Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 11% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiring about the applicant's background, research experiences, motivations for pursuing medicine, interest in Stanford, career goals, family history, and hobbies. The interviews often cover topics like academic concentration, specific activities mentioned in the application, challenges faced, future aspirations in medicine, and opinions on healthcare issues. Additionally, some respondents mentioned being asked about their favorite books, handling stress, dealing with patient disagreements, and discussing specific research projects in simple terms.
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?
Faculty Interviewer #2: Tell me about yourself. What is the biggest challenge that you have had to overcome? What do you like to do for fun? Why medicine? Why Stanford? What specialty would you like to go into? We had a very thorough discussion on the pros and cons of the current health care system, how our system compares to others, possible solutions as well as weaknesses of each solution, and what I thought was the best system for us to have. What are you looking forward to in medical school? What are some of the difficulties that you can think of? A discussion of Stanford's curriculum and environment. Do you have any questions for me?
Student: Was there any way you were disadvantaged as a child? (I wasn't. I never said I was. This was kind of awkward...) Faculty: Tell me about you... beginning from birth! (Funner way to answer the same question)
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.
Student interview. A casual, thorough conversation about everything that I wanted to emphasize. Included research, volunteering, shadowing, motivations for medicine, why Stanford, other hobbies, etc. Then I asked him questions about his experience there.
Do you see yourself as a leader in medicine? Why? Is academic medicine the field you want to lead in? (Stanford doesn't look to train family practice docs, and this is kinda a trap if you say no to ...even though people who want to go into family practice do come out...just not what they initially look for)
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)
What do you know about some of the leading research here at Stanford? Do you know who any of the Nobel prize winners were here this year or what they did their research on? (I had tons of research experience, and I think they were just gauging my interest and how knowledgeable I was in the research field with my background)
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.
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.
Tell me about your research...have you done clinical research? or just bench? etc etc.
Sorry this is so long, but there are no other posts for the school that really say much.
What kind of medicine do you intend to practice and what previous experience have you had in this field? (In other words, how do your previous or current volunteer activities tie in with your future practice of medicine?)
How do you see yourself in ten years? (Again, both my interviewers asked that. Stanford states explicitly that it's interested in people who will do more than clinical care, preferably being leaders in a health care field)
What roles did you take in your research? (Both my student and faculty interviewer asked that. It's probably something that comes up a lot at Stanford's interview)
Students said the most interesting questions asked at Stanford University School of Medicine discussed a variety of topics, from ethical dilemmas like discontinuing life support for brain-dead patients to personal experiences, such as family background and research pursuits. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on the diversity of questions, with some respondents possibly under nondisclosure agreements due to the unique and probing nature of the inquiries.
I got asked to discuss a problem in an interviewer's lab.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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".
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.
Students said most difficult question asked at Stanford University School of Medicine discussed a range of topics including research justifications, Nobel Prize winners, healthcare system improvements, personal motivations for medicine, and unique contributions to the medical field. Some responses indicated specific inquiries about research projects, while others highlighted questions about personal strengths, diversity, and overcoming challenges, with a few mentioning the MMI format and possible nondisclosure agreements.
I got asked to discuss a problem in an interviewer's lab.
Detailed research questions: What temperature are your samples stored at, what issues have you encountered in your research, what future considerations are you looking toward, I think you and your PI are wasting your time: Justify your research project.
We have many of the top candidates in the country apply here...what do you bring to the entering class that makes you a better choice than many of the other candidates we have this year.
After already explaining why I want to go into medicine in a previous question, my interviewer then explicitly asked me why I wanted to go into medicine. I felt like what I just said was unintelligable.
What makes you stand out from all the other applicants? If both you and your friend apply for one spot in med school, who do you think should take the spot?
Why you? What will you bring to the class? How are you diverse? What on your application are you most proud of? Describe a problem you had and how you overcame it. What rae the difficulties faced by physicians today?
none, it was a very casual conversation. the interviewers knew my application already (my other interviews had been blind so it was a little different) so they had specific questions in mind.
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by extensively reviewing the school's website, reading their application materials, such as AMCAS and secondary essays, and utilizing resources like Student Doctor Network (SDN) for insights and guidance. Many also engaged with current students, participated in mock interviews, and researched the school's curriculum and unique aspects to effectively answer questions about their fit for the program.
Looked up MMI materials available online, especially related to McMaster University. These were very helpful in feeling prepared for the types of prompts to expect, though every MMI is different.
SDN, Stanford website, review my application. I highly suggest that you learn about the program and the school as much as you can before the interview.
Mostly just knew my AMCAS backwards and forwards, as all of my interviewers notes were based on interesting little facts and things I said in my essays and activities sections. Also read up on a lot of the schools achievements and interesting facts.
Really read up on their program, there are so many intricate aspects of this "do-it-yourself" type curriculum. Talked to current med students and looked at the "why stanford is awesome" webpage
Read my application, went over med.stanford.edu...basically tried to formulate my answer of "why stanford?" which was asked by both interviewers (that's a standard question at the school)
thoroughly reviewed sms website, read over http://medicologic.com/stanford/convince.htm and healthprofessions.org, and reread application/research material.
1. Read Stanford's program, overview, mission, goals, and innitiatives.
2. knew my application very well.
3. talked to current stanford medical students.
4. got in touch with the admissions counselors.
5. participated at SUMMA.
I reviewed my application, secondary and went to the website: http://www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm which is very accurate and an amazing resource.
This was my ninth interview, so I was pretty comfortable with the generic questions. I checked out http://www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm and spoke with my student host.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the amazing facilities, research opportunities, financial aid, and overall happiness and enthusiasm of the student body at Stanford Medical School. The beautiful campus, friendly atmosphere, flexibility in curriculum, and wealth of resources for research were commonly highlighted as positive aspects.
The facilities at the school were amazing, the opportunity to do interdisciplinary research or obtain a dual-degree in any of Stanford's other excellent programs, and the people - the students were genuinely excited to meet the interviewees and took a lot of time out of their day to talk to us.
Friendliness and contentment of the student body. Focus on innovation. Abundant research opportunities. Gorgeous campus. Evident prosperity of the school.
The campus is gorgeous, especially the undergraduate campus. Feels like you're on vacation. The low debt and lots of research funding are really appealing as well. Students giving the tour were really friendly and helpful.
Absolutely gorgeous campus, super friendly people, happy med students, good financial aid, myriad opportunities for research (in any area you may be interested in), decent on campus housing
The personal attention that I received during the whole day. The fact that the school was continually building and improving itself. The awesome tour guides. The school's willingness to help its students financially, although some of it comes from the student performing additional research through MedScholars or becoming a Teaching Assistant. The tremendous opportunities available here. The friendliness of the Admissions Staff. Only 4 students per cadaver in a decent anatomy lab. The option for self-motivated students to design a pace that is good for them, but this could be a negative as well.
The facilities are fantastic, and the students are very relaxed. Four-year P/F curriculum and a very strong emphasis on research. The entire campus is absolutely gorgeous. Fantastic financial aid.
The facilities are beautiful. The location is beautiful. I have never met so many happy people. I would be standing alone for no more than 30 seconds before a med student would come over and start talking to me about how much they loved their lives and how great Stanford is.
Stanford is incredible. They did an amazing job of pairing me with interviewers with similar interests. The school offers great financial aid (avg debt ~$60,000) and has an overwhelming focus on research, which I liked. The facilities are amazing. My visit made this school my top choice, even over Harvard (where I also interviewed).
The student interviewer was awesome; the area is amazing-my first time to CA from the east coast-it was like paradise; admissions counselour is very responsive, only a handful of interviewees (usually 4-8 only per day), the cool palm tree road
The enthusiasm of the student body, the wealth of resources for research, travel, clinical work (mentors, financial), the genuine kindness of admissions staff, concentrations and academies program.
The campus is probably the most beautiful in the US. The Office of Student Affairs was far more personable than the other schools I've been too. I've interviewed at several top ten schools and this was all around the best experience.
The amount of money that this school has! It's a private university with tons of huge donors that make most of the school look amazing. Med student resources top-notch.
How happy the students are, the weather, the curriculum (well, at least I like it), the flexibility, the myriad of reserach opportunities, pass-fail is awesome, financial aid is great (if you don't care about merit-based aid)
The students were very enthusiastic and happy. Med Scholars provides lots of money for research, and debt is low. The campus is gorgeous, and the weather is great. Yummy lunch with custom-made sandwiches.
the students seem to really love the school, the new research buildings are very nice, the school has tons of money to pay you for research, travel, and teaching
There are so many opportunities to be involved in resaerch, community service, and believe it or not make money at it. The finacial aid is incredible. Also the students seem happier with the P/F system.
Some of the new facilities and the friendliness of the faculty (you have to go to your interviews...and both of mine were in basements of old buildings...but people knew i was interviewing by my suit and would offer to point me in the right way)
warm and welcoming nature of admissions staff, enthusiastic and diverse students (about half take time off), opportunities for research, community outreach, and teaching, financial aid, flexibility of curriculum, ability to individualize study, p/f grading all four years, videotaped lectures, SWEAT, pre-maltriculation program, beautiful campus connected to undergrad, my interview group.
It is simply beautiful there. The location is great because you have all the advantages of close cities (SF, San Jose etc) without having to live in one. The tour was informative, and the facilities were beautiful. The meetings with the assistant dean and financial aid counselor were a great opportunity to find out additional information. And the financial aid really is among the best. Further, the assistant dean told me that since the scholarly concentration program is so new (2 years old), the current tendency of students to take 5 years may dissipate as the kinks work out from the transition to the new curriculum.
Research. Although there aren't as many faculty members here as there are at many other schools, the quality is outstanding across the board. Also their focus on integrative approaches to Research and BioX. Also, the weather might be impossible to beat.
Stanford is an amazing school and what impressed me the most is that the students were so cool, so laid back, so friendly and willing to talk/help... despite the fact that they happen to attend one of the very best Medical Schools in the world. The campus was beautiful. The administration was made up of really nice people.
The Stanford University campus is arguably one of the most impressive ones I've ever seen. If you have time during your interview trip, make sure you see more than just the medical school section of the campus.
financial aid!!!, research opportunities, generally the faculty are so nice, students seem smart but not snobbish, and the admissions office is so helpful
Flexibility in the curriculum (Can take electives in first two years), scholarly concentration, nice and flat campus (like a park), numerous ways to get funded for tuition besides need-based aids.
The students were VERY happy and laid-back. The curriculum is innovative and flexible, esp. the opportunities for research in any area you want. The financial aid is amazing.
The med school campus is beautiful. They have a new cross-disciplinary research center right next to the main medical school building. Incredible financial aid and research funding opportunities. They operate on a true pass/fail system, and their Scholarly Concentrations system seemed very flexible. During the lecture that I sat through, the students convinced the instructor to give them 12 days for their take-home final instead of 1 day like he had originally intended.
They knew who I was as soon as I walked in. I always think that is really nice, especially when you have come from far away. It seems like the students were very well treated and EVERYONE I talked to loved Stanford. While I was there I thought it was fishy, but after doing a ton of research on their programs, I understood why. Also the weather and campus was beautiful. After visiting all of the dank and urban places in the US where most medical centers are, I came to appreciate the sunshine. Hey, If I have to spend half a decade somewhere, why not go to a top school that is also in a nice place?
All the personal touches-Because the class size is small (86) everyone in the admissions office knows all of the students by name, I had a 30 min. one-on-one interview with financial aid, was given an individual exit interview at the end of the day...
Financial Aid (this is the biggest thing going for them). Students were diverse and came from all types of backgrounds. The faculty carries prestige and the match list was impressive. Oh and the weather was not too bad.
All I can say is wow. It is an incredible school. Great financial aid, med scholars, learning outside the academic realm. All of the students are genuinely happy -- more so than at any other school I've interviewed at.
The most common feedback and suggestions shared by applicants include concerns about the weak clinical rotations, average clinical sites, unimpressive facilities, lack of diversity in patient population, expensive cost of living, long class hours, disinterested faculty, and a perceived focus on research over primary care. Suggestions include improving clinical training, updating facilities, increasing engagement with diverse patient populations, and enhancing the overall student experience.
Did not get to meet anyone who had done any clinical rotations; this was especially disappointing given that the quality of these rotations is the weakest part of Stanford's reputation. With the students, a lack of self-reflection/engagement with potential negatives of the school.
My student interviewer was harsh in the questions being asked. It was not what I expected from a student, and reflected poorly on the school in my opinion. After a seemingly good interview with a faculty, I asked for e-mail contact and was told "no, I don't need fan mail." Kind of cold and shocking.
The students were not as friendly as other schools that I have been to. Something like 70% of the student body will take 5 years to complete, mainly to do extra work to reduce financial costs. The lack of an urban/diverse patient population, but that can be offset by interaction with individuals that really care about their health. Stanford and Palo Alto may be too suburban/posh for some people.
The whole focus in both my interviews on academic medicine... As if leaders/researchers couldn't be groomed from/work in alternate practice models. Nasty old classrooms (although there will be a new med school in 2010).
The admissions office has more than a little 'tude and tends not to be too helpful, student housing is very, very expensive. The hospital also doesn't have the greatest case mix. Disproportionately wealthy student body.
The school is not in an urban area nor is affiliated with a large country hospital like Ben Taub (Baylor) or Bellvue (NYU). Also, if research isn't your thing, I wouldn't come here as no one seems to care about primary care.
The location is really the worst thing about the school. It's a beautiful area, don't get me wrong. But it's such a small little city that there's hardly anything to do. I personally would rather live in NY, SF, Boston, or LA...somewhere with lots of culture and endless possibilities. Palo Alto is just really small and somewhat isolated...which might be exactly what some people want, but not me.
Their interviews are supposed to be open-file but my faculty interviewer had lost my file--so it was a CLOSED-FILE interview. She didn't really ask much about me and just seemed disinterested.
cost of living is through the roof, even higher than sf. i had never been to the bay area, and it was essentially a suburb, not even a college town but a bona fide suburb. the weather was noticeably better than the one i'm from, though.
some of the medical buildings are quite old/need retrofitting to be seismically sound, class from 9-5 m,tu,th,f (i guess you don't really need to go since lectures are on videotaped)
The classrooms are pretty old, but they seem to be slowly updating things. Also, in the morning, our interview coordinator made it a point for us to introduce ourselves. She ended up telling everyone in the group information from our applications. When one gentleman introduced himself, she waited until he was done and then pointed out that he was getting his PhD. Another girl started an NGO etc. etc. While that definitely says that they have stellar applicants, it's kind of awkward for someone else to be sharing it. Could have been an isolated incident...
need to distinguish oneself with research, business ventures, founding of organizations, etc, country club-like suburb, old facilities, focus on "producing leaders" rather than clinical physicians, weaker clinical training, colder weather in nor cal than so cal.
The scholarly concentration program was at first appealing to me, but when I heard about it there, it seemed much less impressive. I really felt like the point of all the research was prestige and not improving one's skills and gaining greater insight. Also, do not go to an interview on a WEDNESDAY! There are no classes on Wednesdays, so there were few students on campus and no classes to visit. It seemed overall like this was the sort of place to come to do residencies (because the hospital is really amazing) but maybe not medical school if you are not very research-oriented...
It was hard to tell what "counts" towards your evaluation - you have an orientation meeting/curriculum talk with the associate dean of admissions, but he's not introduced that way and I still have no idea whether he takes notes on people during the talk. You will definitely run into random students who are on the admissions committee (which is awesome that they let students have input!!), but I think it makes you nervous when you realize someone is on the admissions com. after you've just been rambling about nothing to them for like 15 minutes.
There's not really much to do in Palo Alto, so most students hang out in San Francisco on the weekends. It's hard to get to SF without a car, so it's a good idea to have friends with cars.
Some other people in my interview group seem very hard-core into basic science research, but I'm only moderately interested in it, so I feel a bit out of place.
Palo Alto and the weather are too country club/resort-like. As a result, the area is expensive to live in. But it's sunny and 60 degrees in the middle of january!
At first I was not sold on the 5 year curriculum. But then I did some investigating. If you do the 5 year plan, you will probably only pay for 3 years since they pay for the research year and the 5th year is "free" (incredibly low tuition) It is totally possible to do it in 4 years, but why not have the option if they are willing to give it you. Also it is very possible to pick up a masters during that extra year, so it is not "wasted" at all.
Number of cut-throat interviewees from Stanford, the definite favoritism towards Ivies and Stanford based on the people at my interview session. The facilities are terrible and that library was a joke. I went to a Yale interview a couple of weeks earlier and all I can say is that Stanford's curriculum is an unsuccessful Yale wanna-be. By the way I also went to UCLA for an interview and I can't believe that people believe actually put Stanford before it. Los Angeles was beautiful and their new medical center looks like it will be amazing.
Applicants wished they had known ahead of time about the varying interview lengths, the detailed research questions, the potential for a long campus tour, and the lack of questions about why they wanted to be a doctor. Suggestions included bringing water, preparing for research questions, being aware of the financial aid options, and familiarizing oneself with the campus layout to avoid getting lost.
This is the most minor thing but it was quite warm on interview day, maybe bring a water bottle for the campus tour?
The majority of students are on a 5 year plan. Financial aid pretty much sucks. When they talk about the massive reduced debt compared to other schools, you need to work as a researcher or TA that forces you to do 5 years.
Other reviews had said that I should prepare for health care and my research-related questions, so I had spent all this time prepping for those but I got none.
I went to Stanford for undergrad and I still live in the Bay Area, so really not much was new. I recommend checking out the undergrad campus. Warning - do not be fooled into thinking that Stanford is very close to SF. It still takes a 30-40 min drive to get there. Stanford is usually described as a "bubble" for a good reason.
How suburban and undiverse the area around Stanford is (while i hear East Palo Alto is mixed, the area around stanford is very yuppie/country club--not very colorful).
Stanford really tries to help middle class medical students as well as those with greater need. It's helpful to know about your personal financial status to determine for what types of Stanford financial aid you might qualify.
The flexibility the school offers - the five year program is recommended, you can basically design your own "major," and the school is willing to give you financial support to do anything you want... oh, and their financial aid program is amazing
student interviewers give the most critical interrogations.
This is my last interview, thank god, but my blood pressure still increased during my first interview here. i think that it was the sense that my answers were not well received or respected that really got to me. i took a twenty minute walk to recuperate from the interview.
The interview is a way to "make sure you are who you are on paper", so there is no set questions for interviewers to ask, I feel that interviewers can easily run out of stuff to ask the applicants.
Just what a great school this is. I had my two interviews at 9am and 10am, and I would have been much better equipped to answer "why Stanford?" at the end of the day.
I wish I had known more about the amazing financial aid-I would have brought some hard numbers so I could get a better approximation of where I stood $wise.
The MSOB, where you meet for your interview, is NOT in, or even very near the medical school. Get directions there, and not to the medical school building.
Applicants commonly praised Stanford for its personalized education, opportunities for research, friendly staff, beautiful campus, and well-rounded student body. Some feedback mentioned the importance of faculty interviewers, the relaxed interview atmosphere, the emphasis on research and individual meetings with admissions and financial aid counselors.
Stanford was my #1 choice going into interview day and cemented itself at the top of my list afterwards.
Everyone told me about research, research, research--and did we mention everybody gets paid to do it? Also, they use a "flipped classroom" model which is the greatest thing since the Flexner Report (it actually does sound nice but the administration's self-regard on this matter is a bit over the top). In general, the day was well-organized and the MMI was clearly thought out well. I wish they could try to involve more 4th/5th year students so we can get a sense of the clinical years!
This school is really big on 'personalizing' your education. Consequently you do everything one on one. Meet with the dean one on one. Financial aid one on one. Each interview was paired with one student on the interview. You really only at with the other 2-4 interviewees at lunch...interesting...
The campus is gorgeous, and some of the admissions staff is really friendly. I was blown away by the facilities and buildings. But overall I left feeling unimpressed due to the unfriendliness of my interviewers.
After having researched the school, I did not go into the interview day as excited as I was beforehand. However, I came out absolutely amazed by what Stanford had to offer. True, there are some things that the school may not be able to offer when compared to others located in urban cities. However, I truly got the sense that the opportunities were all there for the self-directed and self-motivated. My interviews were brief, but I was given the chance to express the most important things. I had two faculty interviewers (as did the other interviewee), but that is abnormal and related to the timing of the interview day. The picture that you take on interview day will follow you the rest of your time at Stanford if you matriculate, so smile! This place was amazing, definitely explore it for yourself.
This school is great and seems to have a really well-rounded student body. I went wandering around during a break and some med student found me and brought me to class with him! Awesomeness.
FIrst interview was with a student who was an MD/PHD. He was very nice and casual, but the fact that he was MD/PHD was annoying since he didn't know much about the Scholarly Concentration program, so he couldn't answer my questions. Faculty interviewer was great. Only asked a few tough questions. Both interviewers were very interested in my leadership experience. Also they both probed very deep into my answers. A lot of interviews are so short that you can just gloss over details on things, but they really prodded deep asking ''how/why'' frequently.
Nice, personal interview day, with individual meetings with admissions counselour and financial aid counselour to answer all of your questions. They take good care of interviewees; they interviewed just 500 of 6500.
The hospital was nice, the lectures are recorded online, the admissions staff is really helpful, and the other doctors and research faculty seem to really care about the students and about their work. I really liked Stanford going into the interview but my faculty interviewer was kind of an ignorant snob in the comments he made about doctors in society and didn't seem much interested in me (all with a smile on his face though, ha!). He was fairly new and wasn't familiar with a lot of the faculty at Stanford or even details about the program, which I was surprised at (since everyone else there was so knowledgeable). I kind of got the feeling that he was sizing me up against his own son who was also applying this year rather than seeing if I'd be a good fit. My student interviewer grilled me about every aspect of my life, which was nice in the sense that she cared but it was a bit overkill and lengthy (felt more like an interrogation than an interview conversation). The interview experience left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and I wasn't really sure I wanted to go there anymore (I also wasn't surprised to get rejected after my bad faculty interview). However, I am certain that my experience is not representative of the school or other people there but the faculty interview is a really important factor.
Start at 7:30. End around 3:45. Very small group, 3 ppl only. Stanford ppl are so proud of their school. Don't expect the school to be near the city. It's remote out there in Palo Alto.
Excellent interview experience. This university is perfect. The landscape is awesome, the buildings are beautiful, and the people on the West coast were so much nicer than the people at the other schools I've been to (New England). The financial aid advisor sat with everyone individually rather than giving a presentation. The people who designed the curriculum did the same.
Overall the school was amazing! I always knew from the reputation of the school that it's a great place to be, but actually seeing the campus and the students really made me like it even more.
I had a really great interview experience at Stanford; before I visited there it was not one of my top choices, but quickly became so. They have amazing opportunities to lower your debt by doing research and teaching, which I loved! Unfortunately I didn't get in, which was sort of surprising because I thought I hit it off well with both of my interviewers.
Overall, a very chill interview day and everyone including my interviewers were friendly and helpful. You can check out a lecture if you have time - they're in the mornings (no class on weds). No med students showed up during our scheduled "lunch with med students" which was a bit disappointing. If this happens to you, find a med student or two in your downtime between interviews/talks to chat about what they like or don't like about the school. The students that I did talk to were more than willing to share their experiences.
Good interview day, and not as long as I thought it would be because I was out before 4pm,, and the info on the web said the interviews could go till 6. The start time was early (7:15 if you need to park, 7:30 if you don't)
Great, very positive. The first interviewer had a specific set of questions and he took notes on my answers. The second was much less formal and more like a conversation. I had two faculty.
You definitely don't want to interview on a Wednesday since there is no class (and there are few students around). At least that's what the coordinator said. I was there on a Thursday, but b/c of exams it was the same thing. My first interviewer was very dry..just wanted to talk about research. My second interviewer and I talked about research, but we got off topic and talked about news etc.
Overall it was great. Student interview was short but to the point. Faculty interview was very comfortable and I felt very respected rather than questioned.
wonderful! one interview was a bit more stressful because it seemed she was truly judging/analyzing my answers (the point of an interview, of course) and trying to determine whether or not i am stanford material, while the other was just a friendly chat. hopefully i will get the thursday night phone call from dr. garcia within 2-4 weeks! ps. stanford started interviewing much later (jan-april) this year (secondary now given to all applicants). i was complete in late october and received an invite in early march, so be patient.
Despite a rather stressful faculty interview, I had an amazing student interview. Stanford is my dream school, and I am going there next fall. It's a great school, but not for everyone. Just make sure you know why Stanford works for you!
I arrived at 7:30 for a short orientation. Then I had two morning interviews, one with a faculty member and then a student. The faculty member was very research-oriented and seemed less interested in my clinical and patient-based experiences. Then there was an extremely informative meeting with a financial aid counselor. After lunch and a tour with students, we met in a group and individually with an assistant dean to discuss the curriculum and any other final questions. I was finished by 2, though most other interviewees had afternoon interviews and were there much later.
I was prepared to dislike Stanford, as I didn't like it when I visited at the end of high school. But I really enjoyed both interviews, and the school can't be beat if you have direction, motivation, and you're tired of cold weather!
I love Stanford. I wasn't even going to go to the interview because I live on the east coast... but I am SO happy I went and now it's my first choice. The school is amazing and will help you to become any kind of doctor you want to become. You will be so relaxed because the school is so supportive and flexible for its students. The campus is amazing. Housing is fairly expensive, but the financial aid awards are great and cover housing too. The students there are the best, honestly. They are sweet, open, caring, cool, fun, smart... just fantastic people. The interviewers know your whole application - not just "they've read it"... they KNOW it - and are able to ask specific questions to find out who you really are and why you're going into medicine. It says a lot about a school when they can get these doctor-interviewers to give up their precious time to learn all about some applicant(s). Basically, Stanford is the best medical school environment I've ever been in and I highly recommend taking the trip out there... even if you're coming from Guam!
Overall, it was quite a good interview experience. The day was quite long, and I had to wait for 20-30mins for my interviewers to show up (the student and faculty interviewers are quite busy). But, the Admissions' office counselors were really nice and easy to talk to. We had a very encouraging exit talk from one of them, which I thought was a fitting end to the day. Tuition and fees are being estimated at about $54,700 for the 2004-05 entering class. Although the financial aid is quite good, there is a $30,000 cap and you have to work as a TA or write research proposals to earn the rest of the money for school (if you don't want to borrow too much money). Maybe this is why most students at Stanford stay for 5years instead of 4.
Unlike some schools, there are no set directions on where the interviews should go, so depending on your interviewer, it may be easy to run out of stuff to say, resulting in awkward silence. The campus and curriculum are nice, and the students are very friendly (Not snobbish at all). Stanford prouds itself on its flexible curriculum and the financial aids it provides.
Stanford is amazing and is definitely at the top of my list now. It was a different feeling to the interview than at my previous interviews, but that was not a bad thing. Everyone was very friendly and I got all my questions answered. Now I can just hope for a phone call on Thurs. night.
The admissions staff went out of its way to be friendly and hospitable. A small group of interviewees (5) made the entire event very comfortable. They paired me with a faculty interviewer from my home city (Chicago) and with a student interviewer in the MD/PhD program (I had indicated on my application my desire to be a research MD). It seemed like this was the only school where I had interviewers that really understood my research. Due to my interview schedule, I missed the main financial aid and curriculum presentations, but they arranged for me to receive one-on-one presentations from each counselor.
Really neat place, but you really need to investigate why Stanford does some of the seemingly strange things they do like the 5-year plan and the scholarly concentrations. They are really looking out for their students, bit while you are interviewing, that is not always obvious.
I liked everything about this school. The education, research, and overall enviornment at Stanford are topnotch. The interview itself was low stress. Just be prepared to talk about yourself.
What a contrast to the east coast private schools! Everyone was so much more relaxed. Overall the culture was great, the students here are truly happy. The campus blew me away with all the trees and flowers planted everywhere.
I have to agree with the other interviewee who noted the parallels between Stanford and Yale. When I read his/her review before my interview, I thought the individual was simply upset due to a bad interview experience but s/he was right on target. I don't know if Yale followed Stanford's lead or what but the similarities are ridiculous. The only problem is that Yale does it better. Oh yeah, don't forget to ask them about their new "track system" and the fact that a lot of their students usually take five years to finish. Ask them if it's because they really want to finish in five or if the course work and the desire to "live a little" simply gets to them.
I got the impression that Palo Alto was somewhat remote and nothing more than a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. The school and Clinical rotations are throughout the southern part of the bay which kind of leaves you without that urban setting you could get from SF, NY, or LA. People seem to be totally brainwashed about this school.
It was good. There is a student interviewer and a faculty interviewer. The student one was easier for me than the faculty, but they were pretty laid back.
Great school. Lots of opportunities (and incentives) for research and community involvement. Housing is mixed with other grad students. Outstanding match list. Seems like students are happy but overworked (lots of in-class time).
i forgot to add in my previous entry, that i was asked in some detail about papers, etc. that i had written - even though some of them were from 3 years ago!
I already knew a good deal about the school and the students seemed really really laidback and very happy (weather has something to do with it i'm sure). I had a really good time--the interviewers were really nice.
Two great interviews! The interviewers did more talking than other interviews. Very friendly, lots of questions about my research and my study abroad (in a 3rd world country), lots of trying to sell the school. Not as many of the broad, open questions ("tell me about yourself") - instead, more specific, somewhat easier or at least more interesting questions ("what first sparked your interest?,")
I had a very positive experience. The interview coordinator did a great job setting me up with interviewers who shared some interests with me. All the students seemed very happy and friendly. My best interview experience yet.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office provide clearer instructions regarding interview confirmation procedures to reduce applicant stress and confusion. Additionally, many applicants appreciate the friendliness, helpfulness, and organization of the admissions staff.
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.
