Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
MD Program

UME Educational Affairs and Opportunities for Roles in Medical Education

Roles in Medical Education

We are pleased to announce an internal search for a Faculty Director of Addiction Medicine Curriculum, to begin July 1, 2025.
The deadline to apply has passed. Please reach out to Roz Schorr if you have questions or require information: rschorr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

We are pleased to announce an internal search for a Faculty Director of Addiction Medicine Curriculum, to begin July 1, 2025. Click here for a complete job description. We are accepting applications from all faculty (Asst/Assoc preferred). We seek and value diversity and inclusion in the broadest sense and encourage faculty from diverse backgrounds to apply.

If you are interested in applying, please respond to Roz Schorr at SVDeanMedEd@upenn.edu with the following in a single PDF document:

  • Cover page: List your name, email, cell phone contact, department/division. 
  • Please describe prior roles and experiences that would prepare you for this role and specifically highlight skills that would support your success in this role (max 750 words). 
  • Please describe why you are interested in being a faculty director of curriculum (max 500 words). 
  • An updated CV

The deadline to apply is January 15, 2025.

We are pleased to announce an internal search for two new Advisory Deans, to begin July 1, 2025.
The deadline to apply has passed. Please reach out to Roz Schorr if you have questions or require information: rschorr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Click for more information!

We are pleased to announce an internal search for two new Advisory Deans, to begin July 1, 2025. Click here for a complete job description. We are accepting applications from all faculty (Assoc or Full preferred, late Asst will be considered). We seek and value diversity and inclusion in the broadest sense and encourage faculty from diverse backgrounds to apply.

If you are interested in applying, please respond to Roz Schorr at SVDeanMedEd@upenn.edu with the following in a single PDF document:

  • Cover page: List your name, email, cell phone contact, department/division. 
  • Please describe prior roles and experiences that would prepare you for this role and specifically highlight skills that would support your success in this role (max 750 words). 
  • Please describe why you are interested in being an Advisory Dean (max 500 words). 
  • An updated CV

The deadline to apply is January 15, 2025.

UME Committees

The Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC) functions as the educational governance and curriculum committee for PSOM. The committee meets on zoom, generally on the second or third Tuesday of the month, 3-4:30pm.

UMEC approves policies for all aspects of the undergraduate curriculum and determines the structure of the curriculum; educational philosophy; overall curriculum objectives; and criteria for student evaluation, promotion, and graduation. This committee oversees management of the curriculum and the ongoing review of individual courses, segments of the curriculum, and the curriculum as a whole. The committee directs the operational committees to implement their work.

UMEC is responsible for program evaluation, program improvement, and oversight. This committee assesses long-range needs regarding the direction and evolution of the educational program and explores and evaluates innovative trends in medical education. As necessary, it initiates and oversees strategic planning for the undergraduate medical education program and reports this to Medical Faculty Senate (MFS). Finally, UMEC ensures institutional compliance with all Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards, as well all relevant institutional policies and state and federal regulations.

Click here for the complete UMEC Bylaws.

Current UMEC membership includes representation from the following departments and divisions:

  • Biochemistry and Biophysics
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Genetics
  • Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Surgery

The Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) is a subcommittee of UMEC that "dives deeper" into curricular content, providing continuous review. PEC meets monthly on zoom, generally on a Tuesday, for 1 hour.

The goals and duties of PEC are to: 

  • Reviews class means and failure rates for Core 1 courses, OSCEs, summated encounter logs, NBME exam performance for Core 2 courses, results of the Clinical Skills Inventory, annual course evaluations and related course director annual reports, and other surveys and to make recommendations on ways in which each course can be improved;
  • Monitor and report on new courses and other changes in curricular content;
  • On a 3-year cycle, PEC will review the phases of the curriculum and the curriculum as a whole. The phase and full curriculum reviews will include benchmarking of student performance against institutional goals and objectives, as well as against available national data;
  • Continuously monitor institutional compliance with LCME standards.

Current PEC membership includes representation from the following departments and divisions:

  • Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care
  • Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatrics, Division of Pathology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Psychiatry
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Policy Committee (PC) is a subcommittee of UMEC, charged to investigate, develop, and approve relevant policy to facilitate the educational mission, standards of student behavior, operational issues as they relate to undergraduate medical education, and curriculum of PSOM.

PC meets monthly, or as needed, on Fridays, midday for an hour, on zoom. Much of PC's work is done ad-hoc by committee members who volunteer to work on particular documents.

If you are interested to serve on the Policy Committee please reach out to the current Chair, Dr. Vivian Lee, and administrator, Rosalyn Schorr via email.

Any individual, group, or committee may propose policy or policy review to PC or directly to UMEC.

If a student or student group wishes to propose new policy or policy review, they should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Wellness. Faculty or staff wishing to propose policy or policy review should contact a member of UMELT or the Chair of UMEC.

UMEC has the authority to develop ad hoc subcommittee(s) staffed with appropriate expertise related to an issue or subject with a task charge to develop a specific policy. Policies approved by UMEC will be communicated to MFS. Any policy that affects the culture of the school will require MFS ratification by vote.

PC membership has representation from the following departments/divisions:

  • Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Ophthalmology

Core 1 Pre-Clerkship Course Directors is a subcommittee of UMEC who meet three times a year in Spring, Summer, and Fall to discuss curricular matters directly related to Core 1 pre-clerkship courses. Faculty membership is equivalent to the list of appointed pre-clerkship course directors.

Pre-Clerkship Course Directors represent the following departments/divisions:

  • Anesthesiology and Critical Care
  • Biophysics and Biochemistry
  • Cancer Biology
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine and Community Health
  • Genetics
  • Medical Ethics and Health Policy
  • Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
  • Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology
  • Medicine, Division of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension
  • Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
  • Microbiology
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatrics, Division of Hematology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics, Division of Pathology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Surgery
  • Pathology and Lab Medicine
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiology

Core 2 Clerkship Directors is a subcommittee of UMEC that meets monthly to discuss curricular matters related to clerkships. Faculty membership is equivalent to the list of appointed clerkship directors.

Clerkship Directors represent the following departments/divisions:

  • Anesthesiology and Critical Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine and Community Health
  • Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics, Division of Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery
  • Surgery, Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery

Core 3 Sub-Internship Directors is a subcommittee of UMEC that meets monthly to discuss matters related to the four required sub-internships: Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Medicine, and Pediatrics. Faculty membership is equivalent to the list of appointed sub-internship directors.

Sub-Internship Directors represent the following departments/divisions:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine and Community Health
  • Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
  • Pediatrics

GAC meets twice a year, in the Fall and Spring, to review students' submitted grade appeals according to the Grade Appeal Policy, found here: https://www.med.upenn.edu/student/grade-appeals.html

The Grade Appeal Committee is currently chaired by Dr. Ed Dickinson, Professor of Emergency Surgery. Other committee members represent the following departments/divisions:

  • Clinical Medicine (Hospital Medicine)
  • Medical Ethics and Health Policy
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Pediatrics
  • Radiology

SSC is a group of of academic deans, faculty, and staff intended to support medical student success and advocate for the students' current and future patients. SSC is the only body at PSOM with access to the entire student record and all meeting discussions are kept strictly confidential.

SSC meets once a month on Tuesday afternoons for 90 minutes.

Click here for the Student Standards Committee Policy and Procedure.

Faculty members of SSC represent the following departments and divisions:

  • Anesthesiology and Critical Care
  • Dermatology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Medical Ethics and Health Policy
  • Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
  • Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery

The Committee on Admissions (COA) and Executive Committee on Admissions (EC) oversee undergraduate medical student selection to create a class that displays excellence, diversity, and inclusiveness. These committees reviews and discussions of interviewed PSOM applicants occur on a rolling basis throughout the interview season, typically from September through January. Meetings occur biweekly, in-person or virtually, on Monday evenings, typically from 5pm to 7pm.

Faculty service on the COA and EC is considered to be an invaluable contribution to the entire Penn Medicine and University of Pennsylvania community. In exchange for their service, faculty members will receive:

  • annual certificates of appreciation
  • annual letters of acknowledgment with a copy sent to the Departmental/Division Chair
  • annual allotment of 5 established appropriate credit towards faculty teaching requirements
  • formal recognition of service by the PSOM COAP during promotion and reappointment reviews

Current COA and EC membership includes representation from the following departments and divisions:

  • Anesthesiology and Critical Care
  • Biochemistry and Biophysics
  • Dermatology
  • Family Medicine and Community Health
  • Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
  • Medicine, Division of Palliative Care
  • Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care
  • Microbiology
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
  • Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
  • Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease
  • Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology
  • Pediatrics, Division of Neurology
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Surgery, Division of Clinical Urology
  • Surgery, Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery
  • Surgery, Division of General Surgery

Penn Medicine IPCE Advisory Council

The Penn IPCE Advisory Council provides strategic guidance to the leadership of the IPCE Program and alignment with other relevant centers and programs in education, research, faculty professional development, quality and safety, and leadership across the educational and clinical continuum.

It provides perspectives on programmatic needs and reviews goals and resources needed; members serve as ambassadors for IPCE and CME across the institution.

They recommend/endorse new policies and organizational structures to support Penn CME and IPCE.

Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (CQIC)

CQIC includes the nine members of the Undergraduate Medical Education Leadership Team, the Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, the Project Manager, and the Associate Director for Educational Academic Affairs. The committee meets quarterly to review CQI data and evaluate any need for program improvement projects.