Future Physician Educators and Leaders Internship

About the Internship

This selective program prepares high school and pre-medical students for leadership roles in medicine and education. Interns engage in structured virtual training, on-campus mentorship experiences, faculty coaching, and the design of a real-world capstone initiative.

Key Benefits:

• Gain near-peer mentorship experience as a Mentor-in-Residence (MIR)
  

• Collaborate with Stanford faculty on community impact, education, or QI projects
  

• Build skills in crisis leadership, public speaking, and systems thinking
  

• Strengthen your pre-medical portfolio with tangible leadership impact
  

Eligibility:

• Must be a past participant in good standing of a SASI in-person internship (Foundations or Clinical Skills).
  

• Demonstrated interest in medicine, education, or healthcare leadership
  

• Commitment to year-round participation, including summer and fall components

Four Core Phases

1. Fall Leadership Academy: Pulse of Leadership

October–November 2025 (Virtual)

Begin your journey by building your foundation as a future healthcare leader through our immersive virtual academy:

• Cultivate a growth mindset and emotional agility

• Explore resilience and well-being in healthcare environments

• Practice mentoring and near-peer leadership skills

• Develop a personalized leadership development plan

2. Virtual Leadership Prep

February–June 2026 (Virtual)

Join monthly faculty-led virtual sessions to deepen your readiness for hands-on leadership. These sessions include:

• Pre-internship coaching and case-based discussions

• DEI and systems-based project planning

• Operational and communication skills for leading at SASI

• Collaboration and check-ins with SASI faculty and peers

3. Summer Practicum at either SASI Clinical Skills or Foundations or Fall Internships Health & AI or Leadership Academy

Summer 2026 (In-Person) or Fall 2026 (Virtual)

Apply your leadership and mentorship training in a real clinical education environment:

• Lead daily MIR stand-ups and reflection meetings

• Mentor students and support simulation-based learning

• Collaborate with SASI faculty and staff on program logistics

• Implement your capstone DEI, research, or QI project

4. Capstone Project Completion & Presentation

Fall 2026 (Virtual + Optional In-Person Presentation)

Interns complete and present a faculty-guided capstone project in one of the following tracks:

• Quality Improvement – Improve an aspect of program delivery or student experience

• Community Impact – Lead a project that expands access, equity, or inclusion in healthcare education

• Research – Conduct scholarly inquiry or evaluation aligned with your practicum experience

Interns present their capstone work to SASI leadership and faculty for formal review and mentorship feedback.

Ideal Candidates for the Future Physician Educators and Leaders Internship

This internship is designed for high school and pre-medical students who are deeply motivated to explore careers in medicine, medical education, and healthcare leadership. Interns are expected to take initiative, seek feedback, and contribute meaningfully to a collaborative team.

You should apply if you are:

• A past participant of a SASI Internship (Foundations, Clinical Skills, Virtual)
  
• Passionate about mentorship, education, and service
  
• Seeking in-depth mentoring and coaching by Stanford faculty
  
• Interested in real-world leadership roles through a practicum experience
  
• Motivated to complete a faculty-guided capstone with measurable impact
  
• Eager to grow your emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and professional voice
  
• Looking for an opportunity that offers frequent, direct faculty contact, enabling Stanford faculty to write strong, personalized letters of recommendation based on your observed leadership, professionalism, and contribution to the program
  
  

Who will benefit most:

• Students exploring careers as physician-educators, program leaders, or change agents in healthcare
  
• Students seeking a highly mentored experience with formal leadership evaluation
  
• Students looking to distinguish themselves in future applications through meaningful, longitudinal engagement with faculty.

We are only able to accomodate minors who reside within California for this internship.

SASI Impact Project (Capstone)

Interns complete a faculty-guided capstone aligned with one of three pathways:

• Quality Improvement Project: Analyze and enhance a process within the SASI infrastructure
  

• Community Impact Initiative: Develop an initiative addressing access, equity, or support for a target group
  

• Research Project: Conduct a small-scale study in education, mentorship, or DEI
  

Capstone Milestones:

• Topic proposal and approval
  

• Design and development during summer practicum
  

Final presentation to SASI leadership in early fall

Interns receive their stipend upon successful completion of all internship components, including participation, deliverables, and final evaluation for each program step.

Key Dates

• February–June 2025:
  Twice-monthly virtual leadership meetings
  

• Summer 2026
  Practicum during Clinical Skills, Foundations, Virtual or our Fall Internship programs
  

• October–November 2026:
  Pulse of Leadership virtual academy
  

September–November 2026:
Capstone presentation and final debrief

Estimated Time Commitment: 95–110 Hours Total

This internship is designed to fit into your academic year while offering meaningful, leadership-intensive experiences. Interns are expected to balance virtual and in-person components with school obligations. Below is a breakdown of expected time commitments by phase.

Fall Leadership Academy: Pulse of Leadership (October–November 2025)

• Four 2-hour virtual sessions
  

• Weekly journaling and reflection assignments
  

• Estimated Total: 12 hours

Pre-Internship Virtual Leadership Meetings (February–June 2026)

• Twice per month Zoom meetings (10 total)
  

• Time: 1.5–2 hours per session
  

• Additional preparation, project planning: ~5–9 hours
  

• Estimated Total: 18–24 hours
  

Practicum during one SASI Internship Session (Summer/Fall 2026)

• Daily leadership check-ins and debriefs
  

• Mentorship, simulation support, DEI project development
  

• Some evening and weekend responsibilities
  

• Estimated Total: 45–55 hours

•  

Capstone Project (February–November 2026)

• Planning, design, and implementation across internship phases
  

• Final presentation in Fall
  

• Estimated Total: 20–25 hours

Understanding Your Internship Stipend

Interns accepted into the Future Physician Educators and Leaders Internship receive a total stipend of $3,450, distributed based on successful completion in each component of the program.

What is a stipend?

A stipend is a financial award provided to support your participation in experiential learning and scholarly development. At Stanford, it is classified as non-wage support and not employment. Stipends are not paid in exchange for work but are designed to help cover participation-related costs such as travel, housing, meals, or lost income from other summer opportunities.

Will this affect my financial aid?

Because stipends are considered a form of financial aid by Stanford, they may affect your existing financial aid package, depending on your situation. If you are a recipient of Stanford need-based financial aid or athletic aid, your stipend will be reported to the Stanford Financial Aid Office (FAO) and may result in one of the following:

• A reduction in other financial aid, such as scholarship funds or loan eligibility
  

• An adjustment to your cost of attendance to accommodate the additional resource (e.g., travel, research costs)
  

• No impact, if used to cover your standard Student Responsibility expectation

If your expected student contribution (usually ~$5,000/year) is already met through scholarships or work-study, receiving this stipend may reduce your scholarship aid.

Stanford Students - What should I do?

• You do not need to take action yourself—SASI staff will work with the Financial Aid Office at Stanford to report your stipend.
  

• You are encouraged to review your Financial Aid Notification in Axess to see your Student Responsibility amount.
  

• If you are concerned about how this might impact your aid package, you may email the FAO directly at: UG-stipends@lists.stanford.edu or ask a SASI staff member to help you initiate that conversation.

What about non-Stanford students or minors?

If you attend another high school or college outside Stanford, the effect of this stipend on your financial aid will depend on your home institution’s policies. Many schools treat stipends similarly to scholarships or grants, which means they may need to be reported to your financial aid office and could:

• Count as an outside resource or educational support, potentially reducing your other aid (like grants or institutional scholarships)
  

• Be allowed to offset your expected student or family contribution
  

• Have no impact at all if your aid is not need-based
  

We recommend that you:

• Inform your financial aid office that you are receiving a stipend for a research, mentoring, or leadership internship at Stanford
  

• Ask whether the stipend will impact your aid package
  

• Request documentation from SASI if your financial aid office asks for program details (we are happy to help)
  
  

For minors who are not yet receiving financial aid, this stipend is considered an educational award. While it does not currently affect future aid eligibility, students and families should be aware that some colleges may ask about outside scholarships or income during the college application process.

Tax considerations

• For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, stipends may be taxable if used for non-qualified expenses (e.g., housing, meals).
  

• For international students, 14% tax withholding may apply. This may be charged to your student account at the time of payment unless already covered by Stanford financial aid.
  
  

Key Takeaways

• Stipends are educational support—not hourly wages.
  

• They are reported as financial aid and may impact your aid package.
  

• You are encouraged to use them toward your Student Responsibility.
  

• SASI and the FAO will coordinate on your behalf, and you are welcome to reach out with questions or support needs.