Who is eligible to apply for Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST?

We encourage all students who are interested in pursuing physician-scientist careers in the U.S. to apply (including international students studying in the U.S.). Please note that the program can only provide consideration for international travel on a case-by-case basis.

Can high school students, community college students, college graduates or graduate students participate in BOOST?

No; students must either be currently enrolled in or have recently graduated from a four-year undergraduate college or university to participate in BOOST. Note that graduate students are not eligible. Applicants must be sophomores or above to apply. They must have at least 3 semesters (or 4 quarters) of completed college coursework by the application deadline. First years who have sophomore standing through AP credits are not eligible to apply.
For high school programs at Stanford University, click https://oso.stanford.edu/programs/audiences/5-high-school-students

I am interested in pursuing an MD alone. Is this a good program for me?

No; Stanford Medicine MSTP BOOST caters specifically to students who are aspiring to pursue a dual MD-PhD career. 

For Stanford Medicine programs for high school and undergraduates, click http://med.stanford.edu/education/high-school-undergraduate-programs.html

How many students will participate in the Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST?

Approximately 8-10 students will attend Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST

Are students without previous research experience eligible?

Yes; previous research experience is not required but strong interest in a research career is highly encouraged.

I am interested in pursuing an MD-PhD with PhD training in the social sciences or humanities. Am I eligible for Stanford Medicine MSTP BOOST?

No; for now, only students interested in PhDs in the sciences or engineering are eligible, with a preference for fields of study related to biomedical research in some way. We recognize that non-scientific fields of study are valuable for medical and social progress; however, we do not currently have the capacity to expand the scope of BOOST beyond the sciences.

Is MD-PhD Preview 2019 the same as Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST?

Yes, we have renamed our program to reflect the mission of our program. The contents of the program from last year will be very similar to this year.

Can I apply to Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST if I applied to MD-PhD Preview?

You are eligible to apply for Stanford Medicine MSTP BOOST as long as you were not previously accepted to Preview.

Do I have to pay anything to attend Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST?

No; Stanford Medicine-MSTP BOOST is fully-funded, including travel, food, and lodging costs during the program, as a result of generous sponsorship from the Stanford MSTP, Stanford School of Medicine, the Office of the Vice Provost of Graduate Education (VPGE), and Stanford Biosciences.

In which formats can I upload my files?

Please upload your CV/resume and transcripts in Word, PDF, or JPG formats. We will not review any files in other formats.

Do I need to upload an official transcript as part of my application?

No; you are required to upload an unofficial transcript only. Upon acceptance, we will require that you submit your official college transcripts via mail. High school transcripts do not need to be sent.

Can I upload my essays to the application?

No; all essays must be submitted using the text boxes provided on the application. We strongly encourage you to write your statement of purpose in a word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word) first, then copy/paste your text into the text boxes provided on the application. Please be sure to carefully review your essays once you have entered them in the online application to ensure that all text has copied over properly.

What are the essay length requirements?

Each essay has a different character maximum (including spaces). Please read the instructions in each essay prompt carefully.

My recommender did not receive the email with instructions on how to upload their letter of recommendation. What do I do?

Please ask your recommender to check their spam mail folder, as sometimes request emails are routed there. If they are still unable to locate the e-mail in their spam folder, please contact us at stanfordmstp@stanford.edu.

If you have any questions that are not listed above, please email us at stanfordmstp@stanford.edu.