Hi there,
I am an incoming MS1 student, so it may not be useful to ask me too many questions about curriculum, facilities, clinics etc. until at least August. That said, as an MSTP student, I am already on campus and can try to pull in advice from the older students for anything I don’t already know.
I've put together our "information sheet" below to match the useful ones already made for a few other threads. Best of luck to all of the applicants!
Stats [Source]
~3700 applicants
~400 interviews (in-state bias for regular MD)
~260 total acceptances (including ~ 30 off WL)
~200 of those are Alabama residents
Usually about 100 are waitlisted, and the Adcom often pulls up to 30 or so from it
~186 matriculated
Matriculating Class Statistics for 2015:
Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.73
Average MCAT Score: 30.2 (9.8/9.9/10.5 section breakdowns)
2015-2016 Secondary Application (screened for minimum MCAT score of 495 [24 on old])
All essays are 1500 character max:
1. Do you consider yourself rural? If "yes", describe life experiences that illustrate this.
2. If you are a reapplicant, describe how you have improved your overall credentials for the current application year, specifically addressing any concerns raised in feedback you received from the Admissions Committee.
3. Briefly indicate how you would add diversity to our medical school class.
4. Non-Alabama residents: Describe any experiences you have had related to the state of Alabama or UAB Medical Center.
5. All Applicants: If the area you spent most of your life before college differs from where you currently consider your permanent address, please explain.
6. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now?
7. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application.
You also have an opportunity to elaborate on your activities/extracurricular section. They are automatically imported from AMCAS.
Update Letter Policy [Source]
“With an exception for Re-applicants, once the Secondary Application has been submitted no further information will be added to an applicant’s application file. In January, re-applicants are encouraged to provide an update for their application file on the preparation and improvements to their applications … Applicant thank you notes and other communications to Admissions Committee members should be directed to the Admissions Office.”
Curriculum [Source]
18 month organ-based module preclinical
Fundamentals is unranked and Pass/Fail (<70%).
The rest of preclinical is ranked and graded Honors (92% or higher in all modules)/Pass/Fail (<70%) starting fall of 2015.
Clerkship is ranked and graded Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail.
Lectures are recorded and non-mandatory.
Mandatory 8 weeks of “scholarly activity”
Interviews [Source]
Invitations are sent by email with the first interviews (early decision especially) held in mid-September. Interview day consists of one 25-minute admissions committee interview and a 7-10 station Multiple Mini Interview session.
Of Note
- Upon acceptance, students are placed [semi-randomly, as far as anyone can tell] at one of the four main campuses for their clinical years. The breakdown is Birmingham: 98, Hunstville: 34, Montgomery: 20, Tuscaloosa (only campus currently offering longitudinal clerkship): 34. It is very rare to change campus assignments after acceptance. Everyone is in Birmingham for the preclinical years.
- Housing is not offered by the university itself, but Birmingham like most southern cities is very affordable with rent often running as low as $500-700 per person for a shared apartment, even within walking distance of the university or city center.
- Keep in mind that the school is notorious for being later than claimed with any and all communications and internal deadlines. Don’t worry, everything gets sent out eventually.
- UASOM Facebook Page
I will do my best to update this as the year progresses, so if anyone has any details that they would specifically like me to add, feel free to comment.
Citation for format:
@hellanutella
