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OPMA P.H.A.S.E. Program

Office of Pre-Professional Mentoring and Advising Pre-Health Application Support and Education Program

This page is for the University of Alabama students and alumni who are applying to medical, dental, or optometry school for the entering class of 2028 also known as Cycle 2028.

**Registration for the 2027-2028 OPMA P.H.A.S.E. Program opens October 2, 2026 and closes November 4, 2026. Students who register will be added to our no-credit Blackboard course on a rolling basis.

What is OPMA P.H.A.S.E?

The OPMA P.H.A.S.E. (Pre-Health Application Support and Education) program is our university’s premier application mentoring initiative, offered through the Office of Pre-Professional Mentoring and Advising. Through personalized guidance and comprehensive support, P.H.A.S.E. helps students navigate every step of the application process for medical, dental, and optometry school.

To join the OPMA P.H.A.S.E. program, students must be preparing to apply to medical, dental, or optometry school in the summer before graduation or before the start of a gap year. The information on this page is intended for students currently applying in Cycle 2027 and those preparing to apply for Cycle 2028.

We use Blackboard LMS as a content manager to allow current students and alumni to submit documents to us electronically while also allowing us to create a cohort of applicants to streamline timely information. Program enrollment for OPMA P.H.A.S.E. happens only through our registration link, not through MyBama or Schedule Builder.

OPMA P.H.A.S.E. is a six-month application support program. Participants begin by submitting an intent-to-apply agreement, followed by a comprehensive pre-application portfolio: a draft of their planned professional school application, along with other supporting materials. Reviewing these drafts allows pre-health advisors to offer individualized feedback and mentorship throughout the application year. Each qualifying step of the program is called a “phase,” and each has a firm deadline. Students who complete every phase become eligible for a Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) interview and a composite letter of support from our office for their professional school applications.

Throughout the program, our office serves as a clearinghouse, collecting letters of recommendation on students’ behalf to complement their applications. Pre-health advisors review résumés, CVs, and essay drafts, discuss standardized test preparation, and help students practice the professionalism skills they will need during interviews. Past OPMA P.H.A.S.E. participants have shared that our program has helped them to feel prepared for every step of the actual application process, clarifying what to expect and reducing stress through our structured and supportive approach.

OPMA P.H.A.S.E. Cycle 2028 General Timeline

  • October 2, 2026: Program registration opens.
  • November 4 – December 1, 2026: P.H.A.S.E. I.
  • December 4, 2026: P.H.A.S.E. II materials released to students on Blackboard who have completed P.H.A.S.E. I.
  • March 11, 2027: P.H.A.S.E. II materials due in Blackboard. Please see specific requirements in our Applicant Guide.
  • April 15 – May 6, 2027: P.H.A.S.E. III, including HPAC interviews.

Other Application Support Services

Office of Pre-Professional Mentoring and Advising provides a variety of specialized services for students during the year that they are applying to their health professions graduate programs. We partner with other campus services like the UA Writing Center and the Career Center to create and identify workshops to help you to successfully prepare for the application process.

AS 299 Junior Prehealth Seminar— Offered Fall and Spring Semesters

AS 299 Prehealth Junior Seminar is a course that students can register for, similar to how they register for any other class at The Capstone. This course covers topics related to applying to medical, dental, and optometry school that include personal statements, preparing to take your standardized test, collecting letters of recommendation, and more. This class is pass/fail and is 1 credit hour. This class is not required, but former students have found it helpful.

This course is not a substitute for the OPMA P.H.A.S.E. program. Students who complete AS 299 Prehealth Seminar will be granted a pass or fail grade. Students who complete all requirements of our OPMA P.H.A.S.E. program will qualify to receive a committee interview and letter.

Are you a different prehealth track and preparing to apply to graduate school?

Are you pre-veterinary, pre-PT, pre-PA, or another prehealth track? Learn more about our application services for those tracks here: https://prehealth.ua.edu/application-process/other-professional-programs/

Getting ready to apply and don’t know where to start? Email prehealth@ua.edu to connect with a member of our prehealth advising team.

Thank you,

Office of Pre-Professional Advising and Mentoring

Prehealth Advising Team