Jennifer Handrop, Ed.D.On Friday, April 10, 2026, Heersink School of Medicine hosted its annual Closer Look event. This year, 139 accepted students visited the campus and participated in activities throughout the day designed to give them valuable experience at the school. The day’s success was a collaborative effort beginning with the Admissions and Enrollment Management (AEM) team and including crucial participation from faculty and staff across the school.
“Closer Look Day is a vital opportunity for admitted students to experience a true ‘day in the life’ of a medical student at UAB Heersink School of Medicine and gain a sense of our school’s culture beyond the interview experience,” said Jennifer Handrop, Ed.D., director of Admissions.
The AEM team thoughtfully designed the experience to show the admitted students the breadth and scope of Heersink. From hearing about curriculum breakdowns to research opportunities and service opportunities within our community or learning opportunities internationally, they were given a chance to meet the people who make these opportunities possible.
“Through interactions with our students, faculty, staff, facilities, and the city of Birmingham,” Handrop said, “admitted students get a better feel for how UAB Heersink can support their academic, social, and personal growth over the next four years. For many of our admitted students, Closer Look plays a pivotal role in their final decision of where to attend medical school.”
The day also included sessions meeting with the resources that help Heersink students continue to succeed from year one all the way until the end of the final year. Representatives across the department were implemented throughout the day, including team members from Medical Student Services, Access and Engagement – Student Experience, and Financial Services. The admitted students toured relevant floors within Volker Hall and the labs within the building, which showcased the substantive updates to the spaces in recent years.
“Our admissions team did an outstanding job designing an engaging program that showcased all that UAB Heersink has to offer,” said Christina Grabowski, associate dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management, who provided a welcome to the cohort at the beginning of the morning and led a session near the end of the event detailing next steps in the admissions process. “Campus visits play a significant role in students’ school selection, and we are deeply grateful to our Medical Education colleagues who participated and helped admitted students determine where they want to pursue their medical training.”
The day was ended with a reception in the newly built Volker Hall Atrium hosted by Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean. With each session and activity, the team putting together Closer Look wanted to show how every aspect of the medical school experience contributes to the mission of training the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists and delivering transformative quality care throughout the state of Alabama and surrounding regions.