Medical Schools in Alabama: How to Get In (2025)
/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: 2024 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: The Definitive Guide)
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Alabama: 2024 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.
Note: U.S. News and World Report moved to a tier-based ranking system in fall 2024, in part due to a number of schools declining to participate. Schools who declined to share sufficient data with US News are now unranked, which is reflected in the table below with ‘UR.' Schools that did participate are given ‘tier’ rankings by U.S. News. We’ve reported rankings from both the prior and current cycles to more accurately reflect where the top medical schools in Alabama stand.
| Alabama Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (UAB)* | Tier 2 (Research) - 2024 |
$69,387 (OOS) |
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| University of South Alabama College of Medicine (USA)* | UR - 2024 |
$72,620 (OOS) |
3.8 (Listed for OOS students) |
508 (OOS)(70th percentile in 2022-2023) |
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| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | UR - 2024 |
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| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn | Tier 4 (Research) - 2024 |
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 at Birmingham (UAB) stands as the premier MD program in Alabama, offering top-tier medical education, groundbreaking research opportunities, and diverse clinical experiences. With its main campus in Birmingham and three regional campuses in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa, students gain exposure to a variety of healthcare settings across the state.
UAB is committed to addressing the unique healthcare challenges facing Alabama, particularly in underserved communities. Several specialized programs allow students to tailor their education to meet these pressing needs.
Their Rural Medicine Program is designed for students from rural backgrounds who wish to return and serve their communities. This program equips future physicians with the knowledge and skills to tackle the specific challenges of practicing in rural Alabama.
If you’re certain a career in primary care is your calling, their Primary Care Track can get you there. With Alabama experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians, UAB offers a focused curriculum to prepare students for a career in family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatrics. The Tuscaloosa campus is home to a longitudinal integrated clerkship, where students follow patients over time, gaining a deeper understanding of disease progression and continuity of care.
UAB places a strong emphasis on medical research, with opportunities available to students at all levels of their training, such as the Medical Student Summer Research Program, which provides first-year students the opportunity to engage in short-term research projects across a wide range of disciplines, including diabetes research, functional neurorehabilitation, cardiovascular sciences, and more.
There are also advanced research opportunities starting in the second year. Students can apply for grants and fellowships in various medical fields, allowing them to delve deeper into their research interests and gain valuable experience in academic medicine.
The first two years of the MD program are spent at the Birmingham campus, where students complete their foundational coursework and engage in early clinical experiences. In the third and fourth years, students transition to clinical training, choosing from four different campuses to complete their clerkships and electives.
During the third year, all students must complete seven core clerkships, each lasting either four or eight weeks, across essential medical specialties such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, and family medicine.
The one exception to this traditional block-based model is at the Tuscaloosa campus where students will follow patients over an extended period, allowing them to witness disease progression and treatment response in real time under the mentorship of experienced primary care physicians.
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Located in Mobile, Alabama, along the scenic Gulf Coast, the University of South Alabama College of Medicine offers a four-year MD program that primarily serves in-state students, with 90% of its student body hailing from Alabama. While out-of-state applicants are considered, the admissions process is more selective for non-residents, reflecting the school’s mission to train physicians who will contribute to Alabama’s healthcare workforce.
USA College of Medicine provides a comprehensive medical education, blending rigorous academics with hands-on clinical training and research opportunities. Their Summer Research Program allows students to engage in medical research before starting medical school or between their first and second years, giving them early exposure to scientific inquiry and laboratory work. Their M.D. with Research Honors Program is for students interested in long-term, in-depth research, and provides an opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on a research project of their choosing.
USA has also recently invested in state-of-the-art medical training facilities, ensuring students have access to the latest technology and learning tools. Its Health Simulation Building features computer-controlled simulators that replicate real-world medical scenarios, allowing students to develop their clinical and critical thinking skills in a risk-free environment. Real-time instructor feedback and video-based post-scenario reviews are built in.
Currently, a new research and educational building is under construction which will expand USA’s research capabilities and add 20 additional seats to its medical school class size.
Students can also broaden their skills outside of the classroom through student interest groups and the student-run free clinic. For those interested in international healthcare, USA offers opportunities to participate in overseas clinical rotations, providing a unique perspective on global medicine, diverse healthcare systems, and cross-cultural patient care.
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is a non-profit, private medical school committed to training future physicians through an innovative, hybrid discipline and systems-based approach to osteopathic medicine. Located in Dothan, Alabama, ACOM focuses on a patient-centered, holistic philosophy that emphasizes the mind-body-spirit connection, a core tenet of osteopathic medicine.
ACOM integrates both traditional didactic instruction and hands-on longitudinal training to provide students with a strong foundation in medical sciences, clinical reasoning, and osteopathic manipulative medicine.
The first two years have students focused on developing core medical knowledge through classroom learning, case-based instruction, and early clinical exposure. Unlike many traditional medical schools, ACOM incorporates longitudinal osteopathic principles into the curriculum, ensuring students consistently refine their hands-on diagnostic and treatment skills. During the third and fourth years, students rotate through clinical sites across Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, gaining real-world experience in various specialties, from family medicine to emergency medicine and surgery.
A key component of ACOM’s educational experience is its Center for Excellence in Simulation, a cutting-edge facility that enhances clinical skill development. The center features four high-fidelity simulation bays, where students practice emergency scenarios, surgical procedures, and patient assessments on computerized manikins and standardized patients. Weekly simulation-based learning ensures students become proficient in real-world medical decision-making before entering their clinical rotations.
In addition to the DO degree, students at ACOM have to pursue a dual degree program, adding an MBA, MPH, or MSM to their education. ACOM also has a Medical Student Fellows Scholars Program which allows students to gain teaching experience while furthering their own expertise. If you’re interested in becoming medical faculty yourself, this program could be for you. This program will extend your training for your DO by one year and you will be expected to assist in research projects, lecturing, and teaching. 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 (VCOM) is dedicated to training physicians to serve in medically underserved communities across the southern United States. The Auburn, Alabama campus, located near Auburn University, focuses on addressing the statewide shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Alabama has a critical shortage of primary care physicians, and VCOM-Auburn actively works to combat this through its curriculum which strongly emphasizes family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and rural healthcare. VCOM actively partners with local hospitals and rural clinics and graduates are encouraged to practice in underserved areas.
The overall curriculum is similar to their other campuses where their offerings include a DO, and master’s programs in biomedical sciences, and a Master of Health Science in Anesthesia program.
Cutting-edge technology and simulation-based learning is incorporated into its curriculum. The simulation center is equipped with high-fidelity patient simulators, allowing students to practice real-world medical scenarios. They also have an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Lab where students develop expertise in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment.
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 |
Looking for secondary essay examples? Click below to access sample secondary essays for every prompt required by every MD and DO program in the United States and Canada. 1500+ essays and counting.
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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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Gain instant access to the most common traditional and MMI interview questions, plus sample responses for each, to help you craft responses that lead to acceptances. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
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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 $38,000 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 2024 points to only ~44.5% 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 82.1% and 92.4% 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)
