One of Drexel’s predecessor institutions, Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, was founded 175 years ago as the world’s first degree-granting medical school for women. Barbara Schindler, MD, graduated from Woman’s Medical College in 1970 and has remained here since, serving in a number of leadership roles including vice dean of educational and academic affairs for 18 years. She says, “This has been a school, from the beginning in 1850 to now, of opportunity for those who could only dream about being doctors. The founders and early matriculants clearly demonstrated that important ideas need to be followed up on and obstacles can be overcome with perseverance and creativity.”

Woman’s Medical College educated women, including many women of color and international students, for decades, becoming coeducational under the new name of Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1970. The spirit of Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania lives on in numerous Drexel programs today that support women and people underrepresented in medicine on their paths to career success and growth. Schindler reflects on this legacy, noting, “It is important to celebrate what our founders created and inspired others to create.”

Charles B. Cairns, MD, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president of medical affairs at Drexel, has also had the opportunity to reflect on all of these milestones and what they mean. “The College of Medicine’s storied history is foundational to who we are as a school,” he says. “I am proud to lead an institution with a legacy of innovation, community impact and care for the most vulnerable among us, and I look forward to what the future brings.”