Prospective Students: Why Stanford Neuroscience?
Research
Students have the opportunity to work with any of the faculty members who are affiliated with the Neuroscience program. Our faculty come from departments campuswide including Neurobiology, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Neurosurgery, Biology, Genetics, Comparative Medicine, Electrical Engineering, Otolaryngology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Applied Physics, Molecular & Cellular Physiology, and Anesthesia. All are distinguished scientists who have made fundamental discoveries in all areas of neuroscience from molecules to cognition, and have international reputations for excellence in both research and teaching.
Academics
Graduate students can choose how they would like to distribute their credit requirements, offering great flexibility in their coursework. Students are also encouraged to take courses in other departments that may benefit their research (i.e. biosciences, math, and engineering). Stanford School of Medicine continually strives to improve the graduate education system. Most recently, the kernel course, an introductory course for all bioscience students, and mini courses, one to three week practical courses, have been introduced into the curriculum.
Community
The program has a strong community, fostered in part by the SIN boot camp for first year students, an annual retreat held near Monterey, and many other student-run events that encourage mingling, such as happy hours, inter-class dinners, and the weekly Stanford Neurosciences Institute seminar series. Students have a history of initiating groups and events to fill in the gaps. Those in the fourth year and beyond present their work to the student community during monthly Superfriends gatherings. In addition to the existing book club for discussing popular science literature, some students have recently begun a writing group - NeuWrite West - to improve their own skills in communicating science to a general audience.
Stanford Life
Students partake in a variety of activities both on- and off-campus. The gorgeous weather year-round means that many students hike, bike, and rock climb in the area, with weekend ski trips to Lake Tahoe common in the winter. Some of the students perform with the Stanford Shakespeare company, swing and salsa clubs, or local music groups. The graduate community organizes many social events including movie viewings, restaurant outings, and parties. Many graduate students in the program choose to live in San Francisco, and for those who prefer living near Stanford, San Francisco is a short CalTrain ride away.
Outreach
Stanford Neuroscience offers graduate students several opportunities to participate in science outreach to local students. Each year Brain Day and SPLASH classes are taught to local middle school and high school students. We show them real brains from rodents, birds, and even humans! Students also teach general science to elementary school students via the Stanford Science Bus and 49ers programs.