This page is for University of Alabama students and alumni who are applying to medical, dental, or optometry school for the entering class of 2024 also known as Cycle 2024.
Application File
Students will NOT be allowed to schedule a committee interview until their application file with our office is complete. A completed application contains the following:
- Signed Acknowledgement Agreement (This is required to be permitted access to our Applicant Course in Blackboard Learn)
- Completed the UA Pre-Application completely. Submitted hardcopy to 200 Clark Hall and electronically in applicant blackboard course.
- Proof of Writing Center appointment, reviewing the personal statement
- Current enrollment or completion of the required course
- Applicant Introduction Video
- and other items as outlined in the Applicant Agreement
These items are all due by February 22, 2023, at 4:00 pm. No exceptions.
Students who have met the above requirements will be eligible for a committee interview. In order to obtain the committee letter itself, students must also:
- Have completed a committee interview with the HPAC.
- Provide proof of standardized exam (MCAT, DAT, OAT) registration or completion.
- Have letters of recommendation from academic professors and co-curricular sources (shadowing, volunteering, research, etc.). Non-Stem letters by 2/22/23 and Stem/BCPM letters by 5/5/23.
- Submitted the official CAS LOR request to OHPA.
Committee Letter vs Letter of Support
- Committee Letter: A Committee Letter is a letter authored by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor and intended to represent your institution’s evaluation of you. Our committee letters packets also include the additional letters of recommendation written by the faculty/organizations/health care providers that you had sent to our office in support of your application.
- Letter of Support/Letter Packet: A Letter of Support is a packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution (UA). The letter packet includes your name and application IDs on it and has all of the letters of recommendation that you had sent to our office attached electronically to it. In contrast to a Committee Letter, a Letter of Support does not include a comprehensive, evaluative letter from the Health Professions Advising Committee.
Students who have not submitted all the required application materials to our office by February 22nd at 4:00 pm will only be eligible to receive a letter of support instead of a committee letter from the Office of Health Professions Advising.
Committee Interviews
Our office will conduct committee interviews in the spring semester. These are the ONLY interview dates for the 2024 application season for our committee. In order to be considered for the interviews, you MUST submit all components of your UA pre-application packet by February 22, 2023, at 4 p.m both in person and electronically.
If you do not meet the qualifications for a committee interview but would like for our office to send your letters (with no committee letter) we will still do so. If this is your choice you will still have to fill out the UA pre-application and submit the appropriate information so that we can upload your letter packet (please see individual sections for required information).
Letters of Support
If you have missed the deadlines for a committee interview and composite letter and are interested in obtaining a Letter of Support from the Health Professions Advisory Committee, please email your request to prehealth@ua.edu and someone will follow up with you.
OHPA Letter Submission Policy
Office of Health Professions Advising will send recommendation letters only for the purposes of:
- Application to that type of professional school identified by the student on the OHPA pre-application.
- Application to graduate professional schools
- Please note: OHPA will not submit letters to scholarships, prospective employers, or non-health professional schools. These letters are intended for health professions professional school programs ONLY.
September 30th is the last day that our office will submit Committee Letters and Letters of Support for first-time applicants and re-applicants for consideration. All Committee Letters and Letters of Support will not be uploaded to any application service or school by our office beyond the date of September 15, 2023.
We are excited to work with each of you! If you have any questions please email prehealth@ua.edu.
Thank you,
Office of Health Professions Advising