The Rural Dental Scholars Program was founded in 2023 to address the shortage of dentists in Alabama’s rural communities. The program works to recruit and assist rural Alabama college students who want to become dentists and practice in the state’s rural communities, where there is a shortage of oral health care.
The program is a separate admissions pathway to the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry specifically for students from rural Alabama. This postgraduate program includes a year of study at The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) and a master’s degree in Rural Community Health, as well as early admission to the UAB School of Dentistry.
During the year of studies at CCHS, students engage in biomedical science courses designed to adequately prepare scholars for a rigorous dental school curriculum. They also participate in seminar courses in rural health, community engagement experiences and shadow dental providers. After completion of the master’s degree, students spend the next four years at the UAB School of Dentistry.
Requirements
- Students must have either lived in rural Alabama for eight years or have graduated from a rural Alabama high school.
- Minimum 3.30 overall undergraduate GPA and 3.0 science (BCPM) GPA.
- Minimum DAT score of 17.
- Other minimum standards as deemed appropriate by the UAB School of Dentistry (shadowing, service, leadership, research, etc.).
Selection Process
The Rural Dental Scholar Program is a separate admissions pathway accessed via the ADEA AADSAS application system. Applicants must indicate on their AADSAS application to the UAB School of Dentistry that they are applying for this program. Scholars accepted into this program receive a conditional offer to the UAB School of Dentistry. To matriculate in July immediately following the master’s degree completion, scholars must earn a minimum 3.5 GPA in the master’s program and fulfill all associated program requirements, including shadowing rotations.
For more information or to request an application, please send an email to ruralprograms@ua.edu