Community-Focused Education, Clinical Care, and Research
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. The Reading Hospital Family Medicine Residency has been in continuous operation since our founding in 1972. Since its inception, the program has been focused on caring for all members of our community, regardless of circumstance. Patients come from the urban areas of Reading, the suburban areas around Reading (e.g., West Reading, Wyomissing), and the rural areas found just a few miles outside of the city. This service focus resonates with our goal of providing a broad-spectrum, full-scope family medicine training experience while learning about and caring for the entire community.
Another important community member that we work with is the Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM) West Reading Campus. This four-year regional campus of DUCOM welcomed its first class in 2021 and was the next step in the long-standing partnership with DUCOM. In addition to DUCOM students from the Philadelphia campus, we now teach all students from the West Reading campus. The energy that medical students bring is palpable and enhances our residents’ educational experience.
The talented and dedicated Family Medicine faculty continue to provide top-tier educational experiences for residents and medical students. They take a personal interest in teaching, mentoring, and supporting every resident. This supportive environment is the most frequently identified reason the residents mention when asked about what they most like about the program.
In addition to the clinical and educational environment, the department is growing its research infrastructure. A family physician in the community funded a research center that was designed to fund pilot projects in primary care research. Various successful projects have been initiated in this way. The most recent is a web-based app (in both English and Spanish) that will assist patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus care for themselves.
So, from the executive and clinical leadership of one of the top 50 Academic Health Centers that is Reading Hospital, to the entire faculty and staff in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, everyone is dedicated to outstanding clinical care of our patients and outstanding education for residents and students. This is a wonderful hospital and an amazing department. I hope you will consider being part of it.
Dr. John P. Franko, MD
Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine