Stanford's aid is entirely need-based, and if you're looking for generous, then you won't find too many places better than SMS. They start you off with a $10K unit loan, after which the grant-to-loan ratio is 60:40. There's a nifty little chart on their homepage (
http://med.stanford.edu/md/financial_aid/index.html) that compares their aid with other private schools. The grants max out at $29K, after which there are definitely subsidized loans to cover the rest. There's also a middle income assistance program for families with incomes over $120K, where the university matches every dollar you pay with a grant dollar, up to $20K. In addition, the Med Scholars program offers $12K research grants (you can apply twice, as well as once for a $2500 traveling grant) and if you TA or RA, you can get up to $12K a quarter for a 100% TA- or RAship (I think pay rate is $56/hour). So even though the tuition and cost of living is a bit hefty, the average indebtedness of Stanford students is pretty low (less than $70K in 1999, as compared to over $100K at other private institutions). That makes it a really desirable option, especially for Oregonians like me, who face a state school that has $25K+ tuition rates!!