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SUSOM

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, CA

Historical and predicted secondary essay prompts. Use these to understand how schools have framed their questions over time.

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34 prompts in the archive

Has your education included any formal, pre-medical postbaccalaureate programs?

No character/word limit2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Are there any current or pending disputes concerning your academic status? If yes, please explain. (300 characters)

300 characters2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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

1000 characters2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career? Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting: Academic Medicine (Clinical) Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist) Health Policy Primary Care Public Health/Community Health Global Health. Please describe your motivation for this practice scenario: Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1000 characters)

No character/word limit2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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

1000 characters2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

(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)

1,000 charactersOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023Historical

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)

2,000 characters2021-2022, 2022-2023Historical

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)

1,000 character limitOptional2023-2024Historical

It is important to know patients' points of view for the purpose of diagnosis.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Understanding patients' opinions about their illnesses helps physicians provide better care.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A physician should learn about their patients' cultural perspective.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

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

1000 character limitOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2024-2025Historical

Physicians should ask patients for their opinions about their illness.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A Physician can give excellent health care without knowing a patients' understanding of his or her illnesses.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians should ask their patients' what they believe is the cause of their problem/illness.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Understanding patients' opinions about their illness helps physicians reach correct diagnosis.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A physician can give excellent care without knowing patients' opinions about their illnesses or problems.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

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)

600 characters2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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

1000 charactersOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Select your desired medical practice. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1000char)

1000 characters2021-2022Historical

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

1000 characters2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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 characters)

150 characters2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Patients may lose confidence in the physician if the physician asks their opinion about their illness or problem.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physician can learn from their patients' perspectives on their illnesses or problems.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians should ask their patients why they think their illness has occurred.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians should ask about how an illness is impacting a patient's life.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians should make empathic statements about their patients' illness or problems.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians should ask patients for their feelings about their illness or problems.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Physicians do not need to ask about patients' personal lives or relationships to provide good health care.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you a community college TRANSFER student? This designation specifically only refers to individuals that enrolled at a community college with the express purpose of transferring to a four year institution. This EXCLUDES courses taken at community college during high school, during interruptions in your undergraduate studies (from a four year institution), or post-undergraduate studies. If you completed community college coursework during the excluded periods indicated, do not answer yes to this question.

No character/word limit2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Are you a re-applicant to the Stanford Medicine MD Program? What experiences illuminate the most significant difference between the prior and current application? (Research, Community/Volunteer Services, Paid Employment, Awards/Honors) (350 characters)

350 characters2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. (2000 characters)

2000 characters2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

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)

2,000 character limit2023-2024Historical