. accredited institution and submit a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES.org evaluation service for education completed outside the U.S.

All requirements to complete current degree programs must be completed by July 1 before matriculation. All college majors are considered equally; however, you should consider how your major prepares you for the rigorous science coursework of medical school and how your major will be useful if not accepted to medical school.

Required Undergraduate Courses

For required courses, we expect to see the majority of these classes completed prior to submission of the AMCAS; however, we understand that many applicants may have one or two of these courses scheduled during their senior year after the AMCAS application has been submitted. Students offered acceptance are required to submit proof of successful completion of required coursework.

• Online and community college courses are accepted unless otherwise noted.
• Students must receive a “C” or better in required courses.

General Biology (with lab)
8 semester hours

• Applicants awarded AP or CLEP credit for biology are expected to complete 8 hours of additional advanced biology coursework.
• Laboratory courses should be completed in-person; however, online labs will be accepted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biochemistry
3 semester hours

• Any sequence of chemistry courses that includes Biochemistry will satisfy the chemistry requirement.

General Physics (with lab)
8 semester hours

• We accept AP or CLEP credit for physics.

Biostatistics/Statistics or College Mathematics
3 semester hours of biostatistics or 6 semester hours of college math

• A 3 hour college course in biostatistics or statistics is expected.
• Applicants with 6 hours of college level math coursework other than biostatistics/statistics will also meet the requirements.
• Applicants awarded AP or CLEP credit for statistics or college mathematics are expected to complete a college level biostatistics course to meet the requirement.

English
6 semester hours

• Complete at least 6 semester hours of college level English, writing composition, or writing intensive coursework.
• AP and CLEP credit in English are accepted.

Behavioral and Social Sciences
3 semester hours

• Any behavioral or social science coursework that addresses the biological, psychological, and/or sociocultural factors that influence perceptions, behaviors, interactions and well-being will be accepted.
• AP and CLEP credit in Social Sciences are accepted.

Regarding AP and CLEP credit: For AP or CLEP credit to meet a minimum requirement, college hour or unit credit for a course must appear on your transcript.

uAB medical school ranking

The UAB School of Medicine ranks among the nation’s best medical schools, according to the 2019 U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools Rankings.” It ranked No. 37 in medical primary care, No. 32 in medical research, and No. 15 in obstetrics and gynecology.

“The School of Medicine has made tremendous progress during the past year in a number of areas, and we are grateful to have that recognized in these rankings,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine and senior vice president for Medicine. “One of our missions is to train primary care physicians for the state of Alabama. Our training, research and clinical programs in all facets of primary care at UAB provide a world-class experience for our patients and our trainees.”

The School of Medicine’s research program runs the spectrum from cutting-edge basic science discovery to data sciences and health outcomes research. “Our research enterprise continues to make a significant impact in science, propelling us toward the top 20 in NIH funding,” noted Vickers.

The UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology boasts innovative educational programs, groundbreaking research initiatives and a robust clinical practice. “Its ranking in the top 15 by U.S. News & World Report is a reflection of its reputation as a national leader,” said Vickers.

Each year, U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, nursing and medicine, including specialties in each area. The rankings in these six areas are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. Indicator and opinion data come from statistical surveys of more than 2,012 graduate programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 20,500 academics and professionals in the ranked disciplines. The surveys were conducted during the fall of 2017 and in early 2018. In each field, rankings of programs in various specialty areas based on reputation data alone are also presented.

The magazine also ranks programs in the sciences, social sciences and humanities on a rotating basis, usually every three years. These rankings are based solely on the ratings of academic experts, as are the health specialties.

U.S. News made a number of key updates to the methodologies this year. For the most detailed explanations of these changes, read each program’s specific methodology.