Frequently Asked Questions - General

How can I get in touch with a Penn Medicine alumnus?
If you hold a Penn degree, you may join the Penn Alumni Online Community, Pulse, for free. You can visit the site at www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/UPNM/. Pulse provides two services: a directory that contains the most up-to-date information the University has about its alumni, alumni e-mail forwarding, and class notes for alumni. If you do not hold a Penn degree or do not wish to join the online community, you may contact the Penn Medicine Office of Alumni Development and Alumni Relations at 215-898-5164 for information.

How can I find Penn alumni in my area?
Join the online community at www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/UPNM/ for the latest alumni information. Also, if you have a copy of the most recent (2006) Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Directory, you will find alumni listed by class, specialty and geographic region in the back of the book.

Does Penn offer e-mail accounts? E-mail forwarding?
The University of Pennsylvania offers free permanent e-mail forwarding. To sign up, you must first register with the Penn Alumni Online Community.

Does Penn have an alumni job network?
Career Services can direct you to a number of alumni who are willing to talk about their jobs. This is just one of the many ways Career Services (formerly Career Planning and Placement Services, or CPPS) helps Penn alumni make good career decisions. Contact them at 215-898-7531 or visit the Alumni Career Services Web site at http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/careernetworking/.

May I use the Penn library system?
Many of the resources of the Penn Library are available for alumni use. Visit www.library.upenn.edu/access/alumni/alumni.html or call the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center's main phone number: 215-898-7555.

Application for courtesy borrowing can be made Monday through Friday at the Van Pelt Circulation Department. Call 215-898-7566 for information.

How can I verify a medical degree?
For verification of medical degrees, please contact:

Office of the Registrar
100 Stemmler Hall
3450 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-898-4646

Click here for information on transcript requests.

How can I verify medical training?
Verification information regarding hospital affiliation of internship, residency or fellowship training can be obtained from:

Office of Medical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education
3620 Market Street, Suite 560 West
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-7562
Fax: 215-349-5800

For information about clinical abilities or other matters of competence, requests must be sent to the director of the training program in the applicant's clinical department. Please visit http://pennhealth.com/departments.html for information.

How can I check malpractice history?
For malpractice information, please contact:

Office of Legal Affairs
7 Penn Tower
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-6270
Fax: 215-662-6649

How can I verify teaching or faculty appointments?
For confirmation of medical staff appointments or clinical privileges at HUP, please contact:

Office of Information Management
3401 Walnut Street
Room 527A
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-898-7288

I am returning to campus to see how my medical alma mater has changed. How do I get access to the buildings?
You must obtain a Penn Alumni Card. Information about the card is available at: http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/penncard/card/alumni.html

When is my next reunion? How can I get involved in planning it?
The next Medical Alumni Weekend is May 11-13, 2012. Preparation is already underway, but we welcome alumni volunteers at all stages of planning. To get involved, contact Sarah Chester at 215-898-9847 or schester@upenn.edu.

How do I nominate someone for the Distinguished Graduate Award?
Established in 1982, the Distinguished Graduate Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The award recognizes alumni for their outstanding service to society and to the profession of medicine, and for notable accomplishments in biomedical research, clinical practice, or medical education. These accomplishments must have resulted in national or international recognition. Click here to read about the awardees.

Every two years, there is a call for nominations for the DGA. If you are interested in nominating someone, please contact Andrea Pesce at apesce@upenn.edu for instructions.

Nominations will not be accepted without both a current CV and a letter of nomination.

How much money has my class raised for our class fund?
Each fall, the Office of Alumni Development and Alumni Relations publishes "Partners in Giving", a list of alumni investors in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Class fund-raising totals, as well as participation rates, are listed for the previous fiscal year. For more detailed information, or for other fund-raising questions, call Annual Giving at 215-898-5164 or e-mail PennMedicine@alumni.med.upenn.edu.

How is my personal information kept confidential?
The University recognizes its special responsibility to safeguard, to the best of its ability, the privacy rights of the individuals and institutions counted among its alumni/development constituency. The University's interest in the information it maintains is restricted to fulfilling its fund-raising and alumni relations objectives only. It is the University's policy never to release information, public or otherwise, concerning its alumni and development constituencies directly to individuals or institutions. For a copy of the complete information access policy, please visit http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/privacypolicyolc.html.

How do I let Penn know that my address has changed?
You can update your record online, once you have joined the Penn Alumni Online Community. After registering, pull up your record; scroll to the bottom right of the page; and click "Review/Update My Record." You can also write to or call Alumni Records directly:

Alumni Records
University of Pennsylvania
3451 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-898-8136
Fax: 215-898-6864
E-mail: record@ben.dev.upenn.edu

How do I let Penn know that my name has changed?
Please write to or call the Alumni Records Office:

Alumni Records
University of Pennsylvania
3451 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-898-8136
Fax: 215-898-6864
E-mail: record@ben.dev.upenn.edu

How do I submit progress notes or obituaries?
To make your submissions online, log on to Pulse (from any page on this site). You can send your notes or obituaries to Penn Medicine there via the progress notes page. You may also submit your notes or obituaries to Alumni Relations by mail, fax or e-mail:

Penn Medicine
Office of Alumni Development and Alumni Relations
3535 Market Street, Suite 750
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
Fax: 215-573-2992
E-mail: PennMedicine@alumni.med.upenn.edu.

How can I submit an alumni note to The Pennsylvania Gazette?
Alumni notes can be submitted through the Gazette's Web site at www.upenn.edu/gazette/. You can also mail or fax your note to:

The Pennsylvania Gazette
3533 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Fax: 215-573-4812

I'm creating a family tree. Do you have information on my great grandparent who went to Penn?
Records for deceased alumni are sent to University Archives. Contact them at:

University Archives and Records Center
North Arcade, Franklin Field
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6320
Phone: 215-898-7025
Fax: 215-573-2036
E-mail: uarc@pobox.upenn.edu