2009-2010 Stanford Application Thread

[shemarty]

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PROMPT

The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity 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, sexual orientation, or 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?

1. Private Practice: Individual patient care in a private solo or group setting. May include opportunities to do voluntary teaching or clinical research.

2. Health Policy: Work for organizations that develop plans for health care services to populations.

3. Academic Medicine: University-based practice combining research, teaching and patient care.

4. Public Health: Implementing programs in health promotion and disease prevention for communities, not individuals.

5. Health Care Administration: Manager of health care facility or system.

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.)


The Stanford School of Medicine curriculum integrates the scientific basis of medicine with clinical practice. A key element of this curriculum is a requirement for in-depth didactic and scholarly activities through participation in a scholarly concentration of your choice. Details of the curriculum and scholarly concentrations are available at http://med.stanford.edu/md/curriculum, which we ask you to review prior to answering the following essay question.

How will the Stanford curriculum help you achieve your personal career goals?

If you have publications resulting from scholarly endeavors, then in the space below, please complete a citation for each of your publications 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.

 

[txprodigal]

is stanford still pass/fail all four years?

 

[flip26]

is stanford still pass/fail all four years?

Recent changes were announced, I think to the clinical years, RE grading...do a search, or look on the 2008-09 thread...

 

[shemarty]

Clinical years are no longer strictly P/F.

 

[OneMCATAway]

I cant wait for Stanford Secondary!!

do they send it to everyone?!

 

[JellyBellyFarm]

I cant wait for Stanford Secondary!!

do they send it to everyone?!

According to MSAR, yeah they send to ALL.

 

[Appless]

I cant wait for Stanford Secondary!!

do they send it to everyone?!

yah, they want your money when they have no real intention of taking you in ! lol

 

[OneMCATAway]

im gonna go broke over these secondaries i feel like im in vegas and going crazyy with my moneyy

 

[shemarty]

Stanford sends its secondary to everybody, so take a look at last year's prompt and start brainstorming.

Specifically, check out the Scholarly Concentrations and think about which one you'd be interested in pursuing... and why... and what experiences you've had in the past that support that.

Good luck!

 

[txprodigal]

I was looking over the Stanford curriculum, and I was wondering whether the majority of students take five or six years to earn their degree (MD) over the traditional four?

The curriculum so far seems like it is set up to encourage at least an extra year, but maybe I am misinformed?

 

[shemarty]

I was looking over the Stanford curriculum, and I was wondering whether the majority of students take five or six years to earn their degree (MD) over the traditional four?

The curriculum so far seems like it is set up to encourage at least an extra year, but maybe I am misinformed?

If you look at a given graduating class, I think something like 60-80% of the students were there for more than 4 years.

 

[OneMCATAway]

i love love love stanford, i hope they dont send the secondaries anytime soon since i am like 5 secondaries behind at the moment!

 

[tallandshort]

Hi all,
So I finally decided to just say "what the hell" and apply to stanford since I really love their school and programs. I know I probably don't have a shot (hence the going back and forth about it), but I figured if I don't apply then I definitely don't have a shot and I have a great research background so maybe that will help . Good luck everyone!

 

[dcjab]

If I remember correctly, Stanford's secondary doesn't come until the end of the month. You got some time.

 

[Doe87]

Does anyone know when the secondary will become available?

 

[OneMCATAway]

Does anyone know when the secondary will become available?

hopefully not soon! my heart skipped a beat when i saw this thread up! i cant afford another secondary at this moment i hope stanford waits for a while 😉

 

[friendlybear]

Does anyone know when the secondary will become available?

I called them yesterday. Sometime next week, the 2ndaries will be sent out.

 

[Sentinel]

stanford kids usually take more than 4 years to complete? Hmm... wonder how much pressure there will be to do that than just finish in the traditional 4 years

 

[AspiringPsychDC]

Does anyone have any info/ thoughts on whether or not the questions will be the same as those on last year's secondary? If theyre not even released yet, could they possibly be changing them? I dont want to waste a bunch of time "pre-writing" them and find out the Qs are different.... Anyone..?

 

[trueBelief]

Does anyone have any info/ thoughts on whether or not the questions will be the same as those on last year's secondary? If theyre not even released yet, could they possibly be changing them? I dont want to waste a bunch of time "pre-writing" them and find out the Qs are different.... Anyone..?

It's going to be out soon so you will know quickly. However, I have a feeling that they won't change the questions. We'll find out soon enough.

 

[shemarty]

stanford kids usually take more than 4 years to complete? Hmm... wonder how much pressure there will be to do that than just finish in the traditional 4 years

From what I've heard from the students there is some pressure to do the research year(s) [and many of them genuinely want to do the extra years], but there are still dozens of students each year who go straight through, so that option exists too.

 

[Naijaba]

This is weird:

http://med.stanford.edu/md/admissions/

The picture of the Associate Dean of Admissions for Stanford has disappeared (he used to be in that empty rectangle)! I met him at an NIH event this summer and checked the website about three weeks ago to confirm that it was him....but now the picture is gone! Maybe he's busy getting secondaries ready : )

EDIT: Maybe they're actually getting the website ready for secondaries!

 

[oze]

Just got the secondary app email

 

[Doe87]

Haven't gotten mine yet. 🙁

 

[foolz0r]

yep just got it

 

[JJMrK]

This is weird:

http://med.stanford.edu/md/admissions/

The picture of the Associate Dean of Admissions for Stanford has disappeared (he used to be in that empty rectangle)! I met him at an NIH event this summer and checked the website about three weeks ago to confirm that it was him....but now the picture is gone! Maybe he's busy getting secondaries ready : )

EDIT: Maybe they're actually getting the website ready for secondaries!

Good guess.

 

[JJMrK]

Prompts:

6. The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity 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, sexual orientation, or 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? (There is a list.)
b. 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.


The Stanford School of Medicine curriculum integrates the scientific basis of medicine with clinical practice. A key element of this curriculum is a requirement for in-depth didactic and scholarly activities through participation in a scholarly concentration of your choice. Details of the curriculum and scholarly concentrations are available at http://med.stanford.edu/md/curriculum, which we ask you to review prior to answering the following essay question.
.c. How will the Stanford curriculum help you achieve your personal career goals.


8. If you have publications resulting from scholarly endeavors, then in the space below, please complete a citation for each of your publications 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.

 

[Sentinel]

P.S. here's the list jimmer mentioned:

1. Private Practice: Individual patient care in a private solo or group setting. May include opportunities to do voluntary teaching or clinical research.

2. Health Policy: Work for organizations that develop plans for health care services to populations.

3. Academic Medicine: University-based practice combining research, teaching and patient care.

4. Public Health: Implementing programs in health promotion and disease prevention for communities, not individuals.

5. Health Care Administration: Manager of health care facility or system.

 

[FutureScaresMe]

Is anybody actually retaining their right to view their rec letters? Do you think it will impact the decision process if you choose to be able to view your letters after the application cycle?

 

[JJMrK]

Is anybody actually retaining their right to view their rec letters? Do you think it will impact the decision process if you choose to be able to view your letters after the application cycle?

Most people do not suggest it.

 

[LAman10]

Is anybody actually retaining their right to view their rec letters? Do you think it will impact the decision process if you choose to be able to view your letters after the application cycle?

What's the point? I'm sure you already waived your right when you requested the letters in the first place.

 

[OneMCATAway]

ahhh why did this one have to come so early in the week, i am still not done with secondaries from 3 weeks ago 😱

 

[ragudude]

see ya later guys, withdrawing this one. Not a chance in hell. I'll keep my $85, thank you very much.

 

[tallandshort]

ahhh why did this one have to come so early in the week, i am still not done with secondaries from 3 weeks ago 😱

Yeah, I totally hear you. So happy to have this one to work on, but so far behind 😛

 

[KTD]

They don't say much about that survey at the end. Is that just for their own research or is it actually part of the application?

 

[Doe87]

If you read carefully, it says they erase your name from the results of the survey. (I could be wrong) Regardless, there aren't any "correct" answers, so you should be truthful I guess.

 

[AUD]

see ya later guys, withdrawing this one. Not a chance in hell. I'll keep my $85, thank you very much.

Was it something about the school, or the length of the secondary? Just wondering why you're suddenly not interested.

 

[jw11]

Was it something about the school, or the length of the secondary? Just wondering why you're suddenly not interested.

I think he/she meant not a chance in hell given how competitive Stanford is. After filling out 19 secondaries and god knows how much money, I have the same feelings.

 

[Naijaba]

I think he/she meant not a chance in hell given how competitive Stanford is. After filling out 19 secondaries and god knows how much money, I have the same feelings.

This really is no joke. According to US News, Stanford is the hardest (percentage-wise) to get into, next to Mayo. They have a 2.6% acceptance rate. If you get into Stanford, you deserve a large cookie.

 

[JJMrK]

Their scholarly concentration program sounds so cool.

 

[neuromcdoctor]

So when they say scholarly endeavors do they just mean research? If I have published photography in literary magazines does that count as a scholarly endeavor?

 

[zerial]

is anyone else concerned about the part where they say "if you don't have letters of recommendation from certain activities, we will question their significance"?

i don't have a letter from my hospital volunteering, but i'm wondering whether i should scramble and delay submitting my secondary for a couple weeks to do that

 

[torino]

That really bites because for certain activities, getting a letter would require that I contact a student to write it. The shadowing that I did in a foreign hospital would also be rendered insignificant given that the doctors I shadowed were in shape to write me a stellar recommendation; I did ask for one and received only a memo describing what I did without any mention of skills or characteristics that would make medicine a strong fit for me.

I think it would be worth shooting them an e-mail; at least, I plan on doing so. Where exactly did you find that statement?

 

[JJMrK]

is anyone else concerned about the part where they say "if you don't have letters of recommendation from certain activities, we will question their significance"?

i don't have a letter from my hospital volunteering, but i'm wondering whether i should scramble and delay submitting my secondary for a couple weeks to do that

I saw that, but I can't do anything about it now.

 

[brooklynblunder]

i think they mean research PIs, could be wrong though

 

[zerial]

it's in the Application Instructions pdf file

kind of annoying. they say something like: our application timeline should give you ample time to get a letter even from an activity that you started this summer

i just don't know how big of a deal it is

 

[LAman10]

I listed 15 activities on amcas and started two new activities this summer. counting my professors, that would make 20 letters. do they really want to read that?

 

[HereGoesNothing]

You can't send more than five letters, two of which must be from professors. Most of us probably have a humanities letter in our committee letter files, in addition to our two science letters. That leaves two, or at most three, letters for research, extracurricular, and volunteer activities. Just judging from that, I'd say that they won't really expect us to send in letters from student-run organizations. They probably mean major research experiences and long-term work or volunteer projects with larger organizations.

 

[LAman10]

You can't send more than five letters, two of which must be from professors. Most of us probably have a humanities letter in our committee letter files, in addition to our two science letters. That leaves two, or at most three, letters for research, extracurricular, and volunteer activities. Just judging from that, I'd say that they won't really expect us to send in letters from student-run organizations. They probably mean major research experiences and long-term work or volunteer projects with larger organizations.

yeah. this.

 

[tallandshort]

I listed 15 activities on amcas and started two new activities this summer. counting my professors, that would make 20 letters. do they really want to read that?

Well, the maximum number of letters they accept is 5-6 I believe so that would be impossible. I have the same problem, lots of activities and no way I'm gonna have a letter from every one. I just assumed they meant activities that you had a large role in and meant a lot to you. Good luck 🙂