SDN is free because of donors like you. Help us stay that way.
SDN by the Numbers
Since 1999, SDN has been the free, nonprofit home for future health professionals.
10 health professions
students find answers
verified experts
for every student
health professional education
Always.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of students use SDN to navigate the path to becoming a doctor, dentist, pharmacist, or other health professional. Many of these students are the first in their families to pursue a doctoral-level degree. They come to SDN because they have questions and nowhere else to turn.
SDN has never charged students for access to our forums, school data, interview feedback, or advising tools. We never will.
But free does not mean free to run. Keeping SDN online, maintained, and growing takes real resources. Your donation makes it possible for the next generation of health professionals to get the guidance they need, regardless of their background or bank account.
Make it monthly. A $10/month gift keeps SDN free for roughly 12 students each year. Monthly donors provide the predictable support that lets us plan ahead instead of scrambling.
We believe the process of becoming a health professional should not be a for-profit venture. SDN is supported by advertising and the generosity of donors like you. We have never sold user data and never will. Members who donate enjoy an ad-free experience.
Where Your Donation Goes
Every dollar supports the tools and community that students depend on.
Double your impact. Many employers match charitable donations. Check with your HR department or use your company’s matching gift portal to see if your gift to HPSA (our parent nonprofit, EIN 77-0001066) qualifies. Your $25 could become $50 with no extra cost to you.
I legitimately had the cycle of my dreams. I’m an ORM from Chicago with a 3.8 and 513. Somehow, I managed to get 6 acceptances with a 100% II->A rate. One of my acceptances is with a T15 school and the other is with a T20. SDN really helped me with my interview prep, which really showed in the way that I converted each interview to an Acceptance!
SDN Member radrak
Relied almost solely on SDN for all pre-health advice and guidance. Made extensive use of the forums as a lurker, and built my application using advice here. Currently sitting on 15 interviews and 2 acceptances as of October 18th. I would not have had anywhere near that level of success without SDN!!!
SDN Member Mr. Macrophage
I have appreciated this platform so much as I was trying to get into vet school. I wish more students knew about this! I did not have any support/help for my journey to vet school and SDN members guided me every step of the way.
Member Survey Response
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. SDN is a project of the Health Professional Student Association (HPSA), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN 77-0001066). Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. You will receive a receipt for your records.
SDN is published by HPSA, a nonprofit founded in 1983 by family medicine physicians and educators. Our small team is supported by more than 100 volunteer moderators who are current students and practicing health professionals. No one at SDN profits from your data, your clicks, or your application anxiety.
SDN has always been free and always will be. But running a platform that serves roughly one million visitors per month costs real money: servers, security, software licenses, data updates, and a small staff to keep everything running. Donations help us cover these costs without resorting to paywalls or selling user data.
Donations go directly to operating costs: hosting and infrastructure for the forums and main site, maintaining and updating free tools like school databases and interview feedback, and supporting expert advising services and research publications through SDN Review.
Yes. HPSA accepts DAF gifts. Visit hpsa.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donor-advised-fund-giving for instructions, or search for Health Professional Student Association (EIN 77-0001066) in your DAF portal.
Yes. Contact us at [email protected] for instructions on gifts of appreciated securities or other assets.
You can help by volunteering as an SDN Expert or moderator, sharing SDN with students who need it, or asking your employer about matching gift programs. Every bit of visibility helps.
No. We have never sold user data and never will. Your privacy is a core part of our mission. Read our full privacy policy at studentdoctor.net for details.