Is Albany a Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)

With an extremely low acceptance rate and a wide range of facilities, Albany Medical College is not the easiest school to get into. However, many people wonder if this exclusivity translates to results.

Albany is a good medical school for ambitious students who want an MD, bioethics, basic science, or clinical science degree in a caring environment. Albany Medical College is a close-knit private institution with small class sizes and an on-site medical center. 

In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Albany Medical College as a prospective applicant. I’ll discuss what programs they offer, how much it costs to attend, what scholarships you can get there, and give you a run-down of the pros and cons of attending. I’ll also share what students and alums say about their time at AMC, so let’s dive in!

Interested in learning more about specific medical school pros and cons? Check out our Medical School Guides here – we cover all osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) schools.

What Programs Does Albany Medical College Offer? 

Albany Medical College offers medical science, basic science and research, anesthesiology, clinical investigation, and bioethics programs. Albany has many different degree tracks within most programs, including certifications, MS degrees, and Ph.D.s. 

Albany Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the USA, and with its longstanding history, it has evolved and grown, offering many different degrees and certification programs. 

So, let’s take a closer look at what you can get your degree in if you choose Albany: 

• MD. Albany offers an MD program, but you can also choose to follow an “MD with Distinction” track. These tracks allow you to earn distinctions in Research, Service, Health Systems Analysis, Bioethics, and Advocacy while you get your Medical Doctorate. 
• MS or Ph.D. in Basic Sciences. As a master or doctor of the basic sciences, you will research and prepare a thesis or dissertation in molecular and cellular physiology, regenerative and cancer cell biology, immunology and microbial diseases, or neuroscience and experimental therapeutics. 
• MS or Graduate Certificate in Clinical Investigation. The 24-month MS degree in Clinical Investigation is primarily for those who wish to focus on clinical research and communication. On the other hand, Albany’s certificate is for students seeking a Ph.D. in another field or researchers and nurses who want the experience from the 12-month program. 
• MS or DNP in Nurse Anesthesiology. This program is one of Albany’s best, as it offers students the opportunity to earn a Doctorate in anesthesiology. The 2021 graduates from their anesthesiology programs had a 100% employment rate after six months of graduation. 
• MS and DPS in Bioethics. Albany’s doctorate track in bioethics is also renowned and rare. They also offer dual degree programs for this track, allowing you to earn a Juris Doctorate, MD, or Basic Sciences MS alongside your degree in bioethics. 
• MS for Physicians Assistants. This MS program is 28 months long and includes a bit of all the other disciplines the college offers alongside several clinical rotations. 

Albany has one of the country’s most customizable, multi-disciplinary degree program lists. That makes them an excellent choice for people who want a degree or multiple degrees that perfectly fit their interests. 

Albany Medical College’s Match Data

Albany Medical College has an excellent track record regarding its National Residency Match Program. On average, between the years 2018 to 2021, 94% of MD students who graduated were matched without help from the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program. 

However, it’s worth noting that the students who did not match stayed at Albany to complete and improve upon their degrees. 

In 2022, Albany’s students matched with residencies in 43 different states in the US. The most popular field for graduates was internal medicine, followed by family practice, pediatrics, and anesthesiology. 

Placements were impressive across the board, featuring big-game names like the Mayo Clinic, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Boston University Medical Center. It’s hard to find better match data than Albany’s, and you won’t be short on options if you choose to enroll here.  

Does Albany Medical College Accept AP Credits?

Albany Medical College accepts AP credits. If the college or university where you got your Bachelor’s degree accepted the AP credits, Albany will also accept the credits as part of your undergrad transcript. 

Once your undergrad institution accepts your AP credits, they will appear on your college transcript as earned credit. Graduate schools like Albany will thus see these courses as complete. 

What Is Albany Medical College’s Acceptance Rate?

Albany’s class sizes are impressively small, and their graduation rate is exceptionally high. However, to keep their stats that way, the admissions board must be cautious about who they select. 

Albany Medical College’s acceptance rate is 4%, making it very selective. On average, Albany Medical College students have a GPA of 3.6 and MCAT scores of 510. They weigh heavily on your GPA, recommendation letters, essay, exposure to the medical field, and interview. 

To make yourself a more attractive candidate to Albany, you’ll likely want to have some experience in the medical field. Volunteering, working in a medical institution, doing lab research, or having a letter or recommendation from an MD will significantly increase your chances of acceptance. 

Albany also looks specifically for an applicant’s service to underserved communities. Having volunteer experience on your CV will boost you on the acceptance list, especially if you volunteered in the medical field. So, if it’s not too late, volunteer to help at a nursing home, local hospital, research lab, or private practice, and make some connections before you apply. 

However, the grades are also a deal-breaker at this college. So, if your GPA is below 3.4 or your MCAT scores don’t seem up to snuff, you may want to look for a backup school. It’s not unheard of for AMC to accept applicants with lower test scores and GPAs than this average, but you’ll likely want to have at least one or the other above average. 

Albany Medical College Tuition

Albany Medical College’s tuition is around $67,242 per year, but the cost is always subject to change yearly. After factoring in books, exam fees, and health center fees, Albany estimates that the cost of attendance — not including room and board — is $73,906. 

Albany’s tuition is slightly higher than the average cost of attending a private medical school, the average being $65,580 for in-state students and $66,635 for out-of-state students. 

One of the biggest complaints about Albany is that it is costly to attend. However, the quality of education and resources you can get here might make the tuition cost worth it. 

Does Albany Medical College Offer Scholarships

Albany medical college offers scholarships, with over 90 prizes and scholarships available to incoming and current students. Albany also accepts Federal Student Aid and offers a work-study program for qualifying students. 

Albany Medical College has too many scholarships to list here. They range from need-based to discipline-specific, full-tuition to partial, and if you look at what they offer, at least one will probably work for you. You can learn more about their scholarships in AMC’s Financial Aid Handbook. 

Is Albany Medical College Good?

Albany Medical College is good for students with high GPAs and MCAT scores looking for a small private medical school with graduate opportunities for MD, anesthesiology, bioethics, research, and general biology degrees. 

Albany Medical College is an exceptional choice for a medical school as long as you can get in and afford tuition. Those are the only true deal-breakers regarding this college. 

Therefore, it might not be a great fit if your academics aren’t your strongest suit. 

Let’s weigh out the pros and cons of AMC and examine why it might — or might not — be the dream school for you: 

The Pros

• Class sizes are small, and each class year only includes around 550 students. 
• Impressively low attrition rate. 
• An average of 98% of Albany’s students pass the USMLE. 
• Excellent research opportunities. 
• Students have opportunities to do clinical rotations and shadow scientists, doctors, and researchers at Albany Medical Center, one of New York’s busiest hospitals.
• There are many faculty members, and they are all committed to seeing you succeed. 
• There are many hiking trails near campus. 
• Labs and student facilities are up-to-date and offer fantastic learning resources. 
• Housing is relatively inexpensive in the area. 

The Cons

• It’s in a small college town without too much to do. 
• It’s selective. 
• It’s more expensive than the average private medical school. 
• It can be challenging to find updated housing in the area. 

Student and Graduate Reviews of Albany Medical College

It is difficult to find a poor review for Albany Medical College. Students and Alumni often note that the campus feels like a community and that the teachers want to help their students succeed. 

All reviews and interviews point to the fact that Albany is a fantastic place to network. With access to top-tier scientists, researchers, doctors, and other medical professionals next door at Albany Medical Center, you’ll get to take your pick of people to connect and work with. 

In addition, somehow, every student testimony mentions that the students at the college are incredibly friendly, and everyone gets along. It’s tough to find that in any school!

Although the academics are rigorous at Albany, students often express that the curriculum is about average for any medical school. 

The most significant complaint from students and alums is that the college is expensive. They also noted that the city of Albany is cold and small, which doesn’t make for much fun off-campus. 

Albany’s pros far outweigh its cons, establishing AMC as a fantastic, friendly small college for anyone interested in med school. They prepare doctors for their exams and later careers very well, but you’ll have to see if you get in to reap the benefits of this school.