This five-year pathway program is operated in conjunction with the UA College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS). The Rural Dental Scholar (RDS) Program is a separate admissions pathway accessed via the ADEA AADSAS application system. Applicants must indicate on their AADSAS application to UAB SOD that they are applying for this program. Applicants who indicate they are applying to the RDS will be considered for that program only and not the traditional four-year DMD program.
The RDS program targets applicants from rural areas in Alabama who intend to practice dentistry in a rural community. To be considered, applicants to the Rural Dental Scholar program should have a minimum 17 DAT, 3.30 overall undergraduate GPA, and 3.0 BCPM GPA. Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- lived in a rural area for at least eight years
- graduated from a high school located in a rural area.
This program is for Alabama residents only and is appropriate for applicants with rural ties and intentions to practice rural.
The RDS program helps scholars build a strong biomedical science foundation and become educated about issues in rural health. This program begins with a one-year Rural Health Master’s program delivered by UA CCHS in Tuscaloosa, AL. During this year, students engage in biomedical science courses designed to adequately prepare scholars for a rigorous dental school curriculum. Scholars also benefit from study skills/test taking development in addition to a clinical/practitioner mentor component and extensive education about rural healthcare.
Scholars accepted into this program receive a conditional offer to UAB SOD. To matriculate at UAB SOD in July immediately following master’s completion, scholars must earn a minimum 3.5 GPA in the master’s program and fulfill all associated program requirements, including shadowing rotations.