What Is Stanford Medicine 25?

Stanford Medicine 25 is a medical education initiative at Stanford University School of Medicine dedicated to bringing the physical exam back to the center of patient care.

As modern medicine leans ever more heavily on imaging and laboratory data, hands-on clinical examination skills have quietly fallen by the wayside. Stanford Medicine 25 works to reverse that trend through instructional videos, an annual skills symposium, and a growing global network — helping medical students, residents, and practicing physicians sharpen 25 essential bedside techniques, from cardiac auscultation and jugular venous assessment to lymph node palpation. The message is simple: diagnosis begins at the bedside, with your own eyes and hands.

"The Stanford Medicine 25 exists to restore the physical exam to its rightful place at the center of medical care."

— Stanford Medicine 25 Mission Statement

The Global Ambassadors Program

To extend its reach worldwide, Stanford Medicine 25 established the Global Ambassadors program, partnering with physical examination educators around the globe to co-produce teaching videos that are both clinically relevant and culturally responsive — so learners in different countries and clinical settings can all benefit.

Dr. Wu joins the program as the Taiwan (Asia) representative, putting KMU on the map in international medical education.

About the Video

Dr. Wu's video focuses on the clinical examination of a Sister Mary Joseph Node — a rare but critically important physical finding demonstrated through a real patient case.

A Sister Mary Joseph Node is a firm nodule at the umbilicus that may signal metastatic cancer in the abdomen or pelvis, most commonly originating from gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, or ovarian malignancies. The video walks through how this single bedside finding can prompt further workup and lead to an earlier cancer diagnosis.

About Dr. I-Chen Wu

I-Chen Wu, MD, PhD, received her medical degree from National Taiwan University and completed her doctoral degree at Kaohsiung Medical University. She currently serves as Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Medicine at Kaohsiung Medical University, and as an attending physician in the Division of Gastroenterology at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. Her research centers on translational and clinical studies of upper gastrointestinal cancers — particularly esophageal and gastric malignancies — and she is actively involved in developing novel endoscopic techniques, biomarker discovery, and the optimization of immunotherapy outcomes. Dr. Wu completed postdoctoral training at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and brings extensive experience in international academic collaboration.

Speaking about the importance of the physical exam, Dr. Wu noted:

"While modern diagnostic tools provide invaluable data, they cannot replace the nuanced insights gained through a detailed history and physical exam. These practices are essential for formulating a differential diagnosis and understanding the patient as a holistic individual rather than a series of clinical data."