Stanford University
Postdoctoral Scholars–

Appointing New School of Medicine Postdoctoral Scholars

Below are the necessary forms to manage the initial admission and registration of a new postdoctoral appointment. These forms require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Please see the Forms Help page for more information.

A new admission package consists of the below listed items. The required items make-up an "Appointment Package" and are the minimum requirements to admit a new postdoc. Postdoctoral Services asks that only complete Appointment Packages be submitted. Every form necessary to complete an appointment is available herein by clicking on the underlined form. The only exception is the California Medical License for MD appointments; but the department is responsible for following up on the form (sending it to our office to the attention of Laura Obergfell). [You can use the web site http://www.docboard.org/ca/df/casearch.htm to search for a current, valid California license if the scholar does not yet have a copy of his/her license.]

Special Note: It is Stanford policy to appoint postdoctoral fellows 100% FTE. Less than a 100% appointment requires pre-approval.

We have a School of Medicine Postdoctoral Scholar Appointment Checklist.

Required Items for a "Complete Appointment Package"

The Offer Letter
The Department Recommendation Form
The Information Sheet for Postdoctoral Scholars must be completed, signed and dated by the fellow. The original should be submitted to Postdoctoral Services and a copy kept in Department files.
Proof of Degree
The MD/Patient Care Information Sheet PDF Format is a two-part form. Page 1 is completed by the sponsoring faculty member for all fellows with an MD, or the foreign equivalent. The second page, an Immunization Record, is required for all MD's (and foreign equivalents with any patient care). Postdoctoral Services will forward page 1 to the Housestaff Office and page 2 to Cowell Student Health Center.
Proof of Outside Support must be provided when the fellow is not being paid through Stanford.
CV

The Offer Letter

The Offer Letter is the single most important document for both the postdoctoral scholar and the faculty sponsor. This document is an agreement signed by both the sponsoring faculty member and the postdoctoral scholar. A sample letter is available for your use. The offer letter should include:

start & stop date
starting annual support (salary or stipend) in U.S. dollars and the source of the support
succinct description of duties and responsibilities
vacation, sick leave, bereavement leave, maternity/paternity leave policy established by the faculty sponsor (if established). PLEASE NOTE: Any leave policy must be acceptable to outside funding agencies. Requests in writing to the funding agency from the postdoc and/or department sponsor is recommended. The funding agency response should also be received in writing.
 statement on mandatory health insurance and the department's responsibility to cover the Postdoc's own health premium costs (for HMO.) The insurance may be Cardinal Care (through Cowell) or CIGNA (through our office). Exceptions to coverage through Stanford sources are made only when the postdoctoral scholar has provided proof of comparable health insurance (i.e. through spouse or foreign country). [click here for more details on this policy.]
registration status (as a non-matriculated student) and tuition statement (includes statement about 'non-employee' status)
signature of both faculty sponsor and postdoctoral fellow.

Please address all points listed above and refer to monetary support as either "support" or "stipend". A postdoc is not a "salaried" employee since s/he is a student, even though some support is generated through payroll.

Proof of Degree

A copy of the postdoc's diploma (English translation attached to original) is required in almost every case. If the postdoc has more than one doctoral degree (i.e., MD and Ph.D), only one diploma is necessary for admission as a postdoc.

In some instances a postdoc may not yet have their final degree conferred, but has completed all the requirements for a doctoral degree. In these cases a letter may be accepted from the postdoc's institution stating the date the postdoc completed ALL the requirements and the date the degree is to be conferred. These postdocs will be "conditionally admitted" and registered for only one quarter. Registration will not be extended until a diploma copy has been received.

Proof of Outside Support

In the event the postdoc is not supported and paid through Stanford (payroll or Stipend) then proof of the postdoc receiving outside support is imperative to complete the admission process. This proof allows for proper tracking of the postdoc's support while at Stanford and is the single element that trigger's extension of the postdoc's registration and payment of tuition on their behalf. Typical examples of this type of support is the PAVAMC, home country government award, foreign fellowship the postdoc is bringing with them, etc.

This proof is normally a copy of a letter from their sponsoring institution which must include an English translation if appropriate. The letter should include the begin and end dates of support, the amount of the support in U.S. dollars and the name of the institution or fellowship which is supporting the fellowship training while at Stanford. Exchange rates can be easily retrieved from the Oanda currency converter.

It is important to send Postdoctoral Services proof of "extension" of outside support as the postdoc's training is extended. Please monitor your postdoc's on outside support closely so their registration and tuition can be maintained during their fellowship training.

If you are having problems printing any Postdoctoral Services forms you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0. Please see the Forms Help page for more information.

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