Blaze to MD Program

The Blaze to MD Program is an 11-month pathway designed for students who have the potential to succeed in medicine and need more academic preparation in basic sciences to be competitive in the medical school environment. Blaze to MD is a key piece of our mission to train students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

With the partnership between the School of Health Professions’ Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences and the Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, the integrated curriculum is organ-based, and modeled after the first two years of the curriculum in the Heersink School of Medicine. Students interact with and learn from faculty who teach in professional programs at UAB, and will earn a Master of Science in Biomedical Health Sciences. Learn more about the Master of Science in Biomedical Health Sciences curriculum.

Up to 10 students will be part of Blaze to MD each year. Preference is given to Alabama residents. Students who successfully complete all elements of the program with a 3.50 GPA will be accepted to the Heersink School of Medicine.

Application Process

There is no direct application to the Blaze to MD Program. Applicants are identified for the program through the regular medical school application process.  Applicants must apply through AMCAS and meet the requirements to receive a secondary application.  During the application screening, interview and committee review processes, members of our Admissions Committee will identify applicants who show promise for medicine who would benefit from an additional year of academic foundation prior to beginning medical school.  Students selected for the Blaze to MD program will be required to complete the UAB graduate school application process.