Representing one of the largest medical specialties, the Department of Surgery is heavily involved in student education.
Each clinical division, encompassing the entire spectrum of surgical care, offers electives, teaching and research.
The Division of Surgical Education has goals including development and implementation of innovative, state-of-the-art educational methodologies, enhancement of educational research and establishment of Fellowships in Surgical Education for faculty and residents. The division is participating in many national educational activities, such as the Computer-Based Examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) have been used to test the clinical skills of students and residents. The division participated in a multi-institutional project for development of a model for teaching in an ambulatory environment. Newer trends in medical education as well as innovative methods of teaching and evaluation are routinely used in the education of students. These methods include computer-based simulations to teach problem-solving, use of standardized patients, problem-based learning, small-group teaching, and a program in surgical decision-making.
News and Announcements
American Burn Association’s President’s Leadership Award
Linwood R. Haith, Jr., MD, professor and academic chair of surgery, and associate dean of external affairs, was awarded the American Burn Association’s President’s Leadership Award. This award is for truly distinguished and exceptional service to the American Burn Association and to the profession of burn care. Congratulations!
Philadelphia magazine published its annual list of the region's “Top Doctors.” The list of physicians, who were chosen by their peers, can be found in the May 2024 issue. Congratulations to the following Drexel University College of Medicine faculty members who were named this year. Read more.
The annual Golden Apple Awards recognize outstanding service, teaching and mentoring by Drexel University College of Medicine faculty and professional staff. The honorees are nominated by each class of medical students who vote to determine the award winners. Read more.
The annual Golden Apple Awards recognize outstanding service, teaching and mentoring by Drexel University College of Medicine faculty and professional staff, who are nominated by each class of medical students for the honor. Students vote to determine the award winners. Read more.
In the Media
January 9, 2025: Benny Weksler, MD, a professor in the College of Medicine, was quoted in a Pittsburgh-Post Gazette article about health risks linked to radon gas exposure in Pennsylvania.
June 11, 2024: Hiran Fernando, MD, a professor in the College of Medicine, was quoted in a KDKA-TV (CBS-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) story about new findings suggesting that one in five people who are recommended for lung cancer screenings aren't getting them done.
November 17, 2023: Emil Fernando, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, authored an article in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about mastectomy options for breast cancer patients.
August 20, 2023: Emil Fernando, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, was quoted in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story about a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who is embarking on a study that tests a theory of a cancer vaccine for women diagnosed with a non-invasive early-stage breast cancer.
See all College of Medicine faculty in the media.