6.2: Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the ongoing satisfactory maintenance of the School of Medicine's academic, professional, and technical, non-academic standards.

The School of Medicine's Committee on Performance, Professionalism, and Promotion (CP3) is responsible for reviewing all medical student records for the purpose of determining continuous progress towards and fulfillment of all standards for SAP. Outcomes for students, determined to not be fulfilling SAP standards, may include (but are not limited to) a prescribed and restricted curriculum and a change in eligibility status for those receiving financial aid. For more information on financial aid eligibility, please refer to the Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility Policy.

A. Academic Standards

Students are required to maintain academic standards in terms of units, number of years, scholarly concentrations, examinations, academic deficiencies, and promotion.

  1. Units
    1. Students must take and successfully complete a minimum number of units counting towards MD degree requirements (which include courses/clerkships listed under School of Medicine departments in the Stanford Bulletin Courses online catalog and courses counting towards the Scholarly Concentration requirement) as follows:
      1. During Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters (except for an approved Graduation Quarter status), at least 9 units are required.
      2. Summer Quarter enrollment is optional. For Summer Quarter financial aid eligibility, at least 9 units are required.
      3. Students in master’s or PhD programs that have required courses outside of the School of Medicine (either programs in another Stanford school or interdepartmental medical school programs) will be monitored for a per quarter unit requirement to be set by the other degree program.  For financial aid eligibility, students must enroll in at least 9 units. Professional degrees (e.g., MBA, JD) outside the School of Medicine do not qualify for financial aid funding from the School of Medicine Financial Aid Office.
      4. Per Academic Year: If enrolled in all quarters, students must complete at least 27 MD units each academic year (Autumn/Winter/Spring). Approved leave of absence quarters are excluded. For Summer financial aid eligibility, at least 36 units is required per academic year (Autumn/Winter/Spring/Summer). No financial aid will be disbursed to a student who completes less than the minimum required units.
  2. Number of Years
    1. All students are ordinarily expected to complete the pre-clerkship curriculum within three years of matriculation.
    2. MD students are ordinarily expected to graduate within six years of matriculation.
    3. MD/Master's or MD/PhD students are ordinarily expected to graduate within eight years of matriculation.
    4. Students requesting to extend their timeline must petition for and receive approval by the CP3. The student’s petition must provide reasons for the requested extension and submit specific plans, subject to the review and approval by the student’s academic advising dean, for completing the degree program(s).
    5. The maximum time allowed does not include periods of approved Leave of Absence, but no combination of program extensions and approved Leaves of Absence shall exceed eight years (MD) or ten years (MD/PhD or MD/Master's).
    6. Students fail to meet SAP at the point at which it is determined that it is not possible for them to complete their program within the maximum time allowed, not at the point they actually reach the maximum time allowed.
  3. Scholarly Concentrations
    1. Students must meet Scholarly Concentrations requirements.  Failure to meet scholarly concentration program deadlines, including declaring a scholarly concentration or completing a scholarly concentration will result in a review by CP3.
    2. For additional information, see Section 6.5: Chart of Responses to Student Issues.
  4. Examinations
    1. Students must maintain SAP by meeting examinations requirements, such as USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK and the Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) Series.
    2. Failure to take or successfully pass examinations by School of Medicine deadlines will result in a review by CP3.
    3. For additional information, see Section 6.5: Chart of Responses to Student Issues.
  5. Academic Deficiencies
    1. In order to maintain SAP, all academic deficiencies (e.g., Failure (F), Marginal Pass (MP), Continuing (N), Incomplete (INC)) must be corrected by the deadlines set by the courses, clerkships and/or CP3 in a timely manner.
    2. Failure to remediate by the stated deadlines or the cumulation of more than one uncorrected deficiency may result in a review by CP3.
    3. In addition, a student’s failure to attend required meetings, comply with CP3 directives for remediation, or meet CP3 deadlines may result in a review by CP3.
    4. For additional information, see Section 6.5: Chart of Responses to Student Issues.
  6. Promotion
    1. Students must meet all the criteria outlined in Section 6.3, Promotion, including:
      1. Promotion to Second Year Pre-clerkship Student
      2. Promotion to Clinical Medical Student
      3. Promotion to Candidate for Residency
      4. Promotion to Eligible for MD Degree
  7. Professionalism Standards
    1. Students are required on an ongoing basis to satisfy the School of Medicine Professionalism Principles. A serious breach of professionalism may result in immediate dismissal from the Stanford School of Medicine MD program. 
    2. For additional information, see sections 6.4 and 6.5.
  8. Technical, Non-Academic Standards
    1. Students are required on an ongoing basis to satisfy the School of Medicine, Technical, Non-Academic Standards. Continued fulfillment of such standards is a requirement for ongoing registration in the Stanford School of Medicine MD Program. 
    2. For additional information, see Section 6.4: Procedures for Addressing Performance, Professionalism and Technical, Non-Academic Standards Concerns.

updated August 2023