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About the School of Medicine

Institutional Resources

Penn Medicine is a $2.7 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and quality patient care. It comprises The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). Dr. Arthur Rubenstein is the Executive Vice President of the University and Dean of the Medical School in 2001. Dr Rubenstein oversees both UPHS and the School of Medicine. PENN Medicine employs over 15,300 people and had total operating revenue in FY2003 of $2.35 billion.

The School of Medicine was founded in 1765 by John Morgan, a native of Edinburgh. The emphasis, from the outset, was to integrate medical research with education. The first students graduated in 1768. Today, Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools.

Education at the School of Medicine

Presently there are 1485 full-time faculty; 965 residents and fellows; and 705 post-doctoral fellows working in 46 departments.

During the year 2004-2005, 533 Ph.D. students were enrolled in Biomedical Graduate Studies and 88 Ph.D. students have indicated they will matriculate into the program in the fall of 2005.

During 2004-2005, there were also 716 medical students. Generally, the first year class numbers approximately 150 students. In 2005, these students were selected from an applicant pool of 5,586.
One hundred sixty students are enrolled in combined degree programs leading to an M.D. combined with a Ph.D., Master of Bioethics, Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE), Master of Public Health (MPH), or Master of Business Administration (MBA).

A Twenty-first Century Endowed Penn Scholars Fund has been established eventually to provide full tuition for all of the School’s Medical Students. Approximately 45 Scholars were enrolled in the School of Medicine during 2004-2005.

Research at the School of Medicine

In FY2004, the Penn SOM ranked 2nd nationally among academic medical centers in total NIH funding, receiving $393.6 million. Of this total, $364.3 million was for 841 sponsored research awards; and $20.4 million was for 64 training grants.

The School of Medicine ranked first nationally in training grants.

In addition, private support in FY2003 to PENN Medicine (the School of Medicine and the Health System) totaled $108 million. Of this, $64M was in gift dollars and $44M in faculty-driven grants from private funding sources. The total raised has grown by 46% since FY1999.

For FY06, the School of Medicine has an annual sponsored project budget of $505 million, which is approximately 2/3 of the total University of Pennsylvania annual sponsored project budget of $750 million.

A total of 58 patents were received by School of Medicine faculty in FY2004; 30 of these were United States patents.

Currently, there are 892,000 net sq. ft. (nsf) of research space. This includes the Stellar Chance Laboratories that were opened in the summer of 1994 and the Biomedical Research Buildings (BRB) 2 / 3, an additional 264,000 nsf, which opened in April 1999.

Penn is a major research facility of the Howard Hughes Medical Institution (HHMI) with 5 HHMI investigators.

The commitment of the institution to interdisciplinary research across the university is exemplified by the recently founded Penn Genomics Institute (PGI) under the direction of David Roos. The PGI has core space in the newly developed Biological Life Sciences Building, but will recruit relevant faculty throughout the campus.

An important institutional resource which supports patient oriented research is the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). The GCRC was established in 1960 and moved to a newly renovated unit in 1990. The GCRC plays a pivotal role in education in patient oriented research (POR). This includes participation of GCRC staff in both the previously described IPOR course and the new Masters’ program in POR.

Additional core facilities within the School of Medicine support cellular biology, sequencing, genetic overexpression and deletion in mice, studies in zebrafish and protein crystallography.
Also affiliated with the research and educational functions of the School of Medicine are the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center (PVAMC) and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System was founded in 1993 as the nation's first integrated academic health system. It includes three wholly-owned hospitals: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Presbyterian Medical Center; a faculty practice plan (Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania); a primary-care provider network (Clinical Care Associates); two multispecialty satellite facilities (Penn Medicine at Radnor and Penn Medicine at Cherry Hill); the Penn Center for Rehabilitation and Care; and UPHS Home Healthcare and Hospice Services.

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) was the first formal University Hospital in the United States, founded in 1874 with a commitment to bedside teaching by faculty, a model developed in the British Isles. The Hospital comprises 671 licensed beds. It employs over 4,200 individuals including 1727 physicians in 2 million sf of space spread over 16 interconnected buildings. Features of the Hospital include the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, one of only 39 National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation; the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), which conducts clinical trials; and PennSTAR, a critical-care flight program with three helicopters that transfer critically injured patients in the Philadelphia region. During FY2004, there were 35,518 adult admissions; 1,065,605 outpatient visits, 52,500 emergency room visits, and 3,776 births.

Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. The campus includes specialty treatment centers, such as the Joan Karnell Cancer Center and the PENN Neurological Institute. Pennsylvania Hospital has 534 licensed patient beds and 869 physicians in 1.2 million sf of space spread over 19 buildings. During FY2004, there were 22,404 adult admissions; 166,017 outpatient visits; 26,572 emergency room visits; and 4,672 births.

The Presbyterian Medical Center houses a number of specialties including Penn Cardiac Care, Penn Orthopaedics, and the Scheie Eye Institute. Presbyterian Hospital has 344 patient beds and 826 physicians occupying 1 million sf in 13 buildings. During FY2004, there were 14,252 adult admissions; 235,332 outpatient visits; and 30,165 emergency room visits.

The Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP) was established in 1997 and includes 22 practice plans with 1,271 physicians. During FY2004, 1.5 million outpatient visits were recorded.

The primary care provider network, Clinical Care Associates (CCA) and Clinical Health Care Associates of New Jersey (CCA/CHCA), includes practices located throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, providing primary care and specialty care services. In FY 2004, CCA/CHCA practices recorded more than 744,274 outpatient visits.

Two multispecialty satellite facilities in Radnor, PA and Cherry Hill, NJ, provide a range of primary and specialty care services.

Penn Cardiology at Cherry Hill provides specialty cardiology services.

Penn Center for Rehabilitation and Care, a 124-bed nursing home located at 36th and Chestnut Streets in West Philadelphia.

Penn Home Infusion Therapy

Wissahickon Hospice

Penn Care at Home