Environment and Student Life
Penn is located in Philadelphia, one of the nation’s largest cities with excellent cultural and recreational opportunities. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is a magnet for higher education with the largest number of colleges and universities in the United States. Philadelphia is home to Independence Hall and is full of rich colonial history. The City is packed with museums, art exhibits, restaurants, concert halls, and small clubs. Philadelphia offers a diverse environment with multiple neighborhoods and a rich mixture of ethnic cultures. For the sports enthusiast, Philadelphia is home to numerous professional sports teams as well as to strong collegiate athletics. The City offers an extensive and efficient mass transit system, and is home to the nation’s first zoo, and the nation’s largest city park (Fairmont Park).
Student social events are held throughout the academic year and offer students a chance to catch up with classmates and meet students in other phases of their training. Official social activities include a summer Bar-B-Q and a dinner in December at the Program Director’s home. At the Annual Retreat, students and faculty gather together to share their perspectives and to learn about one another's work. Joint monthly meetings with students in the MD-PhD program, and additional VMD-PhD meetings enable students to share information and experiences.
Academically, Penn prides itself on being a well-integrated University, and values and encourages interdisciplinary scholarship. The School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Medicine, the School of Graduate Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School of Business, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are all located within a few minutes walk of one another. Our multidisciplinary philosophy, this geographical proximity, and the outstanding scholarship taking place in each of Penn's Schools allow the VMD-PhD program to offer dual degree opportunities across a wide range of disciplines. The diverse cultural opportunities within the City of Philadelphia, the multidisciplinary philosophy of the University, and the active social opportunities available at Penn provide a rich environment for student life.