Pros
Extreme flexibility in research objectives and how to carry them out and in work-life balance. Access to outstanding equipment, students, and scholars. Beautiful campus.
Cons
Career uncertainty in biotech field is a real problem. Severe lack of straightforward path to tenure track positions in academia is a bigger problem. Stanford has been ineffective at helping students and scholars navigate this difficult career environment. Compensation for post docs is a joke, especially since it is taking longer and longer for post docs to obtain tenure track positions - unrealistic compensation for people who now have to live off a "stipend" while starting a family - but this problem is nationwide. Horrible bureaucracy in Stanford places unrealistic burden on students and post docs - Stanford needs to reevaluate what they are doing. Parking is very far away from the medical research buildings and parking permits are very expensive for an employer that owns a tremendous amount of land.