Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)

‍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: 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? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

2. 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.

3. 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. Please limit your answer to 600 characters including spaces.

4. Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

5.  Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

6. Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

7. 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.

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Essay Topics ('23 – '24)

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

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Essay Topics ('22 – '23)‍

1. 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

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)

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2. 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 characters)

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3. BACKGROUND

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)

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4. CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

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)

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5. Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1,000 characters)

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6. ADVOCACY

Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1,000 characters)

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7. SPECIAL INSIGHTS

(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)

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8. ANYTHING ELSE?

(OPTIONAL) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine?

(1,000 characters)

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Essay Topics ('21 – '22)‍

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. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

2. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?

3. 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?

4. How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals?

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine?

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Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)‍

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 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 c)

2. 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 c)

3. How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1000 c)

4. 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 c)

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1000 c)

MSTP:

1. Describe your most significant research experience. Include the rationale, results, and conclusions, and the role you played in each of these components. Please be very specific, including the dates and amount of time you were engaged. For publications or presentations that resulted or will result from this work, include a complete citation with the names of all authors and the status (e.g., submitted, in preparation). Please limit your answer to 2,500 characters including spaces.

2. 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 high school principal and homemaker. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama. Please limit your answer to 600 characters including spaces.

3. Describe your reasons for pursuing medical scientist training in relation to your long-term career goals. Why are you applying to a combined degree program rather than graduate or medical school only? Please limit your answer to 800 characters including spaces.

4. Describe your current lab affiliation and the weekly time commitment required. E.g., I am working in the Griffin lab where I performed research in the summer following junior year for 20 hours per week. Please limit your answer to 800 characters including spaces.

5. Describe any other research experiences you think would be relevant to the MSTP MD-PhD Admissions Committee decision. Please limit your answer to 800 characters including spaces.

6. Describe any patient-related, teaching, and service-oriented activities relevant to the MSTP MD-PhD Admissions Committee decision. Please limit your answer to 800 characters including spaces.

7. Describe any other aspect of your background you think would be relevant to the MSTP MD-PhD Admissions Committee decision. Please limit your answer to 800 characters including spaces.

8. A completed application to the MSTP MD-PhD includes a complete application to the Stanford MD Program and letters of recommendation. However, the following application materials will serve as the primary basis for initial evaluation by the MSTP MD-PhD Admissions Committee; therefore, much of the information will duplicate what was previously requested for your AMCAS application and/or the first part of the Stanford Supplementary Application. The admissions committee is especially interested in the depth and extent of your prior research experience, as well as your reasons for pursuing training as a physician-scientist.

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Essay Topics ('19 – '20)‍

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. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

2. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?

3. 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.

4. 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.

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces

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Essay Topics ('18 – '19)‍

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)

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1000 characters)

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Essay Topics ('17 – '18)‍

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 such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

2. 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? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

3. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

4. 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.

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. 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? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

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Essay Topics ('16 –'17)‍

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 such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (2000 characters including spaces)

2. How would you handle a situation where your colleague is not contributing equally in a collaborative project? (2000 char)3. 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, Academic Medicine

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)

3. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters including spaces)

4. 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.

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Essay Topics ('15 – '16)‍

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 such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (2000 characters including spaces)

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: 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)

3. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1000 characters including spaces)

4. 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.

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Essay Topics ('14 – '15)‍

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 such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

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: 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? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces

3. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

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Essay Topics ('13 – '14)‍

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 such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. 2000 characters

2. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario?

3. What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (choose one, Private practice) Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

4. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

5. If you have 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. This section applies for papers that have been published or been accepted for publication. Please do not include abstracts or unpublished conference papers.