Blog List - Penn Medicine

The Path through Penn Medicine: Differentiation of Each Student’s Journey

May 07, 2018

There is a shared background among every person who bears the letters “MD” after their name: They’ve gone through four years of medical school, learning similar basic sciences knowledge and clinical skills necessary to pursue medical licensing after they graduate.

Education Human Interest

Match Day: Out of the Comfort Zone and Into the Crucible

March 16, 2018

Match Day is the climax of medical school. It's one of the most visible and dramatic outcome of four years of hard work. For many, it will be a day of pure joy. But because the Match process is not unlike being picked sequentially in gym class, the day is also a source of anxiety and uncertainty.

Match Day Education

Penn HealthX Aims to Expand the Conversation Beyond Boundaries in Medicine

January 03, 2018

When the news broke of the FDA approval of a gene therapy for the treatment of a form of retinal blindness, some medical students at Penn had an insider’s perspective. Not only was the therapy initially developed by researchers at Penn and CHOP, but a medical student group called Penn HealthX had hosted in-depth conversations about bringing that scientific discovery to the marketplace.

Education Health Care Policy General Interest

Mur, Mur, Mur

December 04, 2017

I’ve apparently got a “great” heart murmur. I think it’s some mix of loudness and clarity that makes it a particularly good murmur. It’s actually kind of charming, how much doctors and residents tend to nerd out about it. They’ll tell me, “Ah, that’s a really wonderful murmur!” and I’ll react with a “Thank you,” as if they’d complimented my fastball.

Cardiology Education

The Not-so-Famous Way to Get Health Info

November 03, 2017

The truth is, celebrity news stories attract a lot of eyeballs. So it’s not surprising that media outlets continue to use that angle for stories on health and disease, with headlines like “14 Celebrities with Breast Cancer” or “Stars Who Have Battled Cancer.” What is surprising is that it may not be what patients actually want to read when they’re looking for health information.

Education Cancer

When Eadward Muybridge Came to Penn

November 01, 2017

Deep within the annals of Penn Medicine’s two-and-a-half centuries is a fun little story that ties together horse racing, an eccentric man with a Rip Van Winkle beard, The Matrix, and the University of Pennsylvania. It starts, as many good stories do, with a (possibly apocryphal) bet.

General Interest Education

Getting to Know You

October 16, 2017

Starting today, Penn Medicine hospitals in Philadelphia are asking patients to share more information in their electronic health records. For example, in addition to reporting their sex at birth, patients are now offered the opportunity to provide specific information about their gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as their ethnicity and preferred spoken and written language.

Measures that Matter Education Patient Care

How Penn Researchers Simplify Science

August 30, 2017

When it comes to presenting information in an easy to understand way, clinicians and researchers at Penn Medicine often turn to analogies – much like our 9th grade bio teachers did – to help explain the complexities of what they do, to boil down seemingly common but not always easily defined treatments and diseases, and give some relatable context to their research.

Education Basic Science Endocrinology Diabetes Translational Research pharmacy Cancer

Combining Yoga with Medical Studies Helps Students Connect, Recharge, Remember

August 28, 2017

By mindfully moving and breathing with the body parts that earlier in the day they had learned about in lectures and examined up-close in donated cadavers in the lab, first-year medical students at Penn gain a deeper appreciation of these structures in a living body.

Education

Happy 100th Birthday to Ray Perelman!

August 21, 2017

August 22 marks Raymond Perelman’s 100th birthday. Whether you’re a long-time alumnus, a recent graduate, or Philadelphia resident, you’re no doubt familiar with the exceptional generosity of Ray and his late wife, Ruth. Their historic gift of $225 million named the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine and has helped boost student financial aid, recruit the best physicians and scientists, and accelerate innovative research.