Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania facts for kids
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Other name
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Penn Med |
|---|---|
| Type | Medical school |
| Established | 1765 |
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Parent institution
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University of Pennsylvania |
| Affiliation | University of Pennsylvania Health System |
| Dean | Jonathan A. Epstein (interim) |
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Academic staff
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2,100 (full-time) 1,200 (residents and fellows) |
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Administrative staff
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3,334 |
| Students | 775 M.D. students 594 Ph.D. students 186 M.D.-Ph.D. students 329 masters students 704 post-doctoral fellows |
| Location |
,
,
U.S.
39°56′51″N 75°11′32″W / 39.947454°N 75.192356°W |
| Campus | Urban |
The Perelman School of Medicine, also known as Penn Med, is a famous medical school in the United States. It is part of the University of Pennsylvania, which is one of the top Ivy League universities. Located in Philadelphia, it was the very first medical school in the U.S., founded way back in 1765.
Contents
History of Penn Med
How the Medical School Began (1700s)
The Perelman School of Medicine was started by John Morgan. He was a graduate of the College of Philadelphia, which later became the University of Pennsylvania. He also studied medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland, and other European cities.
In 1765, Morgan returned to Philadelphia. He worked with William Shippen Jr., who also studied in Edinburgh. Together, they convinced the college leaders to create the first medical school in the Thirteen Colonies.
Before the school opened, John Morgan gave a speech. He hoped the new medical school would be a great example for others. He believed it would help spread medical knowledge across America.
Students started taking classes that autumn. They learned about anatomy and how to treat illnesses. The school was set up like the University of Edinburgh Medical School. This meant students learned in lectures and also by seeing patients at the Pennsylvania Hospital.
Early teachers at the school included important doctors and scientists. Some of these were Benjamin Rush, Philip Syng Physick, William Shippen Jr., and Robert Hare. Dr. Benjamin Rush was also a key figure in the American Revolution. He was one of the Founding Fathers and signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
Growth in the 1800s
In the middle of the 1800s, other important teachers joined Penn Med. These included William Pepper, Joseph Leidy, and Nathaniel Chapman. Chapman was the first president of the American Medical Association. Later, two doctors who helped start Johns Hopkins Hospital also came from Penn's medical faculty.
Changes in the 1900s and 2000s
In 1910, a big report called the Flexner Report looked at medical education. Penn Med was praised for its high standards. It had strict rules for who could join, great teaching, and good research facilities.
In 2011, the school got a huge gift of $225 million. This gift was from Raymond and Ruth Perelman. Because of this generous donation, the school was renamed the Perelman School of Medicine. This was the largest gift ever given to the university at that time.
Campus and Hospitals
From 1765 to 1801, medical classes were held in Surgeon's Hall in Center City Philadelphia. In 1801, the medical school moved with the rest of the university.
In the 1870s, the university moved again, this time across the Schuylkill River. The medical teachers convinced the university to build a teaching hospital right next to the new school buildings. This means Penn's medical school and its main hospital are very close to each other. They are also near other university schools.
Even though they are separate, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Wistar Institute are also located very close to Penn's campus.
The main hospitals where Penn Med students learn are:
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Students also learn at Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.
Medical Discoveries and Progress
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Penn Med was a leader in new medical fields. These included brain surgery (neurosurgery), eye care (ophthalmology), skin diseases (dermatology), and X-ray imaging (radiology).
From 1910 to 1939, Alfred Newton Richards helped Penn become a top place for medical science. His work helped the U.S. catch up with Europe in biomedical science.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, Jonathan Rhoads mentored Stanley Dudrick. Dudrick found a way to give patients all the nutrition they needed through a vein. This was called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). It helped patients who could not eat normally.
In the 1980s and 1990s, trauma surgeon C. William Schwab made big steps in "damage control surgery." This helps severely injured patients.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Paul Offit helped create the modern RotaTeq vaccine. This vaccine protects children from a serious type of diarrhea.
In 2006, Drs. Kaplan and Shore discovered the cause of a very rare bone disease. It is called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
How Medical Students Learn
Medical science and practice are always changing. Because of this, the school often updates how it teaches. Big changes were made in 1968, 1970, 1981, 1987, and 1997.
The most recent major change happened in 2022. The school started the IMPaCT curriculum. This new way of teaching focuses on:
- Learning in small groups
- Students learning on their own
- Being flexible in studies
The curriculum has three main themes: Science of Medicine, Technology and Practice of Medicine, and Professionalism and Humanism. These themes were created with input from teachers and students.
Advanced Biomedical Studies
The Perelman School of Medicine also has a program called Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS). This program started in 1985. It is where about 700 students study to get a PhD in basic biomedical sciences.
BGS includes over 600 teachers from seven Penn schools. It also works with places like Wistar Institute and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. There are seven main graduate programs, called "graduate groups," that lead to a Ph.D. in basic biomedical sciences:
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Genomics and Computational Biology
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
All students in these programs receive money to live on (a stipend) and a full fellowship. Most students finish their degree in about 5.4 years. Students can also get extra certificates in medicine, public health, or environmental health sciences. Each program has its own rules for joining and its own classes.
How Penn Med is Organized
The Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) together are called "Penn Medicine." This structure helps connect Penn's patient care, teaching, and research.
Penn Medicine is guided by a board of trustees. This board reports to the university's main trustees. Kevin B. Mahoney is the CEO of UPHS. J. Larry Jameson is the Dean of Medicine and an Executive Vice President of the health system.
Departments and Specialties
The School of Medicine has many departments. These cover both basic science and clinical practice.
Basic science departments include:
- Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology
- Cancer Biology
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
Clinical practice departments focus on treating patients:
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care
- Dermatology (skin)
- Emergency Medicine
- Family Practice and Community Medicine
- Medicine (general internal medicine)
- Neurology (brain and nerves)
- Neurosurgery (brain surgery)
- Obstetrics (pregnancy) and Gynecology (women's health)
- Ophthalmology (eyes, see Scheie Eye Institute)
- Orthopaedic Surgery (bones and joints)
- Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat)
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (studying diseases)
- Pediatrics (children's health, see Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Psychiatry (mental health)
- Radiation Oncology (cancer treatment)
- Radiology (medical imaging)
- Surgery
Special Centers and Institutes
The Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Health System have many special centers and institutes. These places focus on patient care, research, and bringing new discoveries from labs to patients.
Famous People from Penn Med
Many important people have studied or taught at the Perelman School of Medicine. Some of them have even won the Nobel Prize. Others have received the Medal of Honor. Hundreds of alumni have made big contributions to health and well-being around the world since the 1700s.
See also
In Spanish: Escuela de Medicina Perelman para niños
- Guatemala Health Initiative, a group that works with the Perelman School of Medicine
- List of Ivy League medical schools
- Medical schools in Pennsylvania
- University of Edinburgh Medical School
- University of Pennsylvania Health System
