University of Alabama School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for University of Alabama School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.

about University of Alabama School of Medicine

Secondary Deadline: November 15, 2023
Secondary Fee: $100
FAP Waiver: Full Fee Waived
CASPer Required: No
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes/Portal

Mission 

The School of Medicine is dedicated to excellence in the education of physicians and scientists in all of the disciplines of medicine and biomedical investigation for careers in practice, teaching, and research. Central to this educational mission are the provision of outstanding medical care and services and the enhancement of new knowledge through clinical and basic biomedical research. We embrace the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment that values differing perspectives and experiences. This diversity is essential to fulfilling the enduring mission of our medical school.

Vision 

The School of Medicine will be recognized by its faculty, students, graduates and patients and by faculty members in other schools of medicine and research universities as one of the nation’s premier institutions for research, training and patient care. Excellence in each of its primary missions—education, clinical care, and basic, translational and clinical research—is essential to this recognition.

2023-2024

State of Residence Section:
1. Non-Alabama Resident with Ties to Alabama: Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to the state of Alabama or UAB Medical Center (1500 characters)

2. All Applicants: if the area you spent most of your life before college differs from where you currently consider your permanent address, please explain (1500 characters)

Essay Section:
3. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now? (750 characters)

4. Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics or experiences that would add to the learning environment for your classmates. (750 characters)

5. Describe a patient interaction with the healthcare system. This could be a direct patient observation (in person or virtual) during a shadowing/clinical experience or a personal experience within the healthcare system. What did you learn from this experience? (750 characters)

6. Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience. (750 characters)

7. UAB Medicine provides quality health care and compassionate service to every patient, every time, regardless of their individual differences or circumstances. Our academic medical center attracts patients from across the world who represent many cultures, religions, lifestyles, and economic backgrounds. Why are you specifically interested in beginning your medical education in this environment, and how do you feel that your previous experiences will prepare you for this unique learning environment? (750 characters)

8. (OPTIONAL): Describe your identity and how it has impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward individuals different from yourself and how this will impact your interactions with future colleagues and patients. (750 characters)

9. (OPTIONAL): Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application. (750 characters)

Additional Experiences Section:
10. You have a separate page to add any experiences that you did not have listed on your AMCAS application.

2022-2023

1. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now?

2. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application.

3. Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics or experiences that would add to the educational environment for your classmates.

4. Please describe if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school.

5. Describe a patient interaction with the healthcare system. This could be a direct patient observation (in person or virtual) during a shadowing experience, a personal experience within the healthcare system, or a family member or friend who had a memorable interaction within the healthcare system. What did you learn from this experience?

6. Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience.

2021-2022

1. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now?

2. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application.

3. Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics or experiences that would add to the educational environment for your classmates.

4. Please describe if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school.

5. Describe a patient interaction with the healthcare system. This could be a direct patient observation (in person or virtual) during a shadowing experience, a personal experience within the healthcare system, or a family member or friend who had a memorable interaction within the healthcare system. What did you learn from this experience?

6. Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience.

MD/PhD essays:
1. If you have already graduated (or will graduate from college prior to May/June), please give a brief description of your activities following graduation. (1500 Characters)

2020-2021

1. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now? (750 characters)

2. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application. (750 characters)

3. Briefly indicate how you would add diversity to our medical school class. (750 characters)

4. Please describe if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school. (750 characters)

5. Describe an observed patient-physician interaction, what you learned from the experience, and how those lessons will impact your approach to patient care. (750 characters)

6. Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience. (750 characters)

2019-2020

1. Non-Alabama Resident with Ties to Alabama: Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to the state of Alabama or UAB Medical Center (1500 char)

2. All Applicants: if the area you spent most of your life before college differs from where you currently consider your permanent address, please explain (1500 char)

3. *Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now? (750 char)

4. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application: (750 char)

5. Briefly indicate how you would add diversity to our medical school class: (750 char)

2018-2019

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

2017-2018

1. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now? (750 Char)

2. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application (750 Char)

3. Briefly indicate how you would add diversity to our medical school class (750 Char)

4. Do you consider yourself rural? If “yes”, describe life experiences that illustrate this (1500 Char) OPTIONAL
Primary Care track:

5. The concept of community can be described as a geographic region, a demographic group, or a social group among other descriptions. Describe your interest in medicine and how you hope to impact a community or communities. (1500 Char)

2016-2017

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.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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