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School Reviews » Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Year founded: 1908
  • ENROLLED TOTAL: 116
  • School Website: View Site >
Stanford University School of Medicine
Allopathic Medical School
Stanford, CA
  • SDN RANKING 5
  • INTERVIEW FEEDBACK 3 67 Responses
  • SCHOOL REVIEWS 4 3 Responses

Overview

Overview

School Stats

  • Resident Tuition $64,868
  • Non - Resident Tuition $64,868
  • Application Fee $95
  • AVG MCAT 518
  • AVG GPA 3.9
  • LIZZYM Score 74.9
The LizzyM Score is a measure of your compatibility with a school. Learn More >

Crime: Detailed Stats >

Admissions Information

  • Office of MD Admissions
  • 1265 Welch Road, Suite 100
  • Stanford, CA 94305
  • United States

School Overview

Stanford University School of Medicine Fast Facts

Application Service
Situational Judgment
None

School Info

Stanford has a tradition of recruiting students who have passionate interests and vast creativity. It is our mission to develop and direct our students' skills and passion so they can become outstanding clinicians who improve the health of the world's people through research, innovation, and leadership. We are committed to ensuring that each graduate has fully explored his/her potential as a student and a scholar. To this end, key goals of the curriculum are the melding of 21st century laboratory and medical sciences, and helping each student build in-depth expertise in an area of personal, scholarly interest. Following an intensive process to delineate the core knowledge every medical student requires, an exciting medical curriculum has been developed to meet these goals. The expansion of the information and learning environment at Stanford supports this curriculum as part of the transforming role of technology and information resources in academic medicine.

Curriculum

The Stanford MD curriculum integrates basic science and clinical experience with in-depth study and independent research throughout the years of medical school. The hallmark of the new curriculum is the Scholarly Concentration, a curriculum component similar to a major, that is designed to promote integration of biomedical science, clinical medicine, and applied investigation while validating each student's reasons for choosing medical school (i.e., scientific discovery, patient advocacy, clinical leadership, community service). Although this central element is new, it is only one of many revised curricular elements. The new curriculum also incorporates new defined learning blocks, each of which is designed to integrate basic and sciences from the beginning through to the end of the medical school years, improves course sequencing, increases time spent in direct patient-oriented learning, and ensures in-depth coverage of important, cross-disciplinary clinical elements (cultural competence, ethics, substance abuse, geriatrics, death and dying, etc.).

Facilities

"The Farm," as the Stanford campus is commonly known, consists of 8,800-acres of lush lawns and gardens, red-tiled roofs, and beautiful views of mountains and tree-covered slopes. Although it is surrounded by Silicon Valley, the university enjoys a village ambiance all its own. Bicycles are a common mode of transportation and are often preferred for getting to class. The temperate climate encourages an active campus lifestyle that is comparatively informal; casual dress is typical. More than two dozen tennis courts, four swimming pools, racquetball and squash courts, stables for horseback riding, weight training and exercise facilities, and a golf course offer recreational respite from the rigors of academic life. Many formally and informally organized intramural teams engage in competitive sports, and season tickets for such varsity sports as football and basketball are available to students at reasonable cost.

Interview Feedback

Interview Feedback

Results Overview

How did the interview impress you?

Response # Responders
Positively 51
Negatively 5
No change 8

What was the stress level of the interview?

Response Avg # Responders
3.73 60

0 = low, 10 = high

How you think you did?

Response Avg # Responders
7.28 39

0 = low, 10 = high

Select Questions & Recent Responses

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

"The interview invitation says you have to "confirm" your interview five business days beforehand. This is confusing. Do you have to email, or call? Exactly five business days, or at least (or at most)? Will the office reach out and remind you? This has caused numerous applicants stress, and it doesn't seem to be an actual requirement." More from this Member | Report Response

"Stanford does a superb job of executing a very thorough, informative orientation." More from this Member | Report Response

"This was the friendliest, most helpful, most organized admissions staff in my experience!" More from this Member | Report Response

"Thank you for the wonderful day!!" More from this Member | Report Response

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?

"NDA" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Can't say" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Can't say! Signed an NDA." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about yourself?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research in X. Have you thought about what your academic concentration be? Why Stanford? Detailed research questions. " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about X activity" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about ____ in your file, etc." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research (asked very specific questions in response to my answer)." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Faculty Interviewer #1: When did you get into Stanford? What do your parents and siblings do? What is your family history like? What are you doing currently? Why did you decide to take a year off? How do you feel about your undergraduate education? Can you tell me about an interesting clinical experience that you had? What kind of specialty would you like to go into? What are your career goals and how will you get there? How do your goals relate to your interest in Stanford? Can you tell me about (specific volunteer experience) and how it relates to your decision to go into medicine? Have I covered everything that you wanted to get across during this interview?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Student interview: Tell me about XXX in your file. Faculty: How to fix US healthcare system?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Specifics about Stanford's curriculum, P/F system, extra research years. Do you think doctors should be paid more than other professions? Some thought-provoking questions specific to my activities and research. " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why medicine/why Stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How did you accomplish (leadership experience)?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you want to specialize in?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What does your father/mother/sibling do? Where do they work? What education do they have? " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why PUBLIC HEALTH?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you know about Prop71 in California? What are some of the ethical concerns raised by people about human embryonic stem cell research and are they valid points in science? (I work with hES cells, so I assume that's why he asked such a direct question)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research experiences." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"nothing really stands out, standard stuff" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Where do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years / What kind of medicine will you practice?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"For the most part, I was asked to elaborate upon stuff in my AMCAS... that's pretty much it. Except for the "nature of the universe" question." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Do you read the NY Times?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Elaborate on your research. Do you want to stay in a similar lab in med school?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"see above." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you see as the weakness of your application?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research (one guy only asked me about research). At the end i asked him if he wanted to ask me about activities or other things, and he said he had read my app." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why Stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"tell me about yourself." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why are you so passionate about social justice, education, and health care?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What area of medicine do you see yourself in (asked over and over until I said something specific)?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about yourself..." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Describe your research/independent study" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Describe you research and work experiences and your level of contribution/commitment." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your research in words I can understand." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you like and dislike about your undergrad school?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"why medicine?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why medicine? Why Stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why medical school and not graduate school in the computational sciences?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why Stanford? " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why medicine? Why medicine at Stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your family." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What are your hobbies/interests?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How did you decide to return to school?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"do you want to do academic medicine?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How would you deal with a patient who disagreed with what you said?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Student interviewer asked the generic questions + questions specific to my application" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you anticipate as the greatest challenges in your career in medicine? What would be a nightmare experience with a doctor for you?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your volunteer work?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How did you arrive at the decision to pursue medicine" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"I got asked to discuss a problem in an interviewer's lab." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"why medicine and not law?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"If a patient was brain dead and on life support, how would you make the decision on whether or not to discontinue life support?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What makes Stanford different?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"N/A" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How do you think the curriculum design suits you learning style?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Faculty Interviewer #2: How do you think your parents feel about your accomplishments? Are your siblings as self motivated as you?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What will be your biggest challenge in coming to medical school?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your hometown" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Nothing too unique, just talk about my activities." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why did you choose the school you chose? Why Stanford? What is your take on the current health care debate?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How would you overhaul the US medical system? How do you think our system compares to those in other nations around the world? " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is your favorite style of art? (oil painting is one of my hobbies)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Which medical schools do you think have unimpressive programs?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why am i doing this research? What is your long term goal? How it relates to it?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How did your mother's kidneys fail? (asked by a Urologist)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Nothing super-exciting...just the standard questions." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"nothing" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Asking me to explore my family background and how it has affected me." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"if you could change something about your time in school, what would it be?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"nothing really atypical..." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you think is the basis of the universe? (No, seriously, I got asked this.)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Do you read the NY Times? Any other papers?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Nothing particularly interesting. The questions were very open ended. " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you see as something you might have a problem with in the future as a physcian?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Stanford looks for leaders, so tell me about your leadership roles." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"One of my interviewers seemed to really know my file inside and out. He picked out a "theme" in my activities and life that I didn't even think I stressed in the app and then asked me to elaborate on it. It was more like a mentoring session really!" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Because it was match day and first and second years were having exams, I had two faculty interviewers as opposed to one student and one faculty. Both of my researchers mainly wanted to talk about my research. My guess is they are trying to get a feel for how you'd fit in their program. " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"I have an ankle injury, do you think I should run in the upcoming marathon? (note: talked briefly about my running)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"what can you offer in terms of diversity as a student at stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why do you want to become a leader in the field of academic medicine, and how would Stanford ensure you that you will achieve this goal? " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Nothing too interesting..." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Can't remember." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Questions about my research. The long length led to some of the more interesting questions I've ever been asked along the way, asking about different ways to approach my research/how I would expand upon it." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me more specifics about statistics you used in your research a very long time ago" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What kind of research or scholarly pursuit would you like to engage in at Stanford?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How would you apply the principles of music to medicine? Explain why you think the vocabulary of science is precise. Why do you think the patient asked you, a student who is not a medical doctor, to write down a medical term for her? *related to a shadowing experience." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Nothing really, the questions are rather generic" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"tell me about yourself (the first question asked). no further explanation given. i started blabbering about my politcal views, and had no clue if that's what he wanted to hear." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What were you like as a child? Did you rebel as a teenager?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"A question specific to my research (what do you think are the pitfalls associated with such a theoretical/computational approach to protein folding?)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Most of the questions related specifically to my file." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Out of all the people you've met in your travel abroad, pick one person and tell me about him/her." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"As a female, do you foresee any difficulties in going into medicine?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How hard did you study for the MCAT? (The interviewer asked because I did all of my prerequisites at a community college, did fairly well on the MCAT, and he was wondering if I actually learned the material there or if I studied 100/wk-it was the former)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"none that really stood out..." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Can't remember. Know your application inside and out; I had to explain my personal statement almost line by line. Be prepared for some unexpected questions. I was not asked "Why Stanford" or "Why medicine" or "Tell me about yourself"." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your family: father, sisters, grandparents (interesting b/c no other interviewer had asked me that before)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do you look for in a medical school? Tell me about your research. " More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Explain your research to me as if i were in seventh grade." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"No real questions... most questions kinda just started with "tell me about your experience with _____ " and then everything just flowed from there. I heard however, that some others that day were asked ethical questions." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"no interesting questions, just questions related to my research/ other activites" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

View All Questions & Responses

Individual Responses

Read what each person had to say about their experience with this school.

Browse Individual Responses

School Reviews

School Reviews

Results Overview

Overall, how satisfied are you with this program?

Response Avg # Responders
7.33 3

0 = Terrible, 10 = World Class

What do you like most?

"Stanford is extremely flexible. It is a wonderful place for people who wish to pursue interests beyond clinical medicine. In addition to outstanding research opportunities (and funding opportunities), it is easy to get involved with projects in other schools (business, engineering, etc.)" | Report Response

"Research and faculty" | Report Response

"Amazing opportunities, energetic class, great facilities for research and preclinical learning, good weather, friendly people." | Report Response

What do you like least?

"The clinical education is not as rigorous as at other similar tier institutions. We have relatively little required clinical time, and many rotations suffer from insufficient patient volume. You can get a good clinical education here, but you have to be very proactive about seeking out challenging clinical rotations." | Report Response

"clinical rotations" | Report Response

"Varying quality of professors, lack of educational diversity (50% of my class comes from one of 3 undergraduate institutions), suburban location." | Report Response

View All Questions & Responses


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About the LizzyM Score

LizzyM, SDN Moderator and medical school admissions committee member, is the inventor of the LizzyM Score. The score allows you to see if you are a competitive applicant at a given school. If your LizzyM Score is far below or above the average, you may not be a good fit. If your score is far below, your application may be screened out due to numerical cutoffs. If it is far above, the school may assume they are your “safety” school and that you won’t attend if they offer an acceptance. This score should be used only as a guide to help you select schools and is not a guarantee of acceptance at any school. If you use this as your sole criteria to select medical schools to apply to, you don’t deserve to get in anyway.

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About the SDN Ranking

SDN Ranking identifies how SDN members perceive the quality of a school relative to other schools of the same type (e.g., other Medical Schools, other Dental schools, etc.). Schools are ranked from 1, perceived as much worse than other schools, to 5, perceived as much better than other schools.

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