| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Name | Student Leader(s) | Advisor(s) | Mission | Type of Group |
2 | Bringing Lots of Tampons (BLOT) | Elizabeth Graham, Anjali Mahajan | Dr. Caitlin Ingraham, Dr. Monique Farrow | Throughout the globe, there are hundreds of millions of people who do not have access to basic menstrual products and hygienic facilities for use during their periods. The term "period poverty" seeks to encompass this issue and can be defined as the inability to afford or access essential items such as tampons, pads, or menstrual cups, leading to compromised hygiene, health risks, and profound societal implications. This reality is further exacerbated by numerous social factors. Menstrual products are rarely donated to shelters and food banks. Moreover, even when products are available in these locations, people are often not aware, and the stigma surrounding menstruation causes many people to feel too embarrassed to ask. Furthermore, this is not just a global issue; it is a national and local one. One study looking into the widespread impact of period poverty on US students found that nearly 1 in 4 have struggled to afford period products in the United States. Additionally, lower-income students and students of color are more impacted by lack of access, and 51% of students have worn period products for longer than recommended. Tampons are not covered by any assistance programs, and make-shift alternatives can be very dangerous for an individual’s health. In Philadelphia, almost a quarter of residents live in poverty, and Black Philadelphians are almost twice as likely to live in poverty as White Philadelphians, indicating there is likely an issue of equity when it comes to accessing menstrual products in the local area . Further, period products, which are a necessity, aren’t covered by Medicaid, SNAP, or WIC; they are also not required to be provided in Philadelphia public schools. Additionally, there is a lack of education surrounding menstruation in schools: 76% of students are taught more about the biology of frogs than the human female body. This shortage of knowledge and lack of dialogue in popular culture when it comes to menstruation contributes to its stigmatization, and further discourages more conversation about menstrual equity. Through Bring Lots of Tampons (BLOT), we aim to combat these issues by advocating for menstrual justice at Penn Med, the University, and the Philadelphia community. Menstrual justice is a multifaceted concept that encompasses educating and destigmatizing periods as well as supporting efforts to ensure that every individual in need is able to obtain the products and resources for a safe, healthy period. Our goal is to organize lunch talks on topics that dive deeply into the reality of period poverty as well as educate the medical school class about understudied topics regarding menstruation. We plan to hold sessions on topics such as period poverty in Philadelphia, heavy menstrual bleeding/pain and its social implications, and a history of menstrual stigmatization. We hope these sessions will expose medical students, including ourselves, and faculty members to new concepts and allow us to more confidently and comfortably speak about important issues related to menstruation with our patients. Additionally, we intend to make an impact in the local community through fundraisers and run menstrual product drives that provide resources to Philadelphians in need. We hope to do so in collaboration with organizations such as The Covenant House, Homeless Outreach Group, and No More Secrets. We feel confident that through BLOT, we can help support the menstrual equity movement in Philadelphia and shed light upon a topic that is often left in the dark. | Activism |
3 | Cards for Courage at Penn Med | Jocelyn Chau, Taylor Phillips-Jones, Jade Ikahifo-Bender, Anna Chen | Madhura Pradhan | Our mission is three-fold: to provide emotional support to patients through hand-drawn cards with uplifting messages; to teach art as an outlet for creativity and a means for kids to learn about, serve, and connect with patients in their community; and to engage medical students in the important roles of educating young minds, providing compassionate support to patients, and facilitating a sense of connection between members of the greater Philadelphia area. | Activism |
4 | FReSH (Food Redistribution to Support Health) | Jordan Dourlain, Victoria McReynolds, Hope Kim | Dr. David Jaffe | FRESH is a food redistribution student group, coordinating weekly food drops to local churches and community support groups. This initiative reduces food waste in hospital cafes while also redistributing and supporting local communities experiencing food insecurity. | Activism |
5 | Healthcare Sustainability Group | Elizabeth Whidden (CDYO) Phoebe Cunningham (CDYO) Sarah Wornow (MS2) Hope Kim (CDYO) Claire Zhang (MS2) Isha Thapar (MS2) | Dr. Farah Hussain | The Healthcare Sustainability Group seeks to encourage sustainable practices within the Perelman School of Medicine as well as within the greater University of Pennsylvania Health System. We also seek to educate future clinicians about the impacts of climate change on health and healthcare. | Activism |
6 | Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) | Emma Morganroth, Rachel Rigsby, Yunliang Zhao, Kyler McVay, and Katherine Mahoney | Sarah Gutman, MD, MSPH and Elizabeth (Libby) Wetterer, MD | Medical Students for Choice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that works to destigmatize abortion provision among medical students and residents, improve reproductive health education and training, and support medical student advocacy. Our chapter aims to provide the Perelman community with information surrounding reproductive rights and abortion provision, encourage and empower future pro-choice physicians, and incorporate reproductive justice conversations into our medical school education. | Activism |
7 | NAMI On Campus | Jason Zheng (MS1) Habib Akouri (MS1) | Tina Chen | NAMI on Campus is local campus based, student run branch of the National alliance on Mental Illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. This includes providing resources for individuals suffering from mental illness, engaging in education efforts to destigmatize mental illness, and fostering a community that is conducive to those who are suffering from the effects of mental illness. | Activism |
8 | Penn Med Votes | Emma Bernstein, Yinlu Zhu, Anjali Mahajan | Judd Flesch | Penn Med Votes is a health-system wide organization that is dedicated to increasing civic engagement among patients and staff by promoting voter registration and helping hospitalized patients file emergency absentee ballots during elections. | Activism |
9 | Penn Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED)-American Medical Association (AMA) Chapter | Anant Mishra | Atheendar Venkataramani | Serve as the PSOM chapter for the Pennsylvania Medical Society and American Medical Association. We our voices and experience to advocate both within and beyond these bodies for health policy that serves the interests of all Pennsylvania physicians and their patients. | Activism |
10 | Philly TREEs Initiative | Jenny Lu (MS1) Rishi Shridharan (MS1) | Dr. Eugenia South Dr. Misha Rosenbach | With the support of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philly TREEs partners with local environmentalists to increase urban tree canopy in Southwest Philadelphia to improve neighborhood health along a variety of axes: temperature control (cardiovascular disease, etc.), air quality (respiratory disease, etc.) and mental health. Through talks, panels and, most importantly, volunteer prunings/plantings, we build medical student familiarity and facility with racial and environmental health issues, and improve relations between Penn and the medical apparatus generally and those living in underprivileged areas of our city. | Activism |
11 | Students Opposed to Racism in Medicine (StORM) | Danealle Parchment Jonathan Gaither Nicholas Simpson Anjali Mahajan Samuel Neuman Zahraa Hotait | Jaya Aysola | StORM is a student group dedicated to spreading awareness, promoting critical thinking, and equipping medical students with the skills and knowledge needed to advocate and address inequalities and oppression in medicine derived from identity related politics (Read: Race, Gender, Sexuality, Religion, etc.). In doing so, StORM intends to create an environment of inclusivity and respect. | Activism |
12 | Language Access Alliance | Angela Sun, Jingyi Zhang, Ha-Neul Yu, Montita Sowapark | Dr. Kristin Maletsky | Language Access Alliance aims to educate the student body on the role of language in healthcare and advocate for improvements to language services in our community through student-driven initiatives, collaboration with administrators, and interdisciplinary networking. | Activism |
13 | apenndx | Tanya Kurnootala, Ian Ong, Jingyi Zhang | Dr. Amanda Swain, Dr. Horace DeLisser | We are a student-run bi-annual magazine that would provide a publishing outlet for students interested in both science communication (i.e. Scientific American or Popular Science) and narrative medicine (i.e. literary magazines), covering both biomedical research at UPenn and the narrative medicine realm for students. We aim to increase a. scientific communication skills with the aim of developing skills to communicate science to patients in the future in an engaging way, b. foster creative skills for students to express their emotions in medicine through prose, poetry, photograph, and art, and c. provide a publishing outlet for student work. | Arts |
14 | Fine Arts & Medicine (FAM) | Jasmine Wang Yinlu Zhu | Lyndsay Hoy | The Fine Arts & Medicine student group aims to integrate art within the medical school community through art-making sessions, arts & crafts volunteering, and learning about research in creativity. | Arts |
15 | Penn Med Medical Ethics Interest Group | William Zhang | Dr. Stephen Gluckman | To create a space for the understanding and discussion of the principles and issues present in medical ethics, with an emphasis on practical applications and lived clinical experiences. | Arts |
16 | Penn Med Symphony Orchestra | David Zhang, Charlotte Monsour | Steven Weinberger | Our group’s mission is to establish and sustain a full symphonic orchestra composed of primarily graduate and professional students at Penn as well as undergraduate students, residents, fellows, postdoctoral associates, physicians, faculty, staff, and other members of the Penn community. Our goals as an organization are: (1) to leverage music as a mechanism for promoting wellness, (2) to connect graduate and professional students across the Penn campus, (3) to create a sustainable community at Penn and in the greater Philadelphia area through music, and (4) to pursue artistic excellence. | Arts |
17 | Penn Scribble | Lillian Wieland Darbentz Olmand | Lance Wahler | We aim to encourage medical students to develop and share their literary interests and talents with each other. Our group focuses on writing of all kinds, with a particular interest in narrative medicine. We host monthly/bimonthly writing workshops and hold lunch talks with successful writers. | Arts |
18 | Medical Humanities Council | Isabella Li, Jingyi Zhang | Dr. Amanda Swain | The Medical Humanities Council aims to oversee arts and humanities programming and development within PSOM (1) By providing a space for collaboration, publicity, and dialogue between existing and future humanities and arts groups (2) Serving as an organizational umbrella for projects, committees, and ideas that extend beyond the scope of one particular student organization (3) Advocating for arts and humanities interests to medical school and health center faculty in areas of programming, curriculum, scholarly/professional development and administrative infrastructure" | Arts |
19 | Addiction Medicine Interest Group | Connie Yu (MS2); Elizabeth Whidden (CDYO) | Deepa Rani Nandiwada Jeanmarie Perrone | The purpose of this organization is to promote collaboration between students at the Perelman School of Medicine interested in treating and preventing substance use disorders and the practitioners, community organizations, and local and national policy makers doing that work across the city. The organization also aims to build the base of providers trained in addiction medicine by connecting students with faculty mentors, organizing training sessions, and linking students to opportunities for further engagement with the field, including fellowships and conferences. Finally, the Addiction Medicine Interest Group will collaborate with existing organizations to amplify ongoing work across campus and across the city, such as overdose reversal trainings and advocacy for safe injection sites. | Clinical Interest |
20 | Agnew Surgical Society | Prateek Sharma (President), Rohin Maganti (President-Elect), Therese Murphy (VP), Michaela Asher (Education Co-Chair), Sarah Barnett (Education Co-Chair), Chau Phung (Education Co-Chair), Justin Greisz (Mentorship Co-Chair), Kirin Naidu (Mentorship Co-Chair), Sanjena Venkatesh (Mentorship Co-Chair), Keshav Shah (Research Co-Chair), Mackenzie Castellanos (Research Co-Chair), Lancelot Herpin (Community Outreach Chair) | Ari Brooks | The Agnew Society sponsors several informal lectures on topics in surgery at meetings throughout the year, as well as skills workshops and a shadowing program for pre-clinical students. | Clinical Interest |
21 | American Physician Scientist Association (APSA) | Margaret Tamburro, Han-Seul Ryu | Skip Brass | The American Physician Scientist Association (APSA) is a national student-focused group founded in 2003, that actively supports medical student participation in research pursuits. Our local Penn Chapter focuses on supporting medical students interested in pursing careers as clinician-scientists as well as volunteering in outreach efforts to interest local youths in the clinician-scientist pathway. | Clinical Interest |
22 | Anesthesia Interest Group (AIG) | Chrishanthi Pathmanabhan, Brandon Tang, Ami Shi, Tommy Truong | Maryam Nilfosharan | The goal of the Anesthesia Interest Group is to foster opportunities for professional development and mentoring for first year through fourth year medical students. | Clinical Interest |
23 | Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Society (AIMS) | Lars Lindgren, Omar Shareef | Dr. Kevin Johnson | Create a space for interested students to learn about AI in medicine, explore related research opportunities, and collaborate with other schools at Penn on interdisciplinary efforts. | Clinical Interest |
24 | Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) | Shikha Singh, Sarah Barnett, Adina Singer | Emily Carter Paulson | The chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons at Perelman aims to build a community of support for women interested in surgery to encourage and enable them to realize their personal and professional goals. | Clinical Interest |
25 | Black Student Surgical Society | Gabrielle Cole, Abigail Obeng-Marnu, Ogooluwa Fayemiwoo, Gabrielle Scales, Jacob Thomas, Danielle Johnson | Dr. Brendan Williams | Our mission is to cater to Black students entering Perelman School of Medicine who are interested in surgery. We hope to inspire interest in surgery through academic and longitudinal mentorship/family with a 1:1 (student : faculty) pairing. | Clinical Interest |
26 | Cardiology Interest Group | Aidan Crowley, Arnab Dey, Molly Eron, Osahon Iyamu, Rachel Rigsby | Howard Julien | Promote and support medical student interest in a career in cardiology through events, connections, research, and service. | Clinical Interest |
27 | Cardiothoracic Surgery Interest Group (CSIG) | Aidan Crowley, Sankrit Kapoor, James Lao, Victoria Li, Brian Lu | Pavan Atluri | The Cardiothoracic Surgery Interest Group (CSIG) at the Perelman School of Medicine aims to increase medical student exposure and access to the field of cardiothoracic surgery. CSIG connects medical students to CT surgery faculty and residents, facilitating mentorship, shadowing, and research engagement. CSIG also organizes educational talks and surgical simulation events throughout the year. | Clinical Interest |
28 | Clyde F. Barker Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG) | Ruoheng Zeng, Jonathan Szeto, David DeVaro, Beth Thompson, Anh Dang, Shanzay Khan | Julia Glaser Anna Ohlsson | The Clyde F. Barker Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG) at the Perelman School of Medicine strives to provide exposure and opportunities for engagement for medical students within the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Medical students can learn more about the specialty through clinical opportunities, research projects, and educational / simulation sessions. The VSIG also affords those students interested in pursuing residency training in vascular surgery the opportunity for longitudinal mentorship relationships with current trainees and faculty. | Clinical Interest |
29 | Cope Society for Interventional Radiology Interest Group | Felix Nnaji, Jamaal Magoti, Kenny Um | Ryan Cobb | The Interventional Radiology Interest Group serves to expose the field of IR to medical students and facilitate mentorship and research opportunities for interested students. | Clinical Interest |
30 | Cornfeld Pediatric Society | Kass Zhang, Angela Sun | Morgan Greenfield | The Cornfeld Pediatric Society aims to serve as a bridge for medical students to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, connecting students to general pediatrics, pediatric medical and surgical subspecialties, shadowing, grand rounds, and volunteering. We also provide mentorship from faculty and senior medical students toward our goal of helping students discern a career in pediatrics and apply to pediatric residency programs. As a PSOM student group, we collaborate with other interest groups related to pediatrics, including the CHOP Homeless Health Initiative, CHOP Family Connects, and more. | Clinical Interest |
31 | Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) | Julia Giordano (MS3) Christina Cruz (MS3) Ayelet Rubenstein (MS3) Ari On (CDYO) Alexandria (Lexi) Lange (MS1) | Katherine Steele | To increase interest in the field of dermatology and to create a community for medical students interested in dermatology to interact. | Clinical Interest |
32 | Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) | SChristian Bogardus, Steven Du, Joy Gonzalez | Angela Cai | Dedicated to promoting and fostering interest in the field of emergency medicine among PSOM students. | Clinical Interest |
33 | Penn Endocrinology Interest Group | Amy Wu, Ally Marenco | Dr. Carrie Burns | To promote student interest in and exposure to endocrinology while also advancing knowledge of endocrine conditions more broadly. | Clinical Interest |
34 | ENT Interest Group | Iulia Tapescu, Anusha Naik | Tiffany Hwa | Mentorship, networking, educate about ENT. | Clinical Interest |
35 | Family Medicine Interest Group | Aurora Golden-Appleton, Ivan Chan, Anjali Mahajan, Hope Kim | Dr. Pam Garcia | The Family Medicine Interest Group supports medical students interested in the field of family medicine to learn about the broad scope of practice. The group provides a space for students interested in primary care or family medicine to find mentors, speak with more senior students about their experience in family medicine, and learn about the role of primary care providers in addressing challenges facing Philadelphia, such as the opioid epidemic, trauma, gentrification, and more. | Clinical Interest |
36 | Geriatrics, Aging, and Neurodegenerative Disease in Medicine and Society (GrANDMAS) | Jessie Cheng (MS2) Jonathan Szeto (MS2) | Alyson Michener Lauren Massimo | To inform medical students about new developments in Geriatric Medicine and Aging/Neurodegenerative Disease Medicine/Research, connect students across disciplines that emphasize geriatric/neurodegenerative care, and mentor students with a particular interest in these fields. | Clinical Interest |
37 | Global Health Interest Group (GHIG) | Michelle Kwon, Anthony Thompson, Jin Cai, Shanzeh Sheikh | Daphne Owen | This interest group serves to not only expose the student body to burgeoning interventions and topics in global health, but also to engage in longitudinal professional development and identify near-peer mentors based on research areas of interest. It is our hope to facilitate a pre-professional track that students could continue to rely on in the future for considering summer and away rotation placements abroad or at the IHS, residencies with global health tracks, fellowships, and academic careers. While other similar student organizations are fantastic collaborators, this organization is strategically placed to provide resources about the immense field of global health while not limiting itself to oncology or surgery. | Clinical Interest |
38 | Global Oncology Interest Group (GO) | Jordana Avigad, Ether Dharmesh, Vitor Souza | Lawrence Shulman | To provide an opportunity for students to explore global health opportunities in oncology, and to support the non-profit Global Oncology, which seeks to improve cancer care for underserved populations around the world. | Clinical Interest |
39 | Infectious Disease Interest Group | Gabriela Grady, Molly Eron, Samantha Ratner | Dr. Maulin Soneji | Dedicated to promoting and fostering interest in the field of infectious disease among PSOM students. | Clinical Interest |
40 | Leo Leung Orthopaedic Surgery Society | Elizabeth Bernstein, Pranav Kodali | Cara Cipriano | Leo Leung Orthopaedic Surgery Society is a student group at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to sparking interest in orthopaedic surgery and related research. With this goal in mind, our group organizes regular events to provide students with exposure to orthopaedic surgery from both clinical and research perspectives. We also collate and distribute resources and opportunities for students interested in orthopaedic surgery. | Clinical Interest |
41 | Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) | Courtney Kaplan and Sula Fraulsto | Randel Swanson | The Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group is a student group dedicated to promoting the principles of lifestyle medicine—such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, and social connection —as foundational tools for preventing, treating, and reversing chronic disease. Our group provides educational events, clinical skill-building opportunities, and community outreach to empower future physicians to integrate evidence-based lifestyle interventions into patient care. | Clinical Interest |
42 | Nourish | Jordan Dourlain, Victoria McReynolds, Hope Kim | Dr. David Jaffe | Nourish is a student-led elective that provides medical students with practical nutritional knowledge for healthcare settings, familiarize them with foundational principles in dietetics and provide an additional lens through which to consider disease management via a series of lunch talks. | Clinical Interest |
43 | Nowell Pathology Interest Group | Barbara Xiong, Zhuoyang Wang, Kat Xia | Roseann Wu | The Nowell Pathology Interest Group (NPIG) was formed for medical students to gain exposure to the diverse subspecialties and practices within pathology, as well as to provide mentorship and support to those applying to pathology residency programs. The group hosts career panels, seminars, and special events throughout the year featuring residents, fellows, and faculty from Penn Medicine’s Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, including the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP). The NPIG also collates pathology-related career resources, connects students with shadowing opportunities, and encourages membership and engagement with national pathology organizations. | Clinical Interest |
44 | Ob/Gyn Interest Group | Emma Bernstein, Jasmine Phillips, Katharine Song, Lizzie Graham, Abby Obeng-Marnu, Licia Bravo, Katie Mahoney | Heidi Ching | To highlight the field of Ob/Gyn, explore issues in reproductive health, provide mentorship and educational opportunities for students. Our labor and delivery shadowing program allows students to shadow on the labor and delivery floor, while our gyn shadowing program allows students to shadow gynecologists from several different sub-specialties in their clinics. We hold several events including: lunch talks with various leaders in the field, a "how to succeed on the ob/gyn clerkship" event, sub-I prep panel, sex-education talks, faculty career panels, advocacy opportunities, and more. Additionally, we provide ongoing research opportunities for students to work with residents on projects. | Clinical Interest |
45 | Oncology Interest Group (OIG) | Ethan Wong, Aniket Dagar, Casey Mogilevsky | The purpose of the Oncology Interest Group is to provide medical students with opportunities to explore the field of oncology, across the spectrum from basic science to clinical application. We hope to expose students to the variety of career paths within oncology, connect students with research opportunities, and facilitate relationships with faculty. Communication to this end will include, among other means, class emails and fliers. At the same time, we aim to raise awareness of the prevalence of cancer and contribute to efforts to improve outcomes for those affected. | Clinical Interest | |
46 | Palliative Care Interest Group | Riley Choi, Jingyi Zhang, Rachel Rigsby | Alana Sagin | The mission of the Palliative Care Specialty Interest Group is to expose Perelman students to the field of palliative care, from career paths to its benefits for patients, and allow them to engage with palliative care outside of the academic curriculum. As medicine advances and palliative care continues to grow, we aspire to promote its benefits among all PSOM students, regardless of intended clinical specialty, in order to improve the quality of life of future patients. | Clinical Interest |
47 | Penn Global Surgery | Sadia Laisa, Ha-Neul Yu, Bayan Galal, Michelle Kwon, Jamal Magoti, Alvin Yu | David Spiegel, Neil Sheth, Jordan Swanson | The Penn Global Surgery Group is a dynamic group of students, residents, and faculty interested in the exciting field of global surgery. We host lectures, organize a bi-annual symposium featuring leaders in global surgical development, and collaborate with global surgery groups in the United States and abroad. We are also actively engaged in research and publish a quarterly newsletter with news and narratives about surgery from across the world. | Clinical Interest |
48 | Penn Med Rare Disease Interest Group | Caleb Rhodes (MS1) Shridar Parthasarathy (MS1) Kathryn Farrell (MS1) Daniel Chafamo (MS1) Giorgio Cocchella (MS1) Caroline O'Rourke (MS1) | Denise Adams | The Penn Medicine Rare Disease Interest Group’s (Penn Med RareDIG) aim is to create a community in which medical students can learn about and advocate on behalf of those who suffer from rare diseases. Given the high collective prevalence of rare diseases, we believe medical students should be properly prepared to treat these patients in adult and pediatric realms. | Clinical Interest |
49 | Penn Radiation Oncology Interest Group (Penn RadOnc Interest Group) | Keshav Goel (MS3) | Michael LaRiviere | We will continue our mission of supporting students who are interested in the field of radiation oncology, bringing in speakers to talk with them about the field, connecting them with clinical and research mentors, and help them learn more about multidisciplinary cancer care. | Clinical Interest |
50 | PennMed One Health Club | Claire West, Jade Riopelle, Alice Zhang | Dr. Farah Hussain | One Health is a movement calling for a collaborative effort of professionals and scientists across disciplines to concurrently improve the health of humans, animals, and our shared environment. It began primarily with veterinarians but has gained broad international traction in the 21st century. | Clinical Interest |
51 | Plastic Surgery Interest Group (PSIG) | Sarah Barnett, Holly Cordray, Ashley Chang | Dr. Joseph Serletti, Dr. Said Azoury | The mission of the Plastic Surgery Interest Group (PSIG) is to serve as a resource for students at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who are interested in learning more about and applying for residency in plastic surgery | Clinical Interest |
52 | Radiology Interest Group (RIG) | Jennie Cao; Trent Levy; Alfredo Lucas; Helen Song; Michael Yao | Scott Simpson | The Radiology Interest Group offers mentoring, networking, and research opportunities for Penn students interested in radiology and imaging sciences/technology. We work closely with Penn physicians and faculty to organize educational seminars and panel discussions, along with mentorship and research opportunities. As formal education/exposure to Radiology is quite low at the medical student level relative to other specialties, we believe it is imperative to offer extra-curricular opportunities to inform and excite those interested in the field. | Clinical Interest |
53 | Sight Savers / Ophthalmology Interest Group | Aiden Adams, Christopher Aiello, Kevin Song, Tanya Kurnootala, Jin Cai, Helen Zhou | Prithvi Sankar, Rithambara Ramachandran | The group has three major missions: (1) to make eye care more accessible, (2) to educate people in the Philadelphia community on the necessity of regular vision checks, (3) to provide first and second year medical students with hands-on clinical experience. | Clinical Interest |
54 | Strecker Psychiatry Interest Group (SPIG) | Blake Gilbert-Bono & Briana Macedo | Tingfang Chen | The Strecker Psychiatry Interest Group aims to not only provide medical students with opportunities to explore the field of psychiatry, but also address critical issues of mental health access and delivery impacting vulnerable communities. Some of our past work includes organizing crisis intervention training workshops, hosting discussions on stigmatized mental health issues within medicine, creating and maintaining a repository of free resources for mental health crises and basic needs, proposing changes to the medical school curriculum as it relates to psychiatry and mental health, and connecting students to research opportunities and physician mentors. Through our work, we hope to empower aspiring physicians to create meaningful change across the mental health landscape through the realms of clinical medicine, research, academia, advocacy, and activism. | Clinical Interest |
55 | SONO Ultrasound Interest Group | Ana Acevedo (MS4) Soma Umeozulu (MS4) David Yang (MS4) Waleed Mujib (MS2) Emily Sheng (MS2) | Wilma Chan Christy Moore | SONO aims to supplement the existing ultrasound curriculum at Perelman SOM by reinforcing the concepts taught during formal class time and broadening students’ exposure to ultrasound techniques and applications beyond the scope of the ICM course. The group accomplishes these goals through a series of guided and open scanning sessions with faculty and upper-level medical student instruction, ultrasound-oriented career advising sessions from Penn clinicians, and clinical shadowing of 4th-year ultrasound fellowship students. Additionally, SONO will incorporate a competition-based image review session in which teams will correlate abnormal findings to course material. | Clinical Interest |
56 | Sports Medicine Interest Group (SMIG) | Elizabeth Bernstein, Margaret Tamburro, Jessica Rosenblum, Bryson Houston | Kristopher Fayock | The Sports Medicine Interest Group is dedicated to (1) educating MS1-MS3 students about the variety of paths available for a career in sports medicine (primary care, orthopaedic surgery, PM&R, and emergency medicine), (2) providing hands-on medical volunteer opportunities at sporting events, and (3) connecting students with mentors in sports medicine through shadowing or research opportunities. | Clinical Interest |
57 | Strecker Psychiatry Interest Group | Blake Gilbert-Bono (CDYO) Julian McDonald (MS3) | Andrew Siegel | The Strecker Psychiatry Interest Group aims to not only provide medical students with opportunities to explore the field of psychiatry, but also address critical issues of mental health access and delivery impacting vulnerable communities. Some of our past work includes organizing crisis intervention training workshops, hosting discussions on stigmatized mental health issues within medicine, creating and maintaining a repository of free resources for mental health crises and basic needs, proposing changes to the medical school curriculum as it relates to psychiatry and mental health, and connecting students to research opportunities and physician mentors. Through our work, we hope to empower aspiring physicians to create meaningful change across the mental health landscape through the realms of clinical medicine, research, academia, advocacy, and activism. | Clinical Interest |
58 | Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) | Siji Osunkoya (MS1) Kesshni Bhasiin (MS1) Sumasri Kotha (MS1) Amy Wu (MS1) Patrick Liu (MS3) | Denise Xu | The purpose of SIGN is to form a community of medical students interested in neurology careers; build networks with Penn neurology faculty and students; and to help students pursue neurology-related research. | Clinical Interest |
59 | Transplant Surgery Interest Group | Victoria Li (MS1) Varun Kathawate (MS1) | Peter Abt Elizabeth Sonnenberg | The Transplant Surgery Interest group serves to give students exposure to the field of transplant surgery through various student shadowing experiences as well as speaker events. We seek to expand shadowing opportunities for current medical students, including on-call weekends for organ procurement, attending liver and kidney recipient selection committee meetings, and kidney transplant operations. Additionally, a key aspect is hosting events to encourage conversation about the topics of transplant surgery and transplant medicine and their intersectionality with other areas of medicine. | Clinical Interest |
60 | William Pepper Medical Society - Internal Medicine Interest Group | Sally Nijim, Anant Mishra, Fei Jiang, Tony Leche, Natalie Schanzer | Keith Hamilton Ashok Linganna | To promote exposure to and provide support for educational, research, clinical, and professional opportunities within Internal Medicine and its subspecialties and to foster a culture of curiosity about Internal Medicine amongst the student body. | Clinical Interest |
61 | Urology Interest Group | Saawan Patel, Morgan Leff, Dan Hartman, Parker Kronen, Justice Austin, Avanti Rangnekar, Roby Daniel | Dr. Caleb Kovell | The Urology Interest Group aims to increase interest in urology among Penn Med students and support those hoping to pursue a future in urology. Through building a community among interested students and faculty, we hope to foster collaboration and mentorship in the field. | Clinical Interest |
62 | Next-generation Educators, Physicians, Healers, and Researchers creating Opportunities in Nephrology (NEPHRON) | Leah Bush, Joya Sims | Dr. Amanda Leonberg-Yoo | Promote and support medical student interest in a career in nephrology through events, connections, research, and service | Clinical Interest |
63 | Center for Surgical Health | Lauren Ross Tara Conlon Courtney Chappelle | Jon Morris | Our primary objective is to serve as a triage clinic for uninsured or underprivileged patients presenting with surgical conditions (hernias, abscesses, skin lesions) and help facilitate appropriate higher-level care at Penn free of charge. | Community Outreach |
64 | CHOP Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) | Paul Soden (MS1) James Reed (MS1) Molly Eron (MS1) | Nikki Jaffe Kaitlyn Murphy | CHOP’s HHI provides free health services to women and children living in local emergency housing shelters. Dedicated volunteers from the HHI offer high-quality medical and dental care and health education during weekly clinic nights at three shelters in the Philadelphia area. Medical students assist residents during their history and physical exams of children at homeless shelters. | Community Outreach |
65 | Covenant House (Cov House) | Becca Brody Puneeth Guruprasad Zahraa Hotait Jasmine Wang Yunliang Zhao Yinlu Zhu | Ken Ginsburg | We provide support to the clinic and to the youth at Covenant House. Covenant House is a crisis center and residence for homeless teens and young adults in Philadelphia that provides immediate crisis care and services and helps residents prevent against future homelessness. | Community Outreach |
66 | Cut Hypertension | Oluwanifemi Adetunji (MS1), Jasmine Phillip (MS1), Jonathan Gaither (MS1) | Oby Ibe | Cut Hypertension is a community outreach program run through the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). Our group aims to address health disparities by providing blood pressure screenings, information about the risks of hypertension, and ways to reduce hypertension every Saturday at Philly Cuts, a barber shop in West Philadelphia. | Community Outreach |
67 | HeartBEATS | Rachel Rigsby, Kass Zhang | Cindy Christian | To promote dance-related physical activity, provide education about health and wellness, and eventually set up the basis for a student-run clinic. | Community Outreach |
68 | Health Science Exploration (HSE) | Arnab Dey, Pamela (Pam) Beniwal, Suma Kotha | Atul Kalanuria | Teach science and health-related topics to elementary-school (5th and 6th graders) children at Benjamin B Comegys Elementary School in West Philadelphia. | Community Outreach |
69 | Homeless Outreach Project | Jasmine Wang, Natasa Rohacs, Aurora Golden-Appleton, Yinlu Zhu, Jordana Avigad, Kass Zhang, Morgan Purcell, Sula Frausto, Anjali Mahajan, Nathaniel Cieplik, Nicholas Simpson, Isabella Li, Samuel Neuman, | Zachary Kosak, MD | The Homeless Outreach Project is a partnership between the Perelman School of Medicine and Philly Restart that promotes active engagement with the city's homeless population on the streets. | Community Outreach |
70 | Patient Story Collective | Isabel Yoon, Grace Wu, Jennifer Guo | Amanda Swain | PSC's trained volunteers work with patients with chronic health issues to tell their stories with the goal of improving communication with their care team, strengthening bonds with their family or community, and finding meaning for themselves. PSC partners their volunteers with interested patients, and the pair meets on a weekly/biweekly basis over 1-2 months to write the patient's story. Depending on the patient's preferences, students can help distribute the stories to the patient's family, care team, or another publication medium of their choosing. | Community Outreach |
71 | Philadelphia Human Rights Clinic (PHRC) | Elizabeth Whidden | Alisa Gutman | Our mission is to provide medical evaluations for asylum seekers due to persecution and/or torture in their home countries. The clinic trains physicians to perform physical & psychiatric evaluations of asylum seekers and educates medical students about the process of asylum seeking and achieving refugee status, as well as the role that healthcare professionals play in this process. Medical students are also trained to support physicians at the evaluations by taking notes and writing up a draft of the affidavit to be presented to the judge." | Community Outreach |
72 | Refugee Health Interest Group | Aleksia Barka (CDY3), Yohan Kim (CDYO), Ben Stone (MS1), Kenneth Um (MS1), Andres Alvarez (MS1), Kim Le (MS1), Eric Wang (MS1), Stephanie Wang (CDYO) | Rachael Truchil Aba Barden-Maja | The Refugee Health Interest Group encompasses a range of educational, advocacy and volunteer opportunities for Penn Med students to engage with Philadelphia’s refugee population. This includes opportunities to provide health education to patients and shadow providers in the general refugee clinic, refugee women’s clinic, and CHOP refugee clinic, as well as to volunteer with HIAS. We also create opportunities to learn more about advocating for refugee health, lead quality improvement initiatives in the clinics, and learn about the unique health needs of refugees. | Community Outreach |
73 | The UpLIFT Project | Gina Lepore, Justin Greitz, Helen Molteni | Horace Delisser | First-generation and/or Low-income students are one of the most underrepresented groups in medicine. With more than 75% of all US medical students hailing from the top two income quintiles in the united states, recent data supports that a substantial barrier for FGLI students to achieve admission to medical school is in the admission process itself (i.e AMCAS and interviews). Furthermore, FGLI students are less likely to have strong connections to mentorship and reliable advising in comparison to their more privileged peers. Our group has been formed from a synergy between students who are passionate about educational equity and the leaders of the FGLI affinity group. Together, we seek to publish the UpLIFT Guide (Underrepresented Low-Income/First Time Guide ) as a reliable source of material in an open-access, online format for pre-medical students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to receive mentorship from the shared experiences of Penn Medical students. | Community Outreach |
74 | Unity Health Clinic | Noah Cheng (MS1) Kathryn Farrell (MS1) Stephanie Tang (MS1) Connie Yu (MS1) | Unity Health Clinic is a free community clinic for uninsured and underinsured patients in South Philadelphia. We strive to provide competent primary and preventative care to patients with limited access to healthcare and medication. | Community Outreach | |
75 | University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC) | Haleigh Pine (MS1) Jennifer Guo (MS1) Jake Shapira (MS1) Sophia Zhang (MS1) Jordan Dourlain (MS1) Nicholas Rouillard (MS1) | Dr. Dwight Stambolian | The University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC) is a multidisciplinary organization that provides comprehensive food, medical, dental, legal, and other social services to people experiencing homelessness in West Philadelphia. The UCHC Medical Clinic works as part of this organization to provide free, readily accessible acute primary care services, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialty care services, select pharmacy services, diabetes and hypertension screening, general medical and pharmacy consultations, and referrals to more longitudinal patient care services. By doing so, the UCHC Medical Clinic critically helps to fill many otherwise unmet health care needs for people experiencing homelessness in West Philadelphia, a vulnerable and medically underserved population. | Community Outreach |
76 | Walk with a Future Doc (WWAFD) | Gabriela Grady, Emily Pan, Pamela Beniwal | Hana Choy Jennifer Lewey | WWAFD is a community engagement group that holds walks in West Philadelphia twice a month from April-November. Our mission is to develop relationships with community members while promoting health through exercise and education. | Community Outreach |
77 | United Community Clinic (UCC) | Adede Appah-Sampong (MS1) Aiden Adams (MS1) Bayan Galal (MS1) Gustavo Capone (MS1) Habib Akouri (MS1) Shruthi Nyshadham (MS1) Ziad Hassan (MS1) | Michael Beers | United Community Clinic (UCC) is a free health clinic coordinated by medical, nursing, social work, and undergraduate students. We are located at the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO) and New River Presbyterian Church (formerly First African Presbyterian Church). We believe that health is more than the absence of disease. We collaborate with residents and community partners to understand and address the health needs, both medical and social, of the Southwest and Parkside Philadelphia neighborhoods, with the goal of building a stronger and healthier community. | Community Outreach |
78 | Mindful Movement | Courtney Kaplan and Amanda Moser | Dr. Sophie Lieberman | Mindful Movements is a partnership between PSOM students and HopePHL, a shelter for youth in Philadelphia experiencing housing instability. Through MM, we lead a weekly group designed to teach adaptable exercise and self-care skills to HopePHL residents while building meaningful, mentorship relationships! | Community Outreach |
79 | Concious Closet | Ohyoon Kwon, Eren Kafadar, Julia Dunker, Chau Phung, Hope Kim, Joyce Jiang | Hannah Lee | Providing sustainable access to clean clothes to underserved patient populations | Community Outreach |
80 | Access Penn Med | Yehuda Elkaim Nathan Smith Habib Akouri Isabella Panse Islam Elsaid Abigail Kohler | Laura Ashley Stein | Access Penn Med is PSOM’s affinity group for students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. Our group is committed to providing an accessible and supportive community for students living the duality of being both a patient and a physician-in-training. Access Penn Med champions a social model of disability, acknowledging that sociocultural identification as someone with an accessibility need or health concern can exist outside of the confines of strict medical diagnoses. As an organization, we focus on raising awareness of and educating the Penn Med community on disability issues in medicine, advocating for relevant policy and process reform to make the PSOM experience more accessible to all, promoting outreach to the Philadelphia disability community, and engaging with faculty, staff, and students who are passionate about accessibility and disability issues. | Cultural Affinity |
81 | Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) | James Lao, Kim Le, Rachel Xiang, Victoria Li, Helen Zhou, Katharine Song, Karen Wang, Daniel Yong, Hyun Kim | Joyce Kim | The Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) is a national organization of medical and pre-medical students committed to addressing the unique health challenges of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. | Cultural Affinity |
82 | Association of Womens Student MD PhDs | Angela Gong, Josephine Thrasher, Leonie Kurzlechner, Vainavi Mukkamala, Eren Kafadar | Elizabeth Bhoj Maria Basil | Nationally, women are underrepresented among physician-scientists, MD-PhD students and MD-PhD applicants. Our program is committed to organizing and promoting events and resources that support women MD-PhD students around issues that are important to women and/or may affect women differently than men. We also help women students and applicants connect with female role models among physician-scientist faculty at Penn. In addition, the program recognizes that gender disparities affect individuals of any gender identity, and that all people can be invested in working to address gender inequality. We are actively working on our diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality initiatives (see above) to be more inclusive of various intersections of identity that one may experience, such as the interplay between gender and race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc. As always, we welcome ALL students to our events, regardless of gender, sexuality, race. | Cultural Affinity |
83 | Caritas | Nathaniel Cieplik, Zoe Barinaga | Kristen Rock | Our mission is to offer fellowship within the school while exploring how Catholic thought influences our lives and our practices as budding physicians. To this end, we host events including lunch and dinner talks and get together regularly for Sunday dinners after mass. Caritas is building a network of students and Catholic physicians who are available to offer guidance and mentorship. | Cultural Affinity |
84 | Elizabeth Blackwell Society | Ether Dharmesh, Jenny Lu, Ha-Neul Yu, Michelle Kwon, Amanda Moser | Rachel Kelz | To inspire, empower and connect women physicians and medical students through monthly informal gatherings, a mentorship program, and community outreach. | Cultural Affinity |
85 | First Generation Low Income (FGLI) | Alexandria (Lexi) Lange, Christian Bogardus, Seth Anderson, Stacey Kwan, Sabrina DaSilva, Jordan Dourlain, Randy Bach, William Zhang, Sadia Laisa | Neha Vapiwala | Foster a community amongst low income and/or first generation college students at Penn Med Mentor current first generation undergraduate students interested in medical careers Recruit this traditionally underrepresented group of low income and or first generation students applying to medical school. Educate fellow students on the impacts of socioeconomic status on health outcomes | Cultural Affinity |
86 | Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) | Presidents: Romina Rojas (MS1) & Bridget Loja Patino (MS1) Community Outreach & Chair: Gabby Garza (MS1) Recruitment Chair: Gaby Grady (MS1) Treasurer: Aiden Adams (MS1) Academic & Professional Development Chair: Gustavo Capone (MS1) External Relations: Ashley Duchi (MS1) | Dr. Jessie Reynoso Santos | The Latino Medical Student Association represents Latino and non-Latino medical students at the Perelman School of Medicine who are interested in health-related issues that affect the greater Latino community. | Cultural Affinity |
87 | Penn Latino Surgical Association | Santiago Lopez | Cesar Briceno | Out mission is to create a social and professional community that exposes students to the surgical specialties | Cultural Affinity |
88 | Maimonides Society | Jake Shapira (MS1) Elizabeth Rubin (MS1) | Brian Englander | Maimonides is a group for Jewish students of all backgrounds and denominations at Penn Med. We hold shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, and lunch talks about faith in medicine, and serve as a center for Jewish life on campus. We also help connect students to the broader Jewish community in Philadelphia. | Cultural Affinity |
89 | Muslims in Medicine | Omar Shareef (MS1) Sadia Laisa (MS1) Bayan Galal (MS1) Ziad Hassan (MS1) | Nahla Khalek | To build a network of Muslim students, trainees, and faculty who can share the joys and struggles of practicing medicine as a Muslim. To educate the wider Penn Medicine community about Muslims | Cultural Affinity |
90 | Penn Med Christian Fellowship | Elizabeth Ward, Gabriella Garza, Riley Choi | Laura Layer | The mission of Penn Med Christian Fellowship is to glorify the Lord and encourage spiritual growth by uniting Christians from all backgrounds and welcoming those who seek to know Christ on our medical campus. We meet weekly to build a supportive community, encourage one another, and holistically apply our faith in Jesus Christ. Our goal is to grow continually in our faith by living according to God’s purpose for our lives and by serving and loving others as He has loved us. | Cultural Affinity |
91 | Penn Med Pride | Gabriela Grady, Karen Wang, Magdalene Ford, Kass Zhang, Alexandra Marenco, Emily Pan, Nicholas Schell | Caitlin Clancy Jeffrey Eugene | Penn Pride is Penn Med’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer student and student allies organization. Our group of LGBTQ students and allies is committed to increasing visibility of LGBTQ people at Penn Med; educating the Penn Med community about LGBTQ health best practices through a speaker series and curriculum development; promoting LGBT-health related community outreach; providing opportunities for professional development; and cultivating our vibrant community of LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and allies at Penn Med. | Cultural Affinity |
93 | South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMoSA) | President - Ganen Chinniah Mentorship Chairs - Tanya Kurnootala and Anjali Mahajan Social Chair - Ether Dharmesh Treasurer - Suma Kotha | Dr. Siddharth Shah | We aim to unite all members of the South Asian community at the Perelman School of Medicine. We aim to share and celebrate South Asian culture with the entire Perelman community.We seek to utilize awareness of cultural issues and medical disparities to better advocate for the rights and health of the South Asian population. | Cultural Affinity |
94 | Student National Medical Association | Co-Presidents: Siji Osunkoya Linzy Malcolm | Dr. Jessica Fowler, Dr. Olivia Familusi | The Student National Medical Association is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent, and socially conscious physicians. | Cultural Affinity |
95 | Medical Education Club | Co-Presidents- Isabel Yoon, Ayelet Rubenstein; Penn Talks Leader- Casey Mogilevsky; Exam Prep Course- Matiia Mah'moud, Barbara Xiong, Kelly Zochowski, Chrishanthi Pathmanabhan; Clerkship Prep Leaders- Katie Mahoney, Rebka Ephrem, Hope Kim, Joshua Pesantes; ICM Coordinators- Julia Giordona, Adela M. Francis Malave; Anti Racism Leader- Michael Yao | Jennifer Kogan | The Club organizes student-to-student teaching projects and professional development activities for students interested in to improve the medical school curriculum and promote the development of future medical educators. | Education |
96 | Medical Mandarin | Jennie Cao, Albert Mao, Sabrina Meng, Katharine Song, Angela Sun | Dr. Yongping Wang | The goal of Medical Mandarin is to teach students medical terminology, cultural aspects, and patient communication skills that they can apply towards the care of Mandarin-speaking patients. | Education |
97 | Medical Spanish | Arnab Dey, Randy Bach | Iris Reyes | Medical Spanish is an elective designed for non-native speakers to improve their knowledge of basic medical vocabulary in Spanish and facilitate communication and cultural sensitivity with Spanish-speaking patients. | Education |
98 | PULSE | Arnab Dey, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Graham, Felix Nnaji, Varun Kathawate | Provide summer mentorship for prospective medical school applicants | Education | |
99 | Penn HealthX | Angela Malinovitch, Shreya Parchure, Keshav Goel, Amy Wu, Ryan Turlip, Morgan Purcell, Sabrina Meng, Habib Akouri, Ziad Hassan, Vitor Souza, Omar Shareef, Amanda Moser, Jacob Jordan, Zoe Barinaga, Randy Bach, Malhaar Agrawal, Victoria Li | Dr. Daniel Hashimoto | PennHealthX is a student-led organiztion within the Perelman School of Medicine with the intention of supporting students with interests in healthcare management, entrepreneurship, technology, and business. | Other |
100 | Spoof | Alder Strange (MS4) and Soma Umeozulu | N/A | We write jokes and sometimes songs to turn your pain into laughter for two blissful hours each spring. Written, produced, and performed by aspiring MDs. | Other |
101 | Academic Resilience Team (PHRC) | Justus Zemberi Julia Giordano, Abigail Perelman | Dr. Stacey Rose | The mission of the Anesthesia Interest Group is to engage Penn medical students in opportunities to discover and explore the exciting field of anesthesiology, to provide professional development, research, outreach, and mentorship opportunities to students, and to facilitate supportive connections among students, trainees, and faculty within the Penn Anesthesia community. | Other |