Here are Stanford University School of Medicine’s secondary questions.
2024-2025
(from question 6 onward there are some changes, don’t copy/ paste last year’s)
1. Are there any current or pending disputes concerning your academic status? If yes, please explain. (300 character limit)
2. Was your enrollment status ever interrupted during your undergraduate or graduate program, not including summer term (e.g. medical, personal, or academic reasons, military service, other)? If yes, please explain. (150 character limit)
3. Are you a community college TRANSFER student? This designation specifically only refers to individuals that enrolled at a community college with the express purpose of transferring to a four year institution. This EXCLUDES courses taken at community college during high school, during interruptions in your undergraduate studies (from a four year institution), or post-undergraduate studies. If you completed community college coursework during the excluded periods indicated, do not answer yes to this question. Yes/No
4. Has your education included any formal, pre-medical postbaccalaureate programs? Yes/No
5. 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:
Academic Medicine (Clinical)
Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
Health Policy
Primary Care
Public Health/Community Health
Global Health
Please describe your motivation for this practice scenario: 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? (1000 character limit)
6. How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals?(1000 character limit)
7. Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. E.g., I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama. (600 character limit)
8. Are you a re-applicant to the Stanford Medicine MD Program? What experiences illuminate the most significant difference between the prior and current application? (Research, Community/Volunteer Services, Paid Employment, Awards/Honors) (350 character limit)
9. Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. (2000 character limit)
10. Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1000 character limit)
11. Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1000 character limit)
12.(OPTIONAL) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1000 character limit)
There is also a “Health and Belief Attitude Survey” which is required and supposedly your answers will be anonymized. Not going to copy that here.
2023-2024
1) Are there any current or pending disputes concerning your academic status?
If yes, please explain. (300 character limit)
2) Was your enrollment status ever interrupted during your undergraduate or graduate program, not including summer term (e.g. medical, personal, or academic reasons, military service, other)?
If yes, please explain. (150 character limit)
3) PRACTICE SETTING
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:
Academic Medicine (Clinical)
Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
Non-Academic Clinical Practice
Health Policy
Health Administration
Primary Care
Public Health/Community Health
Global Health
Please describe your motivation for this practice scenario. 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? (1,000 character limit)
4) CURRICULAR INTERESTS
How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1,000 character limit)
5) BACKGROUND
Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background.
(for example) I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama. (600 character limit)
6) CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. (2,000 character limit)
7) Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1,000 character limit)
8) ADVOCACY
Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1,000 character limit)
9) ANYTHING ELSE?
(OPTIONAL) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL) (1,000 character limit)
10) Health Belief and Attitude Survey
Give YOUR opinion for each item using the responses below. Prior to any potential use of this information for any research purpose, your name and unique identifiers will be removed from the data set to ensure anonymity.
Physicians should ask patients for their opinions about their illness.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
It is important to know patients’ points of view for the purpose of diagnosis.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Patients may lose confidence in the physician if the physician asks their opinion about their illness or problem.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Understanding patients’ opinions about their illness helps physicians reach correct diagnosis.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
A physician can give excellent care without knowing patients’ opinions about their illnesses or problems.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Understanding patients’ opinions about their illnesses helps physicians provide better care.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
A Physician can give excellent health care without knowing a patients’ understanding of his or her illnesses.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians should ask their patients’ what they believe is the cause of their problem/illness.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
A physician should learn about their patients’ cultural perspective.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physician can learn from their patients’ perspectives on their illnesses or problems.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians should ask their patients why they think their illness has occurred.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians should ask about how an illness is impacting a patient’s life.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians should make empathic statements about their patients’ illness or problems.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians should ask patients for their feelings about their illness or problems.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
Physicians do not need to ask about patients’ personal lives or relationships to provide good health care.
Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
2022-2023
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:
-Academic Medicine (Clinical)
-Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
-Non-Academic Clinical Practice
-Health Policy
-Health Administration
-Primary Care
-Public Health/Community Health
-Global Health
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? (1,000 characters)
How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1,000 characters)
Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (E.g., I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama.) (600 characters)
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. You are strongly encouraged to share unique attributes of your personal identity, and/ or personally important or challenging factors in your background. Such discussions may include the quality of your early education, gender identity, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, or any other life or work experiences. (2,000 characters)
Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1,000 characters)
Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1,000 characters)
(OPTIONAL) Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, describe how these insights have informed your motivations and preparation for medical school in areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service and/or clinical experiences. (1,000 characters)
(OPTIONAL) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1,000 characters)
2021-2022
- Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (600char)
- Select your desired medical practice. 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? (1000char)
- How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1000char)
- Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, describe how these insights have informed your motivations and preparation for medical school in areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service and/or clinical experiences. (1000char)
- 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 which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment. (2000char)
- Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1000char)
- (OPTIONAL) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1000char)
2020-2021
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 which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment. (2000 characters)
Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting:
Academic Medicine (Clinical)
Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
Non-Academic Clinical Practice
Health Policy
Health Administration
Primary Care
Public Health/Community Health
Global Health
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? (1000 characters)
How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1000 characters)
Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges, or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Include any impact on your medical school application preparation in the areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service, and/or clinical experiences. (1000 characters)
Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL) (1000 characters)
2019-2020
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 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:
Academic Medicine (Clinical)
Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
Non-Academic Clinical Practice
Health Policy
Health Administration
Primary Care
Public Health/Community Health
Global Health
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 you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.
Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL)Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces
2018-2019
1) 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 factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine (2000 characters)
2) 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:
Academic Medicine (Clinical)
Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
Non-Academic Clinical Practice
Health Policy
Health Administration
Primary Care
Public Health/Community Health
Global Health
Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.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? (1000 characters)
3) How will Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters)
4) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL)(1000 characters)
2017 – 2018
- 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. (2,000 characters including spaces)
- What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career? 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? (1,000 characters including spaces)
- How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1,000 characters including spaces)
- If you have peer-reviewed 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 (e.g., searchable on PubMed).
Please do not include abstract, conference, or unpublished papers.
- Is there anything that we have not specifically asked that you would like for us to know and how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? OPTIONAL (1,000 characters including spaces)
2016 – 2017
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. (2000 characters)
How would you handle a situation where your colleague is not contributing equally in a collaborative project? (2000 characters)
Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting:
Academic Medicine
Non-Academic Clinical Practice
Health Policy/Administration
Primary Care
Public Health (Community Health, Global Health)
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? (1000 characters)
How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters)
If you have peer-reviewed 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 (e.g., searchable on PubMed). Please do not include abstract, conference, or unpublished papers.
2015 – 2016
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. (2000 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
Health Care 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? (1000 characters including spaces)
How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters including spaces)
If you have peer-reviewed 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 (e.g. searchable on PubMed). Please do not include abstract, conference, or unpublished papers.
2014 – 2015
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. (2000 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
Health Care 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? (1000 characters including spaces)
How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters including spaces)
2013 – 2014
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, sexual identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (2000 char)
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: Private Practice, Health Policy, Academic Medicine, Public Health, Health Care 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? (1000 char)
How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 char)
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