2007

Four years ago, the School of Medicine established the Office of Corporate Alliances. Its mandate: to bring Penn scientists and clinicians together with industry scientists, marketing people, and managers. Going beyond some surface differences, they often find reasons – and ways – to collaborate.

For the first time last fall, the School of Medicine divided its incoming class into teams of six and seven. The idea is that, to be effective as doctors, students will have to learn how to work well in teams and learn how to lead them. Most health care today is not provided by solo practitioners; and in hospitals, patients are often cared for by multiple doctors and teams of professionals.

A Critical Period : Three of Penn's schools were prominently involved in an initiative to gather the latest information about adolescent mental health. In all, nearly 150 experts in a variety of fields and from around the country helped evaluate what we know — and don't know — about this important topic. The results include a massive book for specialists, a series of books for parents, and a series for teens with mental illnesses.