School of Medicine Registrar's Office Frequently Asked Questions

Stanford defines full-time status for MD students as the following:

Full time = 9 or more units
Half time = 6-8 units
Less than half time = 5 or fewer units

Consult the Office of the University Registrar's Certifications and Verifications enrollment status information.

To request a leave of absence from Stanford University, consult the University Registrar's Leave of Absence information and the Leaves of Absence section in the MD Program Student Handbook.  Log on to Axess and complete the Leave of Absence for Graduate Students eForm.

• Current students can request transcripts through Axess. For detailed instructions, review the University Registrar's How Do I Request a Transcript information.
  
• Alumni can order transcripts through Axess if enrolled within the last 5 years.  Review the University Registrar's Transcripts for Alumni information for details.  If enrolled more than 5 years ago, Alumni can use the Document Ordering Portal to request electronic or paper transcripts.

• To apply for a United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®) Step 1 or Step 2 CK and CS Exam:

1. Log on to the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) website
2. Complete the online application
3. At the end of the online application, there are instructions for completing a “Certification of Identification and Authorization Form." Print and complete the form. Attach your photo.
4. While our offices are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please scan your completed form and email it to medregistrar@stanford.edu with "Secure:" in the subject line. 
5. The form will be completed within 1 week. You will be notified by email when it is mailed to the NBME.

• Applications for Step 1 exams, and in some cases Step 2 exams, require an online enrollment verification on the NBME website by the School of Medicine Registrar. The online verifications are completed at least once a week on Wednesdays.

When a student applies for a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 exam, enrollment is verified to the NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners) weekly, on Wednesdays. 

If a Certification of Identification form is required, it will be mailed to the NBME in about a week from the time it is submitted to the School of Medicine Registrar's Office.

A letter requesting exemption that describes current registration and time requirements as a medical student can be provided by the SoM Registrar's office upon request. Complete a Registrar Document Request Form to have a letter created.  Include the assigned Juror ID, Reporting Location, and Group Number on your form.

The Jury Duty Exemption Request letter will be delivered to you based on your request form details. 

An Enrollment Certification from Axess should be included with your exemption letter.  Students are responsible for sending their letter, Enrollment Certification, and Summons together to the courthouse.

The SoM Registrar's Office has information posted for:

• Graduation tips
• Graduation Quarter Eligibility
• Requesting a Letter of Good Standing to cover pending graduation, prior to final transcript & diploma availability 
• State licensure form information

The Office of the University Registrar also has graduation related information:

• Graduate student graduation checklist
• Applying to graduate

Stanford University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to act as its agent for purposes of degree verification. The student's name when enrolled, Social Security Number, and date of birth will be required for identification purposes and degree verification.

See the National Student Clearinghouse DegreeVerify website regarding degree verification information, instructions, and fees.  If additional information is needed after the NSC degree verification, contact the School of Medicine Registrar's Office.

• Postdoctoral Appointment: Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. See Verification Requests on the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs website for more information.
• Residency or Fellowship: Contact the department or program directly. See Training Verification on the Graduate Medical Education website for more information and contacts.
• Physician Assistant: Contact the Office of PA Education directly. See Contact Information on the Office of PA Education website.

Submit state medical licensure forms to the School of Medicine Registrar's Office by using the Registrar Document Request Form.  Please carefully review the state licensure form instructions since requirements vary between states.  

Indicate the desired delivery method for completed forms on the Registrar Document Request Form.  The Registrar's Office will complete licensure form requests within 1-2 weeks, please plan accordingly.  An email notification will be sent to you upon completion.

For alumni using the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS), complete the FCVS application, including uploading a copy of your MD diploma and submitting an electronic transcript to FCVS.

For more information, see the FSMB FCVS Credentials Verification Process. Your FSMB profile will be updated when Stanford certifies your credentials within 1-2 weeks.

If you graduated in AY2014-15 or later, please follow the instructions provided by the Office of the University Registrar to access a certified copy of your diploma via CeDiploma.  See Diploma Requests for more information.