How To Get Into Stanford Medical School

Stanford doesn’t require applicants to complete specific coursework, but to be seriously considered, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and academic preparation in the following areas:

How To Get Into Stanford Medical School

Stanford University School of Medicine is committed to recruiting applicants with demonstrated excellence and accomplishments in their chosen field of study and encourages in-depth course work in their discipline. In addition to proficiency in the natural sciences, appreciation of behavioral and social determinants of health is important to the effective practice of medicine.

There are 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students that have been endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Committee on Admissions (COA). The competencies fall into four categories: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Thinking and Reasoning, and Science. These are available on AAMC website.

In our flexible consideration of diverse curricular backgrounds of our students, Stanford Medicine does not have specific course requirements, but instead recommends coursework and experiences that generate depth of knowledge in biology, chemistry and physics, mathematics, behavioral and social sciences, communication, and laboratory or field experiments.

Eligibility

1. Applicants are considered for admission to Stanford Medicine without regard to their country of origin.
2. Applicants with disabilities are eligible to apply.
3. Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents holding a valid visa, individuals who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of application, undocumented students, and international students.
4. International Students must have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom prior to applying for admission.
5. Applicants must have earned a Bachelors degree at an accredited college or University by time of anticipated matriculation.
6. In order for your application to be considered for the 2024 admissions cycle, at least 1 MCAT result from an exam taken after January 2020 and before September 10, 2023 should be included in your application.
7. Stanford Medicine has a strict no-transfer policy and reserves the right to deny a supplemental application to those who have previously enrolled in another medical school domestically or abroad. Please refer to the Admissions Policies Page.

Principles of Diversity and Non-Discrimination

Stanford Medicine conducts its operations in accordance with requirements of the law and with the following Statement of Non-Discrimination:

Stanford University admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. Consistent with its obligations under the law, in the administration of the University’s programs and activities, Stanford prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law; Stanford also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence. This policy applies to Stanford programs and activities both on and off-campus, including overseas programs.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding this nondiscrimination policy: Stanford’s Title IX Coordinator, Stephen Chen, has been designated to handle inquiries regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence: Kingscote Gardens (2nd floor), 419 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, (650) 497-4955 (voice), (650) 497-9257 (fax), [email protected] (email). Individuals may also file complaints directly with the Office for Civil Rights, within the United States Department of Education, by following the information on this website: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html

Please visit https://med.stanford.edu/diversity.html for more information about diversity initiatives at Stanford Medicine.

Our goal is to draw from people with a variety of backgrounds and life experiences to reach a new level of innovation in teaching, research and caring for patients.

Principles of Student Selection

Stanford Medicine seeks to admit a diverse body of students who are interested in the intellectual substance of medicine and are committed to advancing scholarship in any field of medicine.

Desirable candidates for admissions are academically ready to succeed in our curriculum, have life experiences that will enrich our learning environment, and have personal qualities that will serve them, their colleagues, and their patients well in their professional lives.

Each application is reviewed individually and holistically and includes factors in accordance with the law that include metrics (GPA, MCAT), scholarship and research, leadership, originality and creativity, non-academic accomplishments (including work), letters of recommendation, personal statement, and personal qualities.

Recommended Coursework

In our flexible consideration of diverse curricular backgrounds of our students, Stanford Medicine does not have specific course requirements, but instead recommends coursework and experiences that generate depth of knowledge in biology, chemistry and physics, mathematics, behavioral and social sciences, communication, and laboratory or field experiments.

Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells; an understanding of principles of how molecular and cell assemblies, organs, and organisms, develop structure and carry out function; explain how organisms sense and control their internal environment and respond to external change; and demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on Earth.

Chemistry and Physics

Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of chemistry and physics, and their applications to the understanding of living systems.

Physics and Mathematics

Applicants must be able to apply quantitative reasoning, statistical principles, and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world and evaluate the published scientific literature.

Laboratory or Field Experiments

Applicants must demonstrate understanding of the processes of scientific inquiry, and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated, through hands-on laboratory or field experiences.

Behavioral and Social Sciences

A patient-centered approach to health care requires an understanding of the patient as an individual and a member of a family, community, and society. Applicants must develop an understanding of behavioral and social processes and their use to predict or influence health outcomes or health risk factors. Please visit:

Communication

Applicants must be able to write clearly, speak fluently, and read English with excellent comprehension. Fluency in a foreign language, specifically Spanish or an Asian language, is recommended to enhance learning and service in our diverse communities.

How to Get Into Stanford Medical School: Requirements and Strategies

Learn the Stanford Medical School acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies, plus sample responses to Stanford secondary prompts

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Stanford Medical School MD programs

Part 3: How hard is it to get into Stanford Medical School?

Part 4: Stanford secondary application essays (examples included)

Part 5: Stanford Medical School interview

Part 1: Introduction

Few medical schools hold the prestige and promise of Stanford. Stanford Medical School has produced physicians and researchers at the forefronts of their fields since its establishment in 1908 and is consistently ranked among the top ten medical schools in the country. In fact, Stanford holds the #5 spot in U.S. News and World Report’s research rankings—one of the highest rankings among medical schools in California. Considering its immense resources and expectations of excellence, it’s easy to understand why.

Unsurprisingly, getting into Stanford Medical School is extremely tough. Fortunately, our team has nearly 20 years of experience helping students gain admission to Stanford. In fact, we routinely receive messages like this:

“Just got the acceptance call from Stanford 🙂 So excited!! Thank you all so much for your help.”
STUDENT ACCEPTED TO STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL

If you’re a high-achieving premed wondering how to get into Stanford University School of Medicine, you can use this guide to learn what concrete steps you can take to make your application stand out. We’ll cover Stanford admissions requirements, how to approach secondary essays, and what to expect during interviews.

Part 2: Stanford Medical School MD programs

There are a number of ways to achieve an MD at Stanford, including several renowned dual-degree programs:

• The traditional, four-year MD program
• The Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD)
• MD/Master’s degrees (MD/MPH, MD/MBA, MD/MPP, and more)
• The MD/JD Program

Stanford Medical School tuition and scholarships

For the 2022–2023 academic year, Stanford’s quarterly tuition is $21,249, though students participating in research may qualify to have their tuition reduced. Taking into consideration living expenses and other costs (books, supplies, health insurance, etc.), Stanford recommends an overall budget of $137,888, if living on campus, and $145,468, if living off campus.

Though these costs are high, Stanford offers need-based institutional aid and need-based Stanford Loans, most of which have 0% interest while students are in school or residency. There are also a number of other grants, federal loans, and external sources of funding available.

In recent years, over two-thirds of Stanford medical students have qualified for financial aid. The median student debt among the class of 2022 was $107,616, well under the national average.

Furthermore, in 2020, Stanford received a $55 million gift that will be used to increase financial aid for students with demonstrated need over the next ten years. You can therefore expect that the levels of financial aid given out to future classes will be even more generous.

Part 3: How hard is it to get into Stanford Medical School?

Stanford Medical School admissions statistics

Stanford Medical School’s acceptance rate is 1.4%. Let’s break that figure down by taking a look at admissions statistics for the class of 2026:

• Applications: 8,409
• Interviews: 499
• Acceptances: 152
• Matriculants: 90

Furthermore, Stanford has exceedingly high expectations when it comes to GPA and MCAT scores:

• Median GPA: 3.89
• Median MCAT score: 518

Stanford Medical School admissions requirements

Stanford doesn’t require applicants to complete specific coursework, but to be seriously considered, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and academic preparation in the following areas:

• Biology
• Chemistry and physics
• Physics and mathematics
• Laboratory or field experiments
• Behavioral and social sciences
• Communication (includes fluency in a foreign language, particularly Spanish or an Asian language)

If you’re applying in the 2023–2024 cycle, you must submit an MCAT score from an exam taken between January 2020 and September 10, 2023. Note that Stanford does not combine the section scores of your MCAT to create a higher cumulative score, and they will be able to see all of your previous scores, not just the most recent.

Stanford Medical School application timeline

Here are the dates and deadlines you’ll need to know to apply to Stanford Medical School through AMCAS:

• May 2, 2022: AMCAS application opens
• May 30, 2023: AMCAS application can be submitted
• July 2023–October 2023: AMCAS applications transmitted to Stanford and Stanford secondary application invitations sent
• August 2023–January 2024: Applications reviewed and interview invitations sent
• October 2, 2023: AMCAS application deadline
• October 23, 2023: Stanford secondary application deadline
• January 2024–March 2024: Offers of admissions sent

Remember that it’s always in your best interest to submit your AMCAS and secondary materials as soon as possible to take advantage of medical school’s rolling admissions. To be a competitive applicant to Stanford Medicine, you should have everything finalized, including your medical school personal statement, AMCAS Work and Activities section and pre-written secondary essays, by June or July of your application year.

Note that Stanford expects international applicants to “have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom prior to applying for admission.”

Finally, remember that many top medical schools like Stanford and Harvard expect their students to not only be interested in patient care but also future leaders in medicine and healthcare. Strong applicants to Stanford will not only be able to tell a story of why they want to be in medicine as a career but will also tell a story of how they hope to impact the changing field of healthcare and biomedical sciences in the long run.

You’ve probably heard that simply saying you like science and want to help people is an insufficient way to make a case for yourself as a great future doctor. That’s always true, but especially so when you’re applying to top programs like Stanford’s. If you have great grades, test scores, and clinical experiences, the big difference between heading to a mid-tier and a top-tier medical school can lie in the qualitative aspects of your application—how eloquent and reflective are you about medicine? In other words: how good are your essays?

Part 4: Stanford secondary application essays (examples included)

Once you’ve gotten the AMCAS application out of the way, you’ll have the chance to answer Stanford Medicine’s secondary prompts. For each essay, we’ve listed strategies and ways to make your answers stand out from the field. The examples are based on composites of students we’ve worked with in over nearly 20 years of advising.

Question 1: 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:

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)

This prompt involves a few components. First, you’re asked to pick a single “practice scenario” or career path from the list provided. Then, you’re asked to elaborate on the “knowledge, skills and attitudes” that make you well-suited for this path.

In asking this question, the admissions committee wants to know that you’re passionate about a particular field or pursuit, and that your experiences have prepared you for this pursuit. Lead off with a straightforward thesis statement and try to keep your answer focused on why Stanford is uniquely suited to help you realize your goals, as opposed to another med school with similar programs. Here’s a good example:

Public Health/Community Health

I’ve always been passionate about public health and community organizing. Pursuing an MD/MPH would allow me to expand the work I’ve done for nearly ten years—educating people on the benefits of a locally sourced, plant-based diet.

After college, my wife and I bought an empty lot in Price Hill, the neighborhood in Cincinnati where we were living, and turned it into a community garden. The number of families living below the poverty line in Price Hill was staggering, and there was a corresponding decline in health outcomes. Our garden worked against this decline.

At Stanford, I would contribute to and learn from the exciting research in nutrition intervention studies conducted by the Gardner Nutrition Research Group. It would also be wonderful to draw on the resources of the innovative food communities in the Bay Area. I believe Stanford Medicine embodies my attitudes about wellness—that health must be cultivated on the community level, before it can take root in individuals.

What’s working about this response?

• It reveals the applicant’s passion for a particular field of medicine, a passion that’s woven into his life and predates even his interest in medical school.
• It doesn’t summarize the applicant’s resumé. If courses and research opportunities have prepared him for a career in public health, those will show up in his transcript and CV. This answer focuses on what won’t show up on a transcript, which is precisely the opportunity that the secondary prompts afford.
• It demonstrates familiarity with both Stanford and the Bay Area.

Here’s another example:

For the last two years, I’ve worked as a medical translator for a walk-in clinic in Austin, Texas. The clinic is located in a mostly Spanish-speaking neighborhood, and many of the patients are Hispanic immigrants who work on local organic farms or construction sites. They come in with illnesses and workplace injuries, and it’s my job to translate the advice of primary care physicians. This involves not only discretion, but also great responsibility and careful listening.

I’ve learned a lot through this experience about the roles and duties of primary care physicians. I’m applying to Stanford Medicine because I want to be a primary care physician myself. I admire Stanford’s work with the Pacific Free Clinic in San Jose, and their other outreach efforts in Hispanic communities. I believe that with my knowledge, both as a Spanish speaker and a medical translator, I can help contribute to this ongoing outreach.

This answer takes a slightly different tack. What’s working well?

• The applicant foregrounds her health-related experience. In this case, the experience is directly related to the practice scenario. The constraints of the prompt make it necessary to cut to the chase, and that’s exactly what the applicant’s done here.
• Her perspective on the practice scenario is unique. It’s not just that she worked or volunteered at a primary care clinic. She filled a niche role at the clinic. She sees the medical profession from another angle, one that perhaps is not typical, and has experience working with an underserved population—all of which she communicates clearly in the short space allotted.

Question 2: How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1,000 characters max)

Question 3: Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (600 characters)

Question 4: 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)

Question 5: Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1000 characters)

Question 6: Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1000 characters)

Question 7: 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. (1000 characters) (optional)

Question 8: Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1,000 characters) (optional)