Birmingham, AL
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 19% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.4
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 438 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (89%)
Negatively (3%)
No change (8%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (42%)
Good (42%)
Average (15%)
Poor (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at UAB to be relaxed, enjoyable, and conversational, with interviewers focusing on getting to know them as individuals. Many appreciated the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, as well as the opportunity to engage in discussions beyond traditional interview questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I think the combination of MMIs and 30-minute one-on-one interviews is a good balance between the personal aspect of a traditional interview and the various supposed benefits of MMIs.
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Be relaxed and personable! The interviews are important, but they try to make them as laid back as possible.
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Incredible staff and program, 9/10
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This looks like a great school! Opportunities to care for the underserved, as well as tons of research opportunities. The interviewers, admissions committee members, and students were all extremely friendly and welcoming. Birmingham was also a great place to hang out after the interview. There are great restaurants, shopping, and places to go running/walking/hiking.
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UAB seems pretty cool!
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
29 Minutes Average
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Number:
3.3 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
100% One-on-One
0% Group Interview
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File Type:
90% Open-File
10% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
UAB-SOM-COMP interviews are an average of 29 minutes, with an average of 3.3 interviews. 100% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 10% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the applicant's motivation for pursuing medicine, strengths and weaknesses, clinical experiences, and reasons for choosing a specific medical school. Some respondents experienced an MMI format where questions were tailored to their application, while others engaged in more conversational interviews focusing on their background and interests.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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You seem to have a lot of EM experience. Is that what you want to specialize in?
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All based on my application
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What kind of a hospital did you work at? How many beds?
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What were some of the qualities of physicians you worked with?
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Why UAB?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics such as the applicant's research work, volunteering experiences, future medical specialties, and personal characteristics. While some responses indicated a conversational format, others mentioned unique questions like being asked about a wish to a genie, choosing between kitchen utensils, and addressing disparities in medical specialties, with no explicit reference to an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What is your PI best known for?
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What is your experience working with underserved groups?
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Asked specifics about my activities.
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Have you ever harmed anyone?
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What medical specialties have you considered going to?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by reviewing their primary and secondary applications, practicing with mock interviews, consulting SDN and other online resources for sample questions and answers, and staying updated on current health issues. Many also emphasized the importance of being themselves and staying relaxed before the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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SDN, re-read my application, various online MMI resources
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This page and online MMI prep. Since interviews were virtual, I practiced to my webcam while recording so I could go back and
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Sdn, other interviews, read application and secondary
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Mock interview, SDN Interview Feedback Section,
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Prepared answers for common questions. Reviewed common questions online.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine discussed various topics including ethical dilemmas, personal resilience, insights on the doctor-patient relationship, and handling failures. The interviews encompassed a wide range of questions touching on healthcare reform, personal experiences, and ethical scenarios, with some mentioning the absence of extremely challenging questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Asked me an ethical question about one of the EMS calls I ran that I talked about in my secondary
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None, very very nice and conversational. Time goes quick!
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Do you have the stamina for medical school?
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Tell me a time you were resilient
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What insights have you made about the doctor-patient relationship?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere at the school, including the students, faculty, and interviewers. They appreciated the emphasis on student feedback, the customizable curriculum, the extensive research opportunities, and the low-stress environment. Additionally, the new facilities, the enthusiasm of students and faculty, and the variety of clinical experiences available were highlighted as positive aspects of the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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It seems like the admin puts a lot of effort into making a large class size feel smaller/more like a community, which I really appreciate. Students said they share resources despite the ranking system/AOA.
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A lot!
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The size and prestige of the hospital.
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Prestige without cockiness
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The curriculum is extremely customizable. There are tons of research opportunities.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions regarding outdated facilities, lack of enthusiasm from tour guides and interviewers, limited diversity in student body, disorganization during the tour, long interview days, and concerns about the curriculum changes impacting anatomy education. Suggestions included improving facilities, enhancing tour experiences, increasing diversity, and providing more engaging and informative interviews.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Students are ranked by quartiles using both their clinical grades and nonclinical grades. Also, AOA.
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Nothing really.
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The school's building itself seemed pretty unwelcoming. I didn't get a "camaraderie is important" vibe, either. The students were friendly enough, but our tour guide was unprofessional in how lackadaisical his attitude was. We didn't get to see the cadaver lab or any of the simulation rooms - if there were any.
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Lack of info on step1/2 success. 98% match rate, but what about step scores?
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How long the interview day was.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known more specifically about the structure of the interview day, including the length, the number of interviews, and the general flow of the day. They also mentioned a desire for more information about the interviewers, what to expect during the interviews, and the overall low-stress nature of the process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Not much! I think UAB did a really good job of providing a lot of resources beforehand for us to learn about the school.
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To eat breakfast
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I wish I had known who my interviewer was going to be. I also wish I had known how lonnnng the interview day was going to be - I was there for seven hours!
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That lunch was before either of the interviews.
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None
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested improvements such as selecting more enthusiastic tour guides, providing more detailed information on resources and outcomes, facilitating direct communication with interviewers, expediting decision notifications, and enhancing the depth of medical campus tours.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The virtual interviews are bound to have awkward moment and technical difficulties, but overall I'd say the admissions process went as smooth as I could've asked for.
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Pick more enthusiastic students for the tour.
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Include information on what step resources are given by the school, step scores, % of medical students who publish as a result of their scholarly activity would also be interesting
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Emailing the admissions office my thank-you letter is awkward. Why can't I just email the interviewer?
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Let applicants know of decisions sooner.
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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BHM
50% interviewees used BHM (BHM), with 10% using ATL (ATL) and 10% using Logan, (HSV) and 10% using Birmingham International (Birmingham International) and 10% using Birmingham (Birmingham) and 10% using Birmingham Airport (Birmingham Airport).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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23% Airplane
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71% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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6% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Doubletree (average ranking 9.5/10), with some staying at The Redmont Hotel (average rating 6.5/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Doubletree
9.5/10
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The Redmont Hotel
6.5/10
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Medical Center Inn
5.5/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Faculty member (1%)
Student (99%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (2%)
Enthusiastic (81%)
Neutral (17%)
All Responses
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