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How We Live

Wellness, Quality of Life, and Benefits and Perks

Wellness

The well-being of our residents is a priority here at Stanford Psychiatry. The Department, Training Program and GME continue to work together to understand and find solutions to the broader systemic issues impacting physician wellness. The COVID-19 pandemic and other recent events have brought on new and exceptional challenges to physician wellness. Through our resident-led committees, e.g. on wellness and connectedness, GME-wide initiatives, and other events, we continue to support our residents so they can be the best physicians possible. Below are avenues through which residents, faculty, and administration foster a supportive and enriching environment to ensure resident well-being throughout their training.

Training Program Initiatives and Events

Frequent informal check-ins with training directors and open door policy
Weekly process group with co-residents
Weekly protected didactic time all 4 years
Annual PRITE night
Annual PGY-2 Appreciation Dinner
Fall mini-retreat and spring full-day retreat
Dinners with Training Directors and Meet the Faculty events
Self-care retreats sponsored by adjunct faculty
Weekly lunchtime Wellness sessions for PGY1s on the inpatient VA Psychiatry rotations
Resident-led inter-class Wellness and Connectedness Committee

Stanford University Offerings

Free access to Stanford's extensive athletic facilities including gyms, pools, tennis courts, yoga studios, and a championship golf course
Mindfulness meditation offered on campus
Supplemental educational activities including access to Stanford University lectures and groups
Discounted Stanford athletics tickets

GME Benefits

Excellent health coverage for residents, spouses, and dependents including free prescriptions
Access to long-term individual and couples psychotherapy (covered by insurance in full)
Free pass for Caltrain, VTA, and local buses
Reimbursement for Step 3, Licensing Fees, and DEA certification
Monetary incentives for green commuting and health wellness
Free financial consultations
Childcare reimbursements and coverage
HealthySteps employee wellness programs

Stanford psychiatry has a culture of support, enthusiasm, cooperation, and mutual respect. This creates a learning and training environment where I'm personally and professionally happy to come to work each day. I didn't think I'd enjoy residency this much."

- First year resident

Quality of Life

You may think we have no time for fun during residency...but one of the best things about Stanford is being in a diverse, beautiful and exciting part of the world and having the time outside of residency to enjoy it! Moreover, fellow residents and faculty make quality of life a priority by creating a culture that values balance. Below is just a sampling of all that Palo Alto and the greater San Francisco Bay Area have to offer.

Recreation

Beautiful hiking and biking trails nearby and throughout the Bay Area
Stanford Cantor Arts Museum, Anderson Collection Rodin Sculpture Garden, Cactus Garden
Music venues (Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain Winery, SF Symphony Hall, etc)
More yoga studios than Starbucks
Stanford Shopping Center, conveniently located steps from our offices
Farmers markets abound with delicious organic produce
Beaches for surfing, sailing, kayaking, picnicking, whalewatching
Access to seasonal skiing/snowboarding and summer water sports in Tahoe (3 hr drive)
Bustling arts scene with local open mics, local art vendors and festivals, theatre performances, comedy shows, touring musicals, concerts,
Museums (Modern art, natural history, interactive Exploratorium, and more)
Wine tastings, from Cupertino to Napa Valley

Cuisine

The Bay Area is home to many diverse communities and blessed to have access to delicious and innovative cuisine. Some popular food options among residents include: “Mission-style” burritos at Taqueria El Farolito, contemporary Pakistani and Indian cuisine at Zareen’s, Caribbean American cuisine at Back A Yard, Burmese Cuisine at Rangoon Ruby, and much more!

Sports

College sporting events - including Stanford and Cal teams
Professional sporting events - SF Giants, SF 49ers, Oakland A's, Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, San Jose Quakes
World-class athletic facilities at Stanford including multiple gyms, with rock-climbing walls, swimming pools, tennis courts, and affordable fitness classes

Day Trips

SF, Oakland, San Jose, Sausalito, Marin, Muir Woods, Napa, Sonoma, Tahoe, Yosemite, Monterey, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Calistoga

Benefits and Perks

Stipends and Bonuses

Year	Annual	Per Month
PGY-1	$92,123.20	$7,676.79
PGY-2	$96,241.60	$8,019.98
PGY-3	$102,731.20	$8,560.77
PGY-4	$107,972.80	$8,997.56

Effective 9/1/2024
*Base Rate includes 10K Housing.
*Salaries for 2024-2025, do not include the cell phone and meal allowance bonus

GME Reimbursements

$3,500 one-time moving allowance paid in August - (New Hires only)
$2,000 per year education bonus - must complete required Healthstream modules (for books and resources, even if you don’t buy any)
$1,000 per year miscellaneous allowance (use towards cell phone charges, gas, etc.), paid in July
$2,000 per year meal allowance, paid in July

For more information and updated numbers, please visit the Stanford GME Website
*All stipends and allowances do not require receipts and will be taxed

Insurance and Health Care

Medical, Dental, Vision, insurances are provided and co-pays are covered
Psychotherapy insurance covered
Disability (short and long term), Life, & Malpractice insurances are provided
Medication prescriptions (including co-pays) are covered if received at Medical Plaza Pharmacy (211 Quarry Rd)
Access to Stanford Integrative Medicine clinic which may include free acupuncture
Residents can participate in online health initiatives to earn up to $500 in wellness incentives to be used towards any health-related expenses
Discounted care for spouses and families

Licensure and DEA

Program Perks

Stanford University Benefits

Discounts on cell phone plan (15-18%)
State of the art Gym facilities
Free Marguerite shuttles transport around campus to/from Cal Train, SHC & Palo Alto VA Hospitals
Free CalTrain Pass and other deals depending on where you live
Clean Air Cash if you live far enough off campus and take alternative transportation
Discount access to Stanford golf course
Access to Stanford University Libraries
Additional sweeteners, like free access to top of Hoover Tower, Windhover Meditation Center, Cantor Art Center, and Anderson collection with Rothko and Pollock paintings

"The best thing about this program has been the feeling that the administration of the program (program leaders, support staff, faculty) genuinely care about our professional development and that they see a thriving personal life as intertwined in this process. This includes validating our experiences as residents, caring about the service to didactic ratio of our work, promoting the idea that we should have time and space for a life outside of residency, supporting the idea that the mind needs space to stretch out, explore, and be creative."

- Fourth year resident

Visiting Stanford

Area maps

Airports

Stanford is roughly equidistant from the San Francisco and San Jose airports. Three major airports serve the San Francisco Bay Area:

We suggest comparing fares to all three airports, as there can be significant differences, even for the same airline.

Choosing airports

Although San Francisco is the largest of the three area airports and offers the most airlines and flights, some visitors find that San Jose’s smaller size makes it a somewhat more convenient alternative, especially for domestic flights.

Lodging

Stanford’s location adjacent to Palo Alto and Menlo Park offers an abundance of lodging choices, ranging from B&Bs and motels to luxury hotels.

The Stanford lodging guide is based on proximity to the main campus and includes website links, rates, and contact information.

Other helpful lodging information is available at Destination Palo Alto.

While our program does not endorse Airbnb, some visitors have had relative success using the lodging application.