An Up-Close Look: Education
Our students are more than “the future of medicine.” By caring for you, your loved ones, children and grandchildren, they will be the stewards of our family trees. Their ability to be the next great physicians depends on all of us, coming together, to ensure every generation of worthy students will be able to benefit from our superlative Penn education.
That is why our top educational priority for The Power of Penn Medicine campaign is financial aid, with an additional $50 million being raised—because finances and tremendous personal debt should no longer to be a barrier to our world-class program.
The Power of Penn Medicine Scholarship Challenge
Establishing a named scholarship fund is now easier than ever. Donors who participate in The Power of Penn Medicine Scholarship Challenge will receive special recognition credit and have the opportunity to make a matched gift—increasing the amount of scholarship support a student will receive. For those donors who want to go even further in their support, there is an option to make a blended gift with an outright gift and estate commitment that is also matched.
Increased access to financial aid is one of the most effective tools we have to recruit and retain top students from diverse backgrounds. In fact, 28 percent of the 2018 entering class identify as members of groups underrepresented in medicine.
And in rates that far exceed national averages, Perelman School of Medicine students are enrolling in programs to receive credentials beyond their medical degrees, including dual degrees: Approximately 60 percent of the 2018 graduating class received certificates or advanced degrees.
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“Our greatest minds have already shown us where biomedical research is headed. It’s our turn to heed the call and provide the resources to advance medicine’s next chapter.”
Dean J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
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This past spring, the world
got its first look at the
University of Pennsylvania’s
new $4.1 billion campaign.
What is the power of Penn
Medicine? It is our people and
their relentless pursuit of cures,
constant striving for innovation
in patient care, and a commitment
to educating the dynamic
future leaders of medicine.
$2 Million Gift for Scientists in Training
Financial aid isn’t only about undergraduate medical education and a visionary gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation proves just that.
Launched with an unprecedented $2 million gift, the Blavatnik Family Fellowship in Biomedical Research in the Penn Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) program will be competitively awarded to six Penn PhD students for each of the next four academic years. The fellowship ensures support for students during their work with their mentors, a pivotal relationship in their scientific journey.
“Many of our students are playing key roles in advancing major breakthroughs here at Penn thanks to BGS’s expert mentors, a world-class research infrastructure, and a culture of collaboration,” Dean Larry Jameson explained. “With the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, our talented Blavatnik Family Fellows will be able to transform their scientific passions into discoveries that improve human health.” By 2021, the Blavatnik Family Fellowship will have impacted 24 students.
“This investment in our future will benefit cutting-edge science now and over time as these trainees grow and drive innovation in their respective fields,” said Len Blavatnik, a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The inaugural class of Blavatnik Family Fellows are focusing on research projects with translational implication across many disease areas, including ocular diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, pancreatic cancer, metastasis, psychiatric disorders, and trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders, such as Huntington’s disease and Fragile X Syndrome.
Want to learn more about supporting our students through The Power of Penn Medicine campaign and Scholarship Challenge? Visit PowerofPenn.upenn.edu, call (215) 898-5164, or drop us a line at medalum@dev.upenn.edu