Nominations for Distinguished Graduate Awards Now Open
The Perelman School of Medicine is now accepting nominations for the 2014 and 2015 Distinguished Graduate Awards. This prestigious award recognizes alumni for their outstanding service to society and the profession of medicine, and for notable accomplishments in biomedical research, clinical practice, or medical education that garner national or international attention. All nominations must be submitted online by November 1, 2013.
The Distinguished Graduate Award was first presented in 1982 and has since been awarded to more than 60 graduates of the Perelman School of Medicine and its training programs. The award is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni and honors our graduates’ exemplary achievements in medicine. Past recipients include internationally-recognized researchers, pioneers in medical education, exceptional clinicians, and Nobel laureates. To see a list of previous awardees, click here.
Alumni may be nominated by other alumni, colleagues, peers, or faculty members. The winners are honored at a special reception with a certificate and a bronze medallion engraved with the Perelman School of Medicine thistle. In addition, the Distinguished Graduate awardees are listed on a plaque in the John Morgan Building.
Please click here to nominate an alumnus/a for the Distinguished Graduate Award by November 1, 2013.
The Jordan Medical Education Center Progressing Quickly
With the topping off of the structure expected in early September, construction of the Henry A. Jordan M’62 Medical Education Center is rising higher each day. We hope you will enjoy the latest renderings below of the new home of the Perelman School of Medicine.
To learn more about naming and other giving opportunities to support the Henry A. Jordan M’62 Medical Education Center, please contact Brett Davidson at brett2@upenn.edu or 215-898-9175.
Haiti - First Stop for Hayley Goldbach's Prestigious Media Fellowship
"After the 2010 earthquake, the eyes of the world were on Haiti. I feel very privileged to report on the unbelievable brain power and talent - both Haitian and international - working to rebuild the country," said Hayley Goldbach M’15. Ms. Goldbach is the 2013-2014 Stanford-NBC News Global Health and Media Fellow.
Ms. Goldbach’s weeklong visit to Haiti this June was inspired by earlier journeys to Florida and to Penn. A student ambassador at the Penn Medicine in Palm Beach dinner last spring, Ms. Goldbach was seated next to John Macdonald, M’62, vascular-surgeon-turned-world-renowned-wound-care-specialist who has devoted much of his career to global health.
Ms. Goldbach and Dr. Macdonald shared stories of their passion for global health. Upon learning about her extensive international work in Botswana and Malawi Dr. MacDonald said, "We need to get you to Haiti."
A professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Macdonald is the founder and secretariat for the World Alliance for Wound and Lymphedema Care. Now the medical director of the Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare in Port-au-Prince, he was on the ground providing disaster relief in Haiti 48 hours after the destructive 2010 earthquake.
"It was a huge inspiration to see Dr. Macdonald in Haiti. He is challenged by what he’s doing. But he loves his work, and it’s clear he knows he is in the right place," said Ms. Goldbach.
This impression was mutual.
"When Hayley joined us, she was immediately recognized as an especially competent clinician for a medical student - her grasp of the realities of difficult, developing nation approaches to effective care was obvious," Dr. Macdonald said. "I was filled with admiration and pride as I worked beside Hayley, not just for her, but also for how the Perelman School of Medicine is expanding to new frontiers of global health."
At Medishare, Ms. Goldbach rotated through the Pediatrics, Spinal Injury, and ICU wards, as well as a busy wound care clinic. And being the recipient of a global health reporting fellowship, she documented her experience through photography. You can view some of her photos from Haiti on our Facebook page.
"When you’re a doctor or a journalist, you find unbelievable stories happening with every patient in every clinic. I think the real story in Haiti is how the hospital is shifting from disaster relief to creating a Haitian hospital that is sustainable in the long term. My wish would be to report on how this goal is possible with the right resources and dedication."
Ms. Goldbach will have many more opportunities to find stories as she continues her journey. She is currently spending three months in New Delhi working for the World Health Organization, and then will take a semester of journalism at Stanford. She will finish her fellowship by working at NBC Studios in New York for six months - under Nancy Snyderman, M.D., chief medical editor for NBC and clinical associate of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Penn Medicine.
Keep up with Hayley’s reporting on her travels on her blog.
Walk, Bike, Remember - and Share
Create Your Own Social Giving Page with New Penn Medicine Online Tool
Translate your fundraising idea into action with Penn GivingPages. With just a few clicks, this new app lets you talk about your cause, depict your fundraising goal in easy-to-view graphics, add compelling video, and e-mail your whole contact list.
Created by Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations, the app supports alumni and donors who want to involve their families and friends in their fundraising activities. Gifts support the annual fund of the Perelman School or other designated entity. It’s an easy way to gain support for an upcoming event, memorialize a loved one, or inspire others to join you in your support of Penn Medicine.
Word is just starting to spread on this new tool. Visit Penn GivingPages and start sharing now.
