A Milestone for Medical Education at Penn Medicine
January 22, 2026
This year, Philadelphia will play a leading role in the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Penn Medicine’s proud history pre-dates our nation’s founding, marked by nearly three centuries of “firsts” that have come to define modern science and medicine. Today, I am thrilled to announce another milestone that will advance our place in the field for generations to come: A landmark $8 million gift from the RTW Foundation, led by Penn Medicine Board Member Rod Wong, M’03, and Marti Speranza Wong, C’98, will launch a bold plan to reimagine undergraduate medical education at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). I invite you to learn more about this effort, known as FRAME: Fueling Re-imagination to Advance Medical Education, here.
This generous gift sets in motion a broader initiative that will examine and modernize all aspects of our educational programs. It’s an ambitious goal, and in this year of historic celebrations, we draw inspiration from our institution’s earliest days.
Beginning in 1765, the future of medicine took shape inside borrowed lecture halls in Philadelphia’s Old City through the vision of the PSOM’s founding physicians, John Morgan and William Shippen Jr. One hundred years later, the University of Pennsylvania acquired land where our West Philadelphia campus stands today, and by 1874, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania opened as the nation’s first university-owned teaching hospital. During that century riven by war at home and abroad, the groundwork for our mission today was firmly laid, bolstered by experiences in battlefield medicine, improved hygiene and sanitation practices, and nascent laboratory science discoveries.
Penn Medicine has long been at the forefront of innovation to improve how we treat and deliver care to our patients, approach and solve challenging research questions, teach and learn from each other, and make a difference in our communities. The reimagination of our curriculum will ensure that Penn Medicine will offer the flexibility and bold thinking that will prepare our students to lead in the future. We’ll blend cutting-edge technology, tools, and artificial intelligence to create a rich data ecosystem built to guide each student on their educational journey. New tracks for innovation and entrepreneurship will equip students to lead in emerging areas of the field. We will also examine “time to degree” and enhance hands-on experiences to get students into their careers faster.
These efforts will span all areas of our education mission, including biomedical graduate studies and our master’s, certificate, and joint-degree programs. Our exemplary education leaders, including Lisa Bellini, MD, Jennifer Kogan, MD, Ilene Rosen, MD, Michael Ostap, PhD, Emma Meagher, MD, and Daniel Kessler, PhD, bring deep experience and a sharp vision to the work set to unfurl in the years ahead. UPHS CEO Kevin Mahoney is a steadfast partner and advocate in ensuring that just as each of our patients can count on the very best care in our health system, so too can our students and trainees find in it the experiences and inspiration that will guide their lives and careers in science and medicine.
Our faculty, staff, and learners will be integral to these efforts – each person in our community has ideas that will help us shape our reimagined curriculum. You’ll be hearing more in the weeks and months ahead about ways to share your thoughts and to get involved.
Please join me in celebrating today’s wonderful news and in looking ahead with excitement and pride.
Jonathan A. Epstein, MD
Dean, Perelman School of Medicine
Executive Vice President, University of Pennsylvania for the Health System