January 29, 2026

For 33 years, the Pediatric AIDS Benefit Concert (PABC) has been a defining tradition at Drexel University College of Medicine. On January 24, 2026, students, faculty, professional staff, guests and alumni gathered at Drexel University’s Main Building auditorium for an evening of performances, with all proceeds going to the Dorothy Mann Center for Pediatric and Adolescent HIV at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. To date, PABC has raised more than $780,000 for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. 

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“It’s a celebration of community and togetherness and fun,” said Dennis Novack, MD, professor of medicine, associate dean of medical education, and founder and head faculty advisor of PABC. “But it’s also a celebration of our community spirit — the sense that as future physicians, they’re part of a community and they want to give to the community.”

The program featured more than 20 acts by talented medical students, faculty and staff spanning vocal, instrumental and dance disciplines, including classical violinists, opera-trained vocalists, a rock band and a Bollywood dance number.

A Tradition of Student Leadership

Although Novack has served as a faculty advisor since the concert’s inception at Drexel, PABC has remained almost entirely student-organized.

“It’s all students,” Novack said. “I’ve been the advisor since the beginning, and I’ve had incredible administrative partners, but the students do the great majority of the work, and they’ve always stepped up.”

The 2025–2026 leadership team included more than 50 students across entertainment, auction, fundraising, marketing, tech, finance and food committees, led by student co-chairs Taylor Forry, MD ’28, and Vivian Tran, MD ’28.

According to Novack, each generation of student leaders passes down institutional knowledge to the next. “They created a guidebook that became more detailed every year,” he said. “Every decision — venue, dates, fundraising — it was all students. And that’s why I think this will go on forever.”

Connecting Music and Medicine

This year’s concert showcased the classical and performing arts training that many students bring with them to medical school. For many performers, making time for musical training helps alleviate the demands of medical school, helping students find balance.

“We emphasize in our curriculum that if you’re not well, you’re not there for your patients,” Novack said. “Practicing your instrument or being a part of a band or a dance group doesn’t take away from your studies; it contributes to your wellbeing and your ability to focus.”

Drexel MD students are able to sustain their music practice alongside their studies, reflecting a broader cultural shift in medicine toward wellness and balance. “Today’s students prize balance in their lives,” Novack said. “They want careers that allow them to have families and hobbies.”

The correlation between musical training and clinical care traces back to compassion. “If you look at neuroscience, there’s an overlap between empathy and music,” he said. “If you want to move people through music, you have to be sensitive to the emotions of others.” This sensitivity translates directly to patient care, equipping students with enhanced listening skills and emotional awareness.

After over three decades of running PABC, Novack has noticed a pattern among student musicians. “The students in my band have been exceptionally sensitive, empathetic, caring people,” he said. “I think music nurtures that."

Looking Ahead

For Novack, the future of PABC feels secure. “Even after I retire, I’m quite sure the students will just carry on, because it’s so much fun, and it’s a great cause,” he said.

More than a concert, PABC represents a shared commitment to service, creativity and compassion — values that extend beyond the stage and into clinical practice. As each new generation of students takes on the responsibility of leading the event, they also inherit a legacy of using their talents to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.