Current Initiatives

The Penn HealthX Podcast focuses on the intersection of medicine and business, with an emphasis on healthcare management, entrepreneurship, and technology (H-MET). Listen now on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud.

Our SDoH Accelerator program provides early-stage startups and organizations working to improve social determinants of health (SDoHs) with pro-bono support from Perelman School of Medicine Students. PSOM consultants are paid fully by PennHealthX at no cost to partnered startups.

Interested startups prepare a high-level work plan outlining key deliverables that a PSOM student-consultant will assist with. Startups should then schedule a meeting with our VPs: SDoH Accelerator. For additional sources of support and funding, see our list of Penn Resources for Entrepreneurs.

Interested PSOM student-consultants should join the PennHealthX listserv to stay up-to-date on new SDoH Accelerator opportunities. Contact our VPs: SDoH Accelerator or email us for more information. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

We support healthcare and life sciences ventures led by Penn Medicine and other UPenn graduate/undergraduate students, spanning medical technology, biotechnology, digital health, and clinical solutions. Three award tiers are available for Summer 2026:

💡 Discovery Award ($500+): for idea-stage ventures still developing their solution
⚙️ Implementation Award ($2,500+): for ventures with validated assumptions and an minimum viable product (MVP)
📈 Growth Award ($5,000+): for revenue-generating ventures ready to scale

How It Works.   There are two steps to our application:

1. Submit an application here by Friday, May 1st, 2026.
2. Pitch your idea to the PennHealthX Venture Fund's board members and advisors on Monday, May 11th, 2026 2-5pm.

Eligibility.   In order to be eligible for venture funding, your team must...

1. be working on a healthcare-related venture; and
2. include as an integral member either (A) a PSOM MD candidate; (B) a recent PSOM MD graduate (less than 2 years removed from terminal degree); or (C) a Penn medical trainee.

Priority will be given to ventures from current PSOM students. Applications for follow-on funding will be considered, although must demonstrate clear progress from the initial grant.

Questions?   Contact our Venture Fund Board Members:
📧 Eugene Cha: eugene.cha@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
📧 Rohit Khurana: rohit.khurana@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Previously Funded Ventures.

Our flagship Healthcare Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (H-MET) Certificate Program enables future physicians to become leaders in our healthcare system. Through coursework, workshops, and real-world experiences, the H-MET Certificate Program gives medical students the fundamental tools they need to turn an innovative idea into a policy, business, or product.

The requirements of the certificate program include all of the following:

1. Seminar Attendance: Students attend at least 12 PennHealthX seminars or lunch talks during their time at PSOM. PennHealthX occasionally offers other lectures, conferences, and presentations from across campus that can count towards this requirement.
2. Course Requirement: Students complete at least 2 of the following: (A) a course from the Health Care Management major at Wharton (see PSOM's Additional Course Policy); (B) a relevant Frontiers in Medical Science course in Core 3; or (C) an alternative meaningful and educational experience (e.g., see our Ethical Algorithms for the Modern Clinician course offering).
3. Experiential Component: Students complete an internship or research experience to explore a PennHealthX topic in greater depth. All approved experiences must involve a deliverable to be submitted to the certificate committee prior to graduation.

Contact our VPs: Curriculum with any questions.

We provide funding for PSOM students pursuing summer opportunities in healthcare management, entrepreneurship, or technology. The goal of the grant is to support experiences that students might not otherwise be able to pursue financially, such as unpaid or underpaid internships at startups or similar organizations. PennHealthX will fund up to 5 students, with awards of up to $3,000. Recipients will also present their work at the annual PennHealthX conference in the fall.

Eligibility.  

• You must be interning for an established employer (not as a founder).
• The position must be unpaid or low-paid (under $500 for the entire summer).
• The internship must be full-time (≥35 hours/week) for at least 7 weeks.

How to Apply.   Apply here by Sunday, 5/3, 11:59PM

Importantly, you cannot have equity in the organization at the time of application.

Direct any questions to our VPs: Careers and Mentorship.