2014-2015 Stanford University Application Thread

[gettheleadout]

7. The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

8. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?

Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting:

Private Practice

Health Policy

Academic Medicine

Public Health

Health Care Administration

9. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path?

Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces

10. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals?

Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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[The Milkman]

So, besides the numbers, what's it take to get an interview here?

 

[demystifie]

I've heard they are research heavy, so probably some research experience.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

You have to slay this dragon.

Stanford actually has required scholarly concentrations (which are like "majors").
Many of their students finish in 5 years in order to complete this requirement.
http://med.stanford.edu/md/curriculum/scholarly_concentrations/
Here's a PDF with more details:
http://med.stanford.edu/md/curriculum/scholarly_concentrations/guide/scguide2013_14.pdf

I'm not sure if research is necessary for admission (although it can only help), but it looks like they ask about scholarly concentrations on their secondary (i.e. which are compelling to you). This is definitely one of the best schools for anyone interested in academic medicine.

 

[The Milkman]

So I know Stanford loves research and scholarship, but how much do they really look for in applicants. Any students care to share how much research experience they applied with?

 

[Narmerguy]

<incoming MS1>. I applied with quite substantial research experience, but I know a couple people with considerably less (my friend researched for one year + summer, though he did get a pub as well). Try searching MDapps for more students that got accepted.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

<incoming MS1>. I applied with quite substantial research experience, but I know a couple people with considerably less (my friend researched for one year + summer, though he did get a pub as well). Try searching MDapps for more students that got accepted.

Great to hear that you'll be a Stanford student! This is my dream school.

 

[No Limits]

<incoming MS1>. I applied with quite substantial research experience, but I know a couple people with considerably less (my friend researched for one year + summer, though he did get a pub as well). Try searching MDapps for more students that got accepted.

What about Stanford made you pass on all the other great schools you were accepted to? Can I pm you about other questions?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

What about Stanford made you pass on all the other great schools you were accepted to? Can I pm you about other questions?

I'm guessing it was having every Wednesday off for the first 2 years.

Why not avoid this if you can?

 

[Narmerguy]

What about Stanford made you pass on all the other great schools you were accepted to? Can I pm you about other questions?

Quite a few things taken together, though it was certainly a hard decision. I didn't send in my acceptance of the offer until May 14th.

I'd say the biggest ones for me were (in order of importance)
1) Curriculum
2) Atmosphere & community
3) Technology and innovation driven culture
4) Research and collaborative opportunities
5) Business school
6) Institutional "brand" and current trajectory
7) Location
8) Cost (sort of, still going to be in a frightening amount of debt, taking a leap here)

Those are the positives. Alternately I had some negatives that are part of what made the decision hard (in addition to other schools having their own strengths). To be honest, after I never got off the Penn waitlist (which before the cycle I had actually already decided was my #1 choice for some personal reasons) it was down to Columbia, Harvard, and Stanford. I won't clog the thread with that story, but yes, feel free to pm me if you have other questions and I'll be happy to answer them.

I'm guessing it was having every Wednesday off for the first 2 years.

Why not avoid this if you can?

Haha, pretty sure I saw him at some of my interviews.

 

[Person0715]

What do current students love most about Stanford?

 

[hellanutella]

What do current students love most about Stanford?

Not a current student, but I believe this photo answers part of your question:

Why can't all medical schools be this beautiful?

 

[Willy38]

Absolute dream school. Hoping to get a chance with light research here

 

[Willy38]

Quite a few things taken together, though it was certainly a hard decision. I didn't send in my acceptance of the offer until May 14th.

I'd say the biggest ones for me were (in order of importance)
1) Curriculum
2) Atmosphere & community
3) Technology and innovation driven culture
4) Research and collaborative opportunities
5) Business school
6) Institutional "brand" and current trajectory
7) Location
8) Cost (sort of, still going to be in a frightening amount of debt, taking a leap here)

Those are the positives. Alternately I had some negatives that are part of what made the decision hard (in addition to other schools having their own strengths). To be honest, after I never got off the Penn waitlist (which before the cycle I had actually already decided was my #1 choice for some personal reasons) it was down to Columbia, Harvard, and Stanford. I won't clog the thread with that story, but yes, feel free to pm me if you have other questions and I'll be happy to answer them.



Haha, pretty sure I saw him at some of my interviews.

Are you doing a joint program with a MBA? If so do you have to apply for it ahead of time or can you wait until MS3? Also do you know if you can take business classes for free while enrolled as a med student even if you aren't getting a MBA?

 

[Narmerguy]

Are you doing a joint program with a MBA? If so do you have to apply for it ahead of time or can you wait until MS3? Also do you know if you can take business classes for free while enrolled as a med student even if you aren't getting a MBA?

I'm undecided on the MBA at the moment. If not for the cost and debt that I'm in, I'd probably say it's a sure thing. But I'll have to think pretty hard about justifying an additional 70-80k in loans for the MBA. The nice thing is that you don't have to apply to the MBA at the same time as medicine, you can apply as a medical student. You can also take classes at the business school for free as a medical student.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I'm undecided on the MBA at the moment. If not for the cost and debt that I'm in, I'd probably say it's a sure thing. But I'll have to think pretty hard about justifying an additional 70-80k in loans for the MBA. The nice thing is that you don't have to apply to the MBA at the same time as medicine, you can apply as a medical student. You can also take classes at the business school for free as a medical student.

How were you thinking of applying the MBA as a physician?

 

[Willy38]

I'm undecided on the MBA at the moment. If not for the cost and debt that I'm in, I'd probably say it's a sure thing. But I'll have to think pretty hard about justifying an additional 70-80k in loans for the MBA. The nice thing is that you don't have to apply to the MBA at the same time as medicine, you can apply as a medical student. You can also take classes at the business school for free as a medical student.

That sounds awesome. Thanks for the info. What benefit will a MBA add to your career ? I can see where the business classes would help in a private practice or managerial position but I don't really see where having the degree would make that much of a difference. Of course I am just pre-med so I don't really know. Great business school at Stanford though, if nothing else, taking some business classes seems like it would be interesting.

 

[Narmerguy]

How were you thinking of applying the MBA as a physician?

How? Many medical schools have an MD/MBA combined degree offering that grants you both degrees after 5 years (usually a 4+1 or 3.5+1.5 model of sorts). I'd probably apply to enter after my third year of medical school, and the vast majority of Stanford medical students that apply get into the business school. You could also apply to an MBA program as a physician (ie after medical school) but this would mean that you'd have to attend (and pay for) the full 2 years of the MBA rather than just 1, which is standard for MD/MBA programs. There are many benefits to taking this path though.

That sounds awesome. Thanks for the info. What benefit will a MBA add to your career ? I can see where the business classes would help in a private practice or managerial position but I don't really see where having the degree would make that much of a difference. Of course I am just pre-med so I don't really know. Great business school at Stanford though, if nothing else, taking some business classes seems like it would be interesting.

It's difficult to say the precise benefits without knowing what I would do, which is part of the reason I'm not sure if I want to do the MBA yet. There is a side of me that is very interested in hospital management and healthcare systems work, and the MBA is a natural fit there. However, I'm also interested in health technology organizations and I don't think the MBA is as useful for that realm. I could very well do neither of these and simply focus on clinical research or maybe policy. Oops...I think I'm revealing how undecided I am on my future. Oh well. I haven't figured it all out yet, but one trajectory that has been consistent over the past 3 years has been less focus on research and more on the business and technology side of medicine. I'm trying to position myself better for that now.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

How? Many medical schools have an MD/MBA combined degree offering that grants you both degrees after 5 years (usually a 4+1 or 3.5+1.5 model of sorts). I'd probably apply to enter after my third year of medical school, and the vast majority of Stanford medical students that apply get into the business school. You could also apply to an MBA program as a physician (ie after medical school) but this would mean that you'd have to attend (and pay for) the full 2 years of the MBA rather than just 1, which is standard for MD/MBA programs. There are many benefits to taking this path though.



It's difficult to say the precise benefits without knowing what I would do, which is part of the reason I'm not sure if I want to do the MBA yet. There is a side of me that is very interested in hospital management and healthcare systems work, and the MBA is a natural fit there. However, I'm also interested in health technology organizations and I don't think the MBA is as useful for that realm. I could very well do neither of these and simply focus on clinical research or maybe policy. Oops...I think I'm revealing how undecided I am on my future. Oh well. I haven't figured it all out yet, but one trajectory that has been consistent over the past 3 years has been less focus on research and more on the business and technology side of medicine. I'm trying to position myself better for that now.

I was actually asking the same question as @Willy38 (I guess I didn't phrase it well). I'm interested to see how ppl would use combined degrees as physicians. Thanks for responding!

 

[Temerit]

Applying here this cycle, would be a killer place to attend.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Could any current and/or former Stanford student(s) elaborate on the rotation options at the SCVMC?! Do all Stanford students rotate there?

 

[Runican]

Could any current and/or former Stanford student(s) elaborate on the rotation options at the SCVMC?! Do all Stanford students rotate there?

I'm going to be starting MS1 at Stanford in August, so I obviously don't know a ton about clinical years, but check out this pdf if you're interested in what clerkships are offered at which hospitals:

http://medfishbowl.stanford.edu/documents/ClerkshipSchedulingHandout2014.pdf

Edit: particularly pages 12-13

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I'm going to be starting MS1 at Stanford in August, so I obviously don't know a ton about clinical years, but check out this pdf if you're interested in what clerkships are offered at which hospitals:

http://medfishbowl.stanford.edu/documents/ClerkshipSchedulingHandout2014.pdf

Edit: particularly pages 12-13

I see that there are various options at the Valley. Thanks for the information and have fun at Stanford!

 

[Runican]

I see that there are various options at the Valley. Thanks for the information and have fun at Stanford!

Good luck to everyone applying! Feel free to ask me any questions you have about Stanford or the application process!

 

[FFH]

my question has been answered.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

secondary received. whee.

 

[Copernicium]

Also just got one

 

[mrh125]

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate if you guys could talk to me about the cost of living at Palo Alto? I'm not so worried tuition wise, since I knew that Stanford has a really low burden when graduate (95k) and I knew a lot of the tuition cost can be mitigated by the help offered from school.
I'm interested in all aspects of life that might demand spending.

If you, after discussing some of the major issue and still feel like helping me, I've been trying to find out about: 1. opportunity available to do part time job that's not related to school, such as tutor/consulting and stuff. (I've worked full time all my undergraduate years. Plus volunteering and plus keeping perfect GPA at an Ivy League. I'm only hoping that I could do a little bit of work, but I could be wrong of course) 2. Cost of living if not living ON CAMPUS (I heard dorms are not too expensive).

Palo alto - it's really expensive, though im sure you can find some cheap places somewhere. Give it a shot, there's always options especially for a 4.0

 

[Abstractions]

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate if you guys could talk to me about the cost of living at Palo Alto? I'm not so worried tuition wise, since I knew that Stanford has a really low burden when graduate (95k) and I knew a lot of the tuition cost can be mitigated by the help offered from school.
I'm interested in all aspects of life that might demand spending.

If you, after discussing some of the major issue and still feel like helping me, I've been trying to find out about: 1. opportunity available to do part time job that's not related to school, such as tutor/consulting and stuff. (I've worked full time all my undergraduate years. Plus volunteering and plus keeping perfect GPA at an Ivy League. I'm only hoping that I could do a little bit of work, but I could be wrong of course) 2. Cost of living off campus (I heard dorms are not too expensive).

Palo also is one of the most expensive areas in America right now (think close to Manhattan level pricing for many apartments).

 

[SoonToBeDrG]

Secondary recieved, good luck everyone. Identical to last years, so not too much work to do on my prompts!

 

[john3298]

8. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?
I want to work in a hospital, so I don't fit any of the categories offered...help?

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

8. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?
I want to work in a hospital, so I don't fit any of the categories offered...help?

What kind of work do you want to do in a hospital?

 

[john3298]

What kind of work do you want to do in a hospital?

I want to be an ER surgeon

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

I want to be an ER surgeon

You could write about health care adnimistration. Talking about how you want to be an ER surgeon, tying it into working in a hospital, leadership within health systems, etc. If you honestly have no interest in any of the other options.

 

[onceawolverine]

Does anyone know if secondaries get sent to in-state first? Their website says that everyone gets one, but I haven't heard anything from them yet :/

 

[differentiating]

Does anyone know if secondaries get sent to in-state first? Their website says that everyone gets one, but I haven't heard anything from them yet :/

I'm in-state and still haven't gotten one, so I wouldn't worry about it yet.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Also just got one

Are your letters of rec marked as received? My status is that they were sent by AMCAS but not yet received by stanford - confusing.

 

[mrh125]

Boy, I sure do love stanford!

 

[Person0715]

Just received a secondary today. Submitted as well. I like the questionnaire they have.

 

[TREDWISE]

Will someone post the secondary questions?

 

[sttm]

Will someone post the secondary questions?

The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career? Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting:

Private Practice, Health Policy, Academic Medicine, Public Health, Healthcare Administration

Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

If you have publications resulting from scholarly endeavors, please complete a citation for each of your publications in the space below using the following format: Author, Title, Journal, Volume, Pages, and Date of Publication. This section applies for papers that have been published or been accepted for publication. Please do not include abstracts or unpublished conference papers.

 

[Narmerguy]

I want to be an ER surgeon

Do you want to work just clinically or do other things as well (management, research, policy?)

Do you want to work in a private practice hospital, or in an academic center (could involve teaching residents/med students, doing clinical research, taking on the more unusual and challenging cases, etc)

 

[PocketAce]

Palo also is one of the most expensive areas in America right now (think close to Manhattan level pricing for many apartments).

Hi Everyone, I'm a Stanford med student currently taking some time off from med school doing some research. Palo Alto & surrounding areas can be pricey, but you can also find a good buy. Most of my friends are paying $800-$1200/person/month for apartments. Most people live on-campus their first year and then move off-campus for future years.

 

[PocketAce]

Could any current and/or former Stanford student(s) elaborate on the rotation options at the SCVMC?! Do all Stanford students rotate there?

I've done some of my clinical rotations before taking time off. No, not everyone has to rotate at the Valley. For each rotation, you choose which sites you prefer. You can choose between VA/Valley/Stanford/Children's Hospital and many, many more sites.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I've done some of my clinical rotations before taking time off. No, not everyone has to rotate at the Valley. For each rotation, you choose which sites you prefer. You can choose between VA/Valley/Stanford/Children's Hospital and many, many more sites.

Thanks for responding! I'm actually interested in rotating at a county hospital so I was hoping it would be an option (along with other places).

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Boy, I sure do love stanford!

Yes, we're all aware of your undying love for this magnificent medical school.

 

[phunky]

Secondary received. I wish they'd stop coming. I need time to work on the ones I already have =P. Love Stanford though. Definitely my (pipe) dream school.

 

[TBear13]

Anyone else get an II just now? I worry that it's a mistake bc when I logged on to schedule an interview, there are no dates available. Also, they said IIs don't go out until August. Was super excited but now I'm just sad lol.

 

[Amba]

Anyone else get an II just now? I worry that it's a mistake bc when I logged on to schedule an interview, there are no dates available. Also, they said IIs don't go out until August. Was super excited but now I'm just sad lol.

Most likely a mistake, but I'd call and ask. This happened to me last year at CCLCM. Best of luck, though!

 

[Abstractions]

I'm glad I haven't got my secondary from here yet (more time to work on the others I have piling up! Cough duke and vanderbilt >.>)