Department of Medicine–

Career Planning

We are committed to strong clinical training for all graduates.  Stanford provides unique access for housestaff to both basic science and clinical research faculty. This research addresses a range of issues from the basic science of molecular and genetic research to clinical research and research in medical informatics. These faculty members are readily available to housestaff on rounds and in conferences.

Around a core program, we shape residents' schedules to facilitate and promote career choices. Furthermore, our mentoring philosophy means that all housestaff are linked to faculty to facilitate involvement in research projects, regardless of their career goals. In sum, Stanford is not simply a training program; rather, it is an educational program to prepare for the future leadership roles.

With these resources, and by avoiding predetermined "tracking," the program enables housestaff to develop excellent clinical skills while discovering and being assisted in accomplishing long-term career goals.

Recent Graduates

Stanford Graduates have many opportunities once residency is completed. Here is a sample of career choices of recent Stanford Internal Medicine Residents:

Hospitalist

12%

Gastroenterology Fellowship

12%

Cardiology Fellowship

27%

Pallative Care Fellowship

2%

Hematology-Oncology Fellowship

11%

Rheumatology Fellowship

4%

Endocrinology Fellowship

2%

Infectious Diseases Fellowship

6%

Pulmonary Fellowship

1%

Allergy Fellowship

1%

Immunology Fellowship

1%

Other (eg. Primary Care, Travel Medicine, CDC)

21%

 

Academic Medicine

Residents can prepare for a career in academic medicine in two ways.  The traditional 3-year residency program followed by a fellowship allows residents to enter any academic subspecialty or academic general internal medicine. Stanford has fellowships in all of the medical subspecialties, including:

In addition, there are fellowships in six general medicine areas, including:

The VA fellowship can focus on a variety of research areas, including medical decision making, outcomes research, and medical education.  It is possible for fellowships to be combined; for example a fellow may focus on a specific subspecialty and also do a complementary fellowship in general medicine outcomes or health policy.

The Clinical Investigator Pathway

Overseen by Linda Boxer,MD, the Hematology Division Chief, this pathway consists of two years in the residency program followed by a fellowship program with a greater intensity of research time. This pathway can be ideal for residents who come to Stanford with a strong research background and experience (often with a prior PhD) as it allows them to pursue their research more quickly than does the traditional pathway. The Stanford faculty research base, within the Department of Medicine and throughout the institution, offers a wide range of opportunities and mentors for CIP residents.

 

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