PHILADELPHIA – Medical students in the 2016 graduating class of the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) yet again stand out as the some of the most accomplished and well-rounded graduates in the country.
Of this year’s 140 graduating students, 56 percent obtained dual degrees or certificates, including joint MD/PhDs or master’s degrees in subjects ranging from bioethics to business. Approximately 8 percent of graduates in the United States pursue these types of combined training programs, putting PSOM’s Class of 2016 at seven times the national average; one of the many reasons why PSOM has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for 19 consecutive years. This year, eight graduates will also be pursuing careers in business or consulting in lieu of enrolling in a residency program.
“Our 2016 graduating class and its diverse areas of interest showcase the ongoing evolution of health care and medicine. Our field is constantly changing, and I am confident that this year’s graduates will continue Penn’s legacy of advancing knowledge and improving health through innovative research, quality patient care, and ongoing education,” said Gail Morrison, MD, senior vice dean for Education at the Perelman School of Medicine.
The student address will be given by Rebekah Lucien (‘16), who will be pursuing a specialty in pediatrics during her residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Rebekah’s medical school journey was recently featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Other speakers this year include Michael Brown, MD, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (‘85) from the PSOM class of 1966 and Perelman alumnae Bonnie Hepburn, MD, also from the class of 1966.
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WHERE:
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Kimmel Center for Performing Arts
260 South Broad Street on the Avenue of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA 19102
NOTE: Reporters and Photographers must sign in with Steve Graff or Johanna Harvey the main lobby and pick up a ticket to gain admittance. Cell: 215-301-5221 or 215-873-3870
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WHEN:
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Sunday, May 15, 2016 (9:00 am to 12:30 pm)
9:00 am — Welcome remarks given by Gail Morrison, MD
9:03 am — Opening remarks given by J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
9:10 am — Commencement address given by Michael Stuart Brown, MD, class of 1966 and Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (‘85)
9:30 am — Bonnie Hepburn, MD, a member of the class of 1966
9:45 am — Presentation of diplomas and hoods (best time to cover)
10:30 am—Student speaker Rebekah Lucien to give remarks
10:45 am—Recitation of the Hippocratic Oath
11:00 am—Recessional
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WHO:
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· J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
· Michael Brown, MD, Nobel Laureate, co-recipient of 1985 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, W. A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research, director of the Jonsson Center for Molecular Genetics, co-director of the MD/PhD Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
· Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumna Bonnie Hepburn, MD (‘66), clinical professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego
· Perelman School of Medicine student speaker Rebekah Lucien (‘16), incoming resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
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Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.