Emergency Medicine Advanced Elective Clerkship
During this 4-week rotation at Stanford Health Care & Kaiser Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, medical students develop critical skills in rapidly evaluating and managing undifferentiated and acutely ill patients in our unique emergency department setting.
Rotators work directly with an emergency medicine attending and senior resident and are paired with a faculty coach to maximize educational opportunities and feedback over the four weeks. With this high level of on-shift guidance, learners gain confidence in assessing and resuscitating the spectrum of patients presenting to our emergency department.
Pre-Approval
Students interested in applying to the Stanford Emergency Medicine Advanced Clerkship must complete the Pre-Approval Application and submit the following materials:
1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Your CV should include: Research, Innovation, and Publications, Extracurricular Activities, such as Leadership roles, Music or sports participation, Military service, Community service, and other experiences that align with our mission, vision, and values.
2. Letter of Interest
In your letter, please describe why you are interested in our Emergency Medicine rotation and how your previous experiences align with and support our Department’s mission, vision, and values.
Pre-approval and Enrollment Timeline
January 5, 2026 Pre-Approval Application opens for Period 12.
January 16, 2026 Deadline to submit all pre-approval application materials.
January 19, 2026 Applicants are notified of their pre-approval status. Important: Pre-approval does NOT guarantee formal enrollment. If pre-approved, applicants will receive an email invitation to formally apply through the Stanford School of Medicine.
January 23, 2026 Deadline to submit the Stanford School of Medicine Visiting Student Formal Application.
January 28, 2026 The Stanford School of Medicine registrar will send formal confirmation of enrollment to visiting students.
Clerkship Periods
Period 12 June 30 - July 27, 2025
Period 1 June 30 - July 27, 2025
Period 2 July 28 - August 24, 2025
Period 3 August 25 - September 21, 2025
Period 4 September 22 - October 19, 2025
International Visiting Students
International Visiting Students are not eligible to rotate in the Stanford EMED Advanced Clerkship. Please visit the Stanford IVS website for additional information.
Stanford Emergency Medicine SCORE Program
The Stanford School of Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine recognize the power of diversity and its impact on the future of healthcare. To support this, we collaborate with the Office of Medical Student Affairs to offer an exceptional opportunity for visiting medical students to apply to the Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency Experience (SCORE) program.
How to Apply
Applicants applying through the Stanford SCORE program must submit their application directly via the SCORE secure application portal.
Important Dates
February 1, 2026: EMED SCORE Application opens
April 4, 2026: Deadline to submit the EMED SCORE Application
April 10, 2026: Approved applicants will be notified of their status by the SCORE Program Manager before receiving official registration confirmation from Stanford Clerkship Administration.
Clerkship Objectives
Construct a clinical management approach to the critically ill patient
Demonstrate excellent clinical skills and patient care
Develop strong foundational skills
Build interpersonal and communication skills
Model professionalism
Curriculum
Throughout the rotation, students will have access to a number of supporting educational events outside of the emergency department. Students will attend weekly core curriculum conferences with the Stanford Emergency Medicine residents, as well as a monthly journal club. Rotators will also have dedicated, learner-centered educational sessions focused on bedside ultrasound, laceration repair, and other procedures. Rotators will also engage in a series of interactive, faculty-led case discussions
A student-only simulation experience at Stanford's innovative Center for Immersive and Simulation-Based Learning early in the rotation will help faculty and students develop specific learning plans.
The rotation culminates in a final written exam.
Clinical Duties
Students will work 14 eight-hour clinical shifts during the rotation. Rotators will have the opportunity to play an integral role on the care team, learning to take full responsibility for ensuring their patients receive high-quality emergency care. Students will lead the initial assessment of each patient, performing complaint-directed history and physical exams, developing a focused differential diagnosis, and then designing and implementing a targeted care plan with input and support from the attending physician. Students will also learn essential communication skills, acting as the primary contact between the care team, patients, patient’s families, consultants, and hospital staff.
Total of 14 eight-hour clinical shifts (Adult and Pediatric)
Night and weekend shifts will be included in your schedule
1 Emergency Critical Care shift
Coaching Program
The Stanford EMED 313A Coaching program will pair EM-bound medical students with experienced junior faculty to improve the medical students' experience during the clerkship and facilitate their entry into the field of Emergency Medicine. The goal of the relationship is to focus on improving clinical skills. The coaches were chosen specifically from faculty not on the clerkship or residency program teams so that students feel comfortable discussing areas of growth. Coaches and students will meet virtually or in person before, during, and at the conclusion of the rotation to discuss feedback, work on clinical presentations, and plan their interesting cases.
Contact Us
William Dixon, MD
Advanced Clerkship Director
E-Mail: wdixon@stanford.edu
Kristen Kayser, MBA
Advanced Clerkship Coordinator
E-Mail: kkayser@stanford.edu