Everything You Need to Know About SIMR — The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program
If you’re a high school student interested in pursuing a degree in biological sciences or medicine, you should consider an internship in the field!
In this blog, we'll review the Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) in detail. Hosted by one of the top schools in the world, this program offers a valuable opportunity for students to explore the latest advancements in medicine and related fields. This internship will help you gain hands-on experience in lab work, explore potential career paths in your chosen field, build your skills, and contribute to real-world research projects. Participating in SIMR will demonstrate your dedication to academic and practical learning, making your experience stand out on college applications.
A prestigious internship like this one can also help you get strong letters of recommendation from faculty and professionals in the field that will help you in your future endeavors.
What is SIMR?
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research (SIMR) Program is an eight-week summer internship program, for which high school juniors and seniors with a broad range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and researchers on a medicine-oriented project.
The goals of the program include encouraging students’ interest in biological sciences and medicine and helping them understand how to conduct scientific research. The program consists of hands-on research under the direct guidance of a one-on-one mentor at a top-class lab at Stanford University’s School of Medicine as well as other departments.
Research Areas & Faculty
Students applying to the program can choose from eight areas of research (institutes) — Immunology, Neurobiology, Cancer Biology, Bioengineering, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Cardiovascular Biology, Bioinformatics, Genetics and Genomics. Once accepted, students will be assigned to a specific institute based on their choices.
Another option SIMR students have is participating in the Bioengineering Team Internship. This is a hands-on learning experience in bioengineering that does not involve a lab research component. The same application can be used for both programs.
All day-to-day mentors are Stanford graduate students or post-doctoral fellows who will work closely with each student to carry out a research project in the lab of a faculty member. You can check out the websites for the eight institutes/research areas listed above for more details on the faculty and research topics.
How is SIMR structured?
SIMR is an 8-week summer research internship program open to high school students who are juniors or seniors at the time of application. The program consists of hands-on research under the direct guidance of a mentor at a research laboratory within the Stanford Institutes of Medicine.
There will be a mandatory orientation and safety session on the first day that you must attend in order to participate in the program.
During the first two weeks, you will attend lectures several times a week in the morning, and spend the rest of your day in your lab. In the next couple of weeks of the program, there will be a joint lecture once a week.
Most of the summer is reserved for full-time lab work. You will typically work for about 40 hours (Monday through Friday) during the 8 weeks of the program which includes the weekly lectures. Students are expected to generally work in the daytime and not during evenings or weekends.
During the last 2 weeks of the program, you will work on preparing your poster for the poster session. The poster session will take place on the last day of the program in the evening between 6-8 PM. You will get to present your research posters to your families and the Stanford community in an informal setting. During the summer, you will also attend a lecture on how to make these research posters and will receive guidance from your lab mentors and TAs.
You can read about the former students’ experiences here.
Cohort Size: SIMR is fairly competitive and prestigious with an acceptance rate of less than 3% (approximately). This year around 50 students are expected to attend the SIMR internship program. The actual number will depend on the number of participating labs and the funding sources.
Location, dates, costs & stipend
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) for the year 2024 will be held in person at the Stanford University campus, Stanford, CA.
The program runs for 8 weeks in the summer between June and August. The 2024 program will run from June 10 to August 1.
Cost:
There is a $40 application fee to apply. The application fee will be waived if your gross family income is under $80,000 or if you have special circumstances that make it difficult to pay. If you need to waive the fee, you can indicate this on the online application. The deadline for the fee waiver request is typically in February.
If selected to participate in the program, there is no cost for any student.
Housing/transportation are not provided by the program and all participants are required to live with a family member/legal adult guardian during the program. If selected for the program, those who are not from the Bay Area will be asked for immediate housing verification.
Stipend:
All students participating in the program will receive a stipend. The amount of the stipend varies depending on the student's supporting grants.
At a minimum, all students will receive $500 for the summer.
However, the program also receives funding from several special grants specifically supporting students from groups that may be underrepresented in biomedical research, such as low-income students, future first-generation college students, women, and individuals with disabilities. Students funded by these grants may receive a minimum of $1500 for the summer. Such students are especially encouraged to apply to SIMR.
Who is eligible for SIMR?
To be eligible to apply, all 3 of the following requirements must be met:
Students must currently be high school juniors or seniors at the time of application.
Students must also be 16 years old or older by the start of the program.
Students must currently be living in and attending school in the U.S. AND must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a green card to apply.
Note: The selection process will heavily favor local (Bay Area) students. Also, students must be able to start the program on the first day of the program.
Although any student is welcome to apply, SIMR focuses on creating opportunities for local Northern California students. Students who are from groups that are under-represented in the United States biomedical research workforce, including (but not limited to) students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students who will be first-generation college students, women, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Application process
The applications for SIMR typically open in December and close in February. Students are notified about the application decision in early April.
Applicants must apply online through the Slideroom application portal. The online application will be available on the website from December onwards.
There is a $40 application fee for all students. Students with a total family income under $80,000 may choose to waive the fee by filling out the Google form on the application under the fee waiver section inside the application. Also, students may select to waive this fee for special circumstances.
Letters of recommendation are important. These should come from teachers or mentors who know you well and can vouch for your academic abilities and potential for success in a rigorous research environment.
A key component of your application will be your personal statement. This is your opportunity to convey your enthusiasm for medical research and articulate how participating in SIMR aligns with your future objectives.
On the application, you will have to rank the institute in which you prefer to work. If accepted, you will be given a list of faculty who have offered to host students in their labs and their research topics which you will rank again. You are not supposed to contact the Faculty on your own for the lab placement.
All students will be emailed regarding the status of their application on the notification date that will be posted on the website (likely in early April).
Pros & Cons of applying to SIMR
Pros:
SIMR is a prestigious program as it is highly selective when accepting applicants, and the selection is entirely merit-based. This year, around 50 students are expected to attend the SIMR internship program out of thousands of applicants. Being selected to attend tells admissions officers that your academic aptitude and skills are well advanced.
You will have unlimited access to resources and guidance. Whether it is theoretical learning, mentorship, or real contribution to a research project - this internship will offer you all of it, at the appropriate times and with appropriate guidance.
SIMR is an in-person internship program that will help you gain hands-on lab experience, contribute to research projects, and present your findings to experts. This will also work toward boosting your college applications.
You will have a productive networking opportunity with Stanford faculty, mentors, seniors, and peers. You will get to connect with experts and like-minded individuals at all levels.
There is no cost to participate in SIMR except the $40 application fee that can be waived making it easily accessible for you to gain experience in hands-on research and helping you to improve your skills. The program also provides a competitive stipend between $500 - $1,500 to the participants.
Cons:
The program is highly selective so the extremely competitive nature of the program can make it challenging for some students, who may not want to spend too much time and effort on an application with such a low acceptance rate.
Only high school juniors and seniors aged at least 16 years are eligible to apply for the program so students who don’t fit the bracket will not be able to participate in the program.
The program gives preference to academically motivated students who are applying from the Bay Area so those who are from other places might find it difficult to get selected for the program.
This internship requires complete commitment to the program. The internship program for Summer 2024 will be 8 weeks long. You’ll be expected to attend the entire duration of the internship and to work for about 40 hours a week.
Our Review - Should You Apply?
The SIMR program introduces students to the world of medical research while promoting active engagement with the scientific process and science identity. As the program is extremely selective, only a few students get the chance to participate every year and preference is usually given to academically talented students from the Bay Area. However, participating in summer programs such as the Stanford Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) can significantly enhance a student’s profile and personal statement. For students passionate about medicine and biology, spending a summer at SIMR is an excellent opportunity. The program is both prestigious and free, making it an exceptionally valuable experience.
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Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.