Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), a predecessor institution of the College of Medicine and the first degree-granting MD program in the world for women, enjoyed the spotlight on two occasions this spring.
A Sculpture Celebrating a First
The historic institution was recognized during the City of Philadelphia’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” event, which is part of the city’s celebration of the United States semiquincentennial. On March 14, visitors gathered to enjoy a presentation about the school, exhibits from the Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, and a community health fair. On display at the event, and for the rest of the year, was a sculpture created by local artist Alana Sxmone, who endeavors to make art that people of all ages and backgrounds can connect with, capturing experiences that feel familiar and personal.
The piece incorporates two doctor figures, one vintage and one modern, illustrating the evolution of women in medicine. In describing her sculpture, Sxmone notes, “Growing up around people who dedicated their lives to helping others made me appreciate the impact that compassion and support can have on a community,” adding that “[the sculpture] gave me a chance to honor the spirit of care I grew up seeing while bringing those stories to life through my art.”
“52 Weeks of Firsts” events continue throughout the year. Learn more about “52 Weeks of Firsts.”
A Play Uniting Past and Present
The People’s Light and Theatre Company in Malvern, Pennsylvania, premiered “The Woman Question,” a new play that brought the voices of pioneering women in medicine and the legacy of Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania to center stage. The play, which ran from May 6-24, 2026, was inspired by the 1894 graduating class. Blending historical research with performing arts, “The Woman Question” explores the lives of a group of women whose influence shaped medicine around the globe.
Written and performed by playwright and actor Suli Holum — in collaboration with People’s Light artist Melanye Finister and an ensemble cast — “The Woman Question” offers audiences another new and exciting way to engage with the College of Medicine’s rich history.
The play is focused on a cohort of students navigating medical education in the 1890s while also tracing how their experiences resonate today. Holum first proposed the project to People’s Light after encountering the biography of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, a graduate of WMCP and the first Native American to earn a Western medical degree. “Once I learned about Susan and her incredible classmates at WMCP, I knew it had to be a play,” Holum says.
With the support from People’s Light and the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, she assembled a collaborative team and began what would become an almost four-year process of research and development. Beginning in late 2022, the group made multiple visits to Drexel’s Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, immersing themselves in student letters, diaries, course catalogs, photographs and ephemera that documented daily life at WMCP in the late 19th century.
Holum and members of “The Woman Question” ensemble have also engaged with Drexel faculty, students and professional staff through presentations, visiting the Health Sciences Building and the West Reading Campus over the past several months.
Ultimately, “The Woman Question” is a tribute to the women physicians who came before and a reminder of what perseverance can achieve. “It’s really a lesson to us all about perseverance, passion, community care and the power of joy,” Holum says.
