In 1963, The M. S. Hershey Foundation offered $50 million to The Pennsylvania State University to establish a medical school in Hershey. With this grant and $21.3 million from the U.S. Public Health Service, the University built a medical school, teaching hospital, and research center. Ground was broken in 1966 and Penn State's College of Medicine opened its doors to the first class of students in 1967 and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accepted the first patients in 1970.
The original buildings at Penn State Hershey Medical Center included the Medical Science Building and medical center, Animal Research Farm, Laundry and Steam Plant, and University Manor Apartments. Since 1970, the campus has grown from 318 to 550 acres. Many additions have been made to the academic and patient-care facilities.
Today, Penn State Hershey Medical Center has completed several carefully planned construction projects. Additions were made to reflect a steady increase in patient demand for services and to expand research and teaching programs.
Penn State College of Medicine students have gone on to become productive physicians and scientists. As of May 2008, the College of Medicine has graduated 3,619 physicians and 598 scientists with Ph.D. or M.S. degrees. The College of Medicine offers degree programs in anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, bioengineering, cell and molecular biology, genetics, integrative biosciences, microbiology and immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and physiology, and two postdoctoral programs leading to an M.S. degree in Laboratory Animal Medicine, the only such program in the Commonwealth, and an M.S. in Health Evaluation Sciences. Each year, more than 360 resident physicians are trained in medical specialties at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
An allied-health training program at Penn State Hershey Medical Center leading to a Penn State certificate in Cardiovascular Perfusion Technology has graduated 74 students through 2001. The Radiologic Technology Training Program, conducted at Penn State Hershey Medical Center until 1998, is now offered at the Penn State Schuylkill Campus. Nursing students from Penn State College of Health and Human Development B.S. degree program rotate through University Hospital for clinical courses each term, and students from other Penn State health-related programs and other institutions come to the campus for clinical experience. The extended B.S. degree program for nurses is offered in conjunction with the College of Health and Human Development.
Continuing education programs serve Penn State Hershey Medical Center and health-care professionals throughout Pennsylvania, with enrollments exceeding 21,000 each year.
The College of Medicine offered the associate degree in Clinical Health Service for the Physician's Assistant Training Program through 1986. This program awarded certificates to 340 graduates in fourteen classes.
Basic and clinical research is conducted at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and is supported by $60.1 million in awards from federal, state, and private agencies, businesses, and individuals.
In 2008 Penn State Hershey Medical Center admitted 26,684 patients and provided care through 808,642 outpatient and 50,331 emergency-service visits. Penn State Hershey Medical Center has 8,432 employees, 500 volunteers, and the College of Medicine enrolls more than 600 students annually.
