Transition of Suzanne Rose, MD, MSEd
February 20, 2025
With gratitude and admiration, we share the news that Suzanne (Suzi) Rose, MD, MSEd, who has served as Senior Vice Dean for Medical Education at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania since 2018, will transition from this leadership role on June 30, 2025.
The motto of the undergraduate medical education leadership team is “compassionate education with rigor,” which describes Dr. Rose and what she has accomplished at PSOM. She has created a strong team of dedicated educators and mentors in the Academic Programs Office -- compassionate leaders who support our incredible students as they begin and journey through medical school on their way to becoming talented physicians, scientists and scholars. Under Dr. Rose’s direction, the advisory dean program was enhanced with 16 advisory deans across all four years. She and her team innovated with technology, evident by the “learning in virtual environments.” This was essential, in particular during the challenges of Covid-19, when it was necessary to pivot from traditional modes of learning and teaching. Through these experiences, it was a joy for Dr. Rose to see students, faculty, and staff working together in genuine, collaborative spirit. And such collaboration and unity extended beyond the classrooms of the Jordan Medical Education Center and our teaching hospitals – our students are ever-present in our communities, giving their time, energy, and talents to serve our neighbors, an important part of our mission underscored by Dr. Rose’s leadership.
Such leadership was also instrumental in our recent review by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which resulted in accreditation with no adverse actions. Through the process, Dr. Rose oversaw new governance and objectives to enhance the educational experiences for our medical students. Focus on supporting our students has long been part of Dr. Rose’s tenure, and she is especially proud of the many student initiatives that thrived during her time as Senior Vice Dean: the Penn Medicine Orchestra, Humanities in Medicine offerings, and PennHealthX, which has grown into an endowed program that provides medical students with opportunities to explore, experience, and contribute to innovation in health care.
Dr. Rose is the recipient of many prestigious awards recognizing the impact of her scholarship and leadership. She has received the American Gastroenterological Association Distinguished Educator Award, and she was the inaugural recipient of the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs Distinguished Service and Leadership Award through the Association of American Medical Colleges. She was most recently awarded the 2024 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy President’s Award for exceptional mentoring of women in GI. In addition to Dr. Rose’s personal scholarship – editor of two books and author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and scholarly works – she is proud of the ever-growing scholarship of faculty, staff, and students in Medical Education, which has brought in several million dollars in grant funding and resulted in impactful presentations at national meetings during her time as Senior Vice Dean.
A consultative process to identify Dr. Rose’s successor will be led by Dr. Lisa Bellini, Executive Vice Dean, PSOM. Please join us in extending heartfelt thanks to Dr. Rose for her tireless service to our community and for her impact on strengthening our education mission. We look forward to her continued impact as she transitions to Special Advisor on Education to the Dean.
Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, Dean
Lisa Bellini, MD, Executive Vice Dean