What procedural skills can I develop?

The program offers multiple opportunities.

Primary care dermatologic procedures include laceration repair, full-thickness excision of skin lesions, skin biopsies, suturing, cryotherapy, nail plate removal, and dermoscopy, among others. Women's health procedures include IUD placement, endometrial biopsy, Nexplanon placement, and colposcopy, in addition to prenatal and labor and delivery care. There are monthly hands-on procedure workshops. In addition, residents who want to pursue specialized interests are encouraged and able to do so. Examples include primary care orthopedic procedures, including multiple arthrocentesis/corticosteroid injections and splinting. Development of a point of care ultrasound curriculum is underway.

Where would I see my patients?

The Family Health Care Center (FHCC) is directly contained within the Reading Hospital complex. Included are 23 exam rooms, and a procedure room. Our Epic electronic health record is fully functional.

Most importantly, we utilize the team approach to patient care, and we follow a Patient-Centered Medicine Home (PCMH) model. Embedded within the daily function of the Family Healthcare Center are a PhD psychologist/behavioralist, a full-time clinical pharmacist, an integrated care clinician to facilitate access to behavioral health services, and an Opioid Management Clinic.

Are residents provided with a dedicated workspace?

Yes, our “Resident Room” is a key feature of our program and is located just across the hall from the Family Health Care Center along with our academic and faculty offices. The Resident Room allows for tremendous collaboration, unity, teamwork, and easy access to faculty members. Every resident is provided with their own personal desk, computer, telephone, and storage space.

Is space provided for conferences and meetings?

Yes, we have a Large Education Room that seats more than 40 people, conveniently located next to our faculty offices and the Resident Room. There are also multiple conference rooms scattered throughout the Reading Hospital complex.

What are some of the areas of emphasis and special features of your program?

Our Family Medicine Residency Program has been producing high-quality graduates for more than 45 years. We combine a vast array of clinical experiences with a commitment to scholarly excellence and personal life balance. We have so many benefits to offer you:

People

Successful organizations are based upon superior communication and teamwork. From our physicians to our nurses to our administrative support staff, our culture of camaraderie allows us to successfully target our goals. We get things done and have fun doing it! Join our family.

Scholarly excellence

We seek residents who like to learn, who like to teach, and who are interested in promoting our agenda of academic excellence and collaborative, team-based learning. While practicing evidence-informed decision making, as our residents’ skill and competencies are enhanced while teaching junior team members and medical students.

Clinical experience

Robust opportunities for inpatient and outpatient volumes exist at Reading Hospital, including often being rated as the busiest emergency department in Pennsylvania, and one of busiest in the entire country!

Care for the underserved

We have important work to do. Come and help us care for our high-risk population of biopsychosocially challenged patients. Get involved in one of our many community health projects. Our patients need your compassionate care.

Osteopathic principles and philosophy

Our Osteopathic Recognition status under the ACGME isn't just lip service. Our commitment to osteopathic training is a strong longitudinal thread that is woven throughout the fiber of our residency program. There are even opportunities for our MD residents to participate.

Advanced models of care delivery and practice redesign

As a recognized leader in Pennsylvania for the Patient-Centered Medical Home movement, we continue to evolve towards innovative concepts of team-based care, predictable scheduling, community medicine, and population health. The Family Health Care Center is among 20 programs selected by the Center for Excellence in Primary Care at UCSF for the Transforming Teaching Practices project! Read more about our Curriculum.

Diverse and experienced core family medicine faculty

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts! As a collective group, our diverse residency faculty offers expertise in a wide range of disciplines, including evidence-based medicine, hospital medicine, population health, women's health, primary care research, primary care procedures, geriatrics, osteopathic manipulative therapy, healthcare policy, quality improvement, and clinical practice redesign. Our faculty group has both broad private practice and academic experience.

Behavioral health and addiction medicine

At Reading Hospital, the section of Addiction Medicine is a subdivision of the Department of Family Medicine and is led by family physicians who are closely connected to our residency program. Our Addiction Medicine Fellowship is managed collaboratively with the Caron Foundation, a world-renowned drug and alcohol treatment facility.

Leadership

We seek to harness the power stemming from the intelligence and enthusiasm of all 24 of our residents. Come and take ownership of your residency. Follow your passion. Lead our residency to greater heights and cultivate the leadership skills that you will need in your own career after graduation. In addition to typical chief resident roles, residents provide leadership of our Quality Improvement “Team Time” curriculum and to committees including Community Medicine & Outreach, Curriculum & Scholarly Activity, PCMH-Ambulatory Care, Problems & Solutions, IMPLICIT, Recruitment, and Party Planning!

Mentorship

An open-door policy is the norm for all faculty attending physicians. Evaluation and feedback are provided at the point of clinical care, after rotations, and at quarterly meetings with an assigned faculty advisor. Individual Learning Plans are implemented to help each resident follow their passions and to achieve personal goals.

Wellness

We care and we listen! Having a voice and control in the direction of the residency program helps to avoid burnout. From weekly meetings between Program Directors and Chief Residents to monthly Resident Faculty Forums, we promote life balance. We even have a meditation room!

Drexel University College of Medicine Campus

The sky is the limit. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the opportunities that are presented by this impressive expansion of clinical care and academic scope. The upward trajectory of our broadening health system carries exciting implications for our Family Medicine Residency Program.

Doesn’t being at a hospital with other residency programs limit your experience?

No, actually. Here it is a positive. Reading Hospital consistently ranks within the top five for patient volume in Pennsylvania and offers an incredible experience for all—there is seldom competition for interesting patients or procedures. There is no “opposed” model. We have more flexibility of training experience because the work of covering patients is distributed.

Collaborative relationships with other departments and residency programs allow a pooling of resources for the benefit of all. Examples include attracting nationally known speakers for grand rounds and core lecture series.