Tower Health Program
About This Program
Patients belong from underserved population
Program Length
1 Year
First Year Positions
1 Position
Program Starts Reviewing Applications
--
Avg Work Hours
60 Hours/Week
Program Setting
Community/University
Application Service
ERAS
Program Statistics
Contact Information
Program Director
Fernando U Garcia, MD
Tower Health
Primary Program Contact
Karen Rutledge
St Christopher's Hospital for Children
Survey Received: 6/15/2026
Program ID: 3164121013
Locations
Tower Health
420 S 5th Ave
West Reading, PA 19611
Office of the Medical Examiner
321 University Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia
5501 Old York Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19141-3098
Application Information
Applicant Interview Format
Virtual
Interviews Conducted Last Year
--
Interviews/First Year Positions
--
No Program Match
Does not offer open house or second look
U.S. MD Applicants
Must Have Passed USMLE Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed USMLE Step 2 CK
Yes
IMG Applicants
Must Have Passed USMLE Step 1
--
Must Have Passed USMLE Step 2 CK
--
DO Applicants
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 1
Yes
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 2
Yes
Requires the USMLE Step 1 and/or Step 2 CK
Yes
Must Have USMLE Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have USMLE Passed Step 2 CK
Yes
Specialty-specific standardized letter requirements
Yes
Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Deans letter)
Minimum
2 Letters
Maximum
4 Letters
Required Letter Writers
- Letter from a department chair
- Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)
- Program Director
- Physician preceptor at an away rotation (e.g., program director, faculty)
Requires Previous GME
Yes
Number of previous GME years required
3 year(s)
Required Supplemental Information
No
Osteopathic Recognition
No
Medical School Graduation Timeline
No cap on the number of years.
Gap Experience Requirement
Data not provided by program
Resident / Fellow Characteristics
Three year averages. Medical school type does not include graduates of Canadian schools.
Types of Graduates
Resident Gender
Program Faculty
Faculty/Resident Ratio
3:1
Program Faculty
3
Female Faculty
33.3%
Faculty Distribution
Work Environment
Program Start Dates
July 1
Avg Hours/Week on Duty (During First Year)
60 Hours
Maximum Consecutive Hours on Duty (During First Year)
10 Hours
Avg Number of 24 Hour Off Duty Periods Per Week (During First Year)
2.00
Program Allows Moonlighting (Beyond PGY-1)
Yes
Night Float System
No
Most Taxing Schedule & Frequency Per Year
Beeper or Home Call (Weeks / Year)
Year 1 - N/A
NGO
NA = Not Applicable
NGO = Negotiable
OTH = Other
Visa Status
This program will consider an appropriately qualified applicant with the following visa or visa status. Contact the program for additional information.
J-1 visa sponsorship through ECFMG
No
H-1B visa
No
F-1 visa (OPT 1st year)
No
Program Size
1
Current Residents
PGY-1 Positions Not Offered
PGY-2 Positions Not Offered
Average PGY-1 Educational Environment
Structured Didactic Activities
60 Hours
Hospital Outpatient
N/A
Non-Hospital Ambulatory Care
N/A
Employment Policies & Benefits
Housing stipend
Free parking
On-call meal allowance
iPads, tablets, etc., or technology allowance
Educational Benefits
Debt management/financial counseling
Yes
Research rotation
Optional
Integrative medicine curriculum
No
Curriculum to develop health systems leadership skills (e.g., QI project leadership, community/organizational advocacy)
No
Formal program to foster interprofessional teamwork
No
Instruction in medical Spanish or other non-English language
No
Alternative/complementary medicine curriculum
No
Economics of health care systems curriculum
No
Academic support for USMLE Step 3 and/or COMLEX-USA Level 3 preparation
No
International experience/global health
No
Resident/fellow retreats
No
Off-campus electives
No
Hospice/home care experience
No
MPH, MBA, PhD or other advanced degree training
No
Tracks & Educational Features
Another track
Yes
Offers additional training or educational experience beyond accredited length
Yes
Primary care track
No
Hospitalist track
No
Research track/non-accredited fellowship track
No
Rural track
No
Women's health track
No
Academic or clinician educator track
No
Evaluations
Aggregate resident Milestone achievements
No
Graduates board certification pass rates
No
Performance-based assessment scores (e.g. OSCE, patient or computer simulations)
Yes
Patient surveys
No
Portfolio system
Yes
Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)
Yes
Medical Insurance Coverage
- Major medical for residents
- Major medical for dependents
- Major medical for domestic partners
- Outpatient mental health
- Inpatient mental health
- Group life insurance
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Disability insurance for occupationally-acquired HIV
--
Salary Compensation
$82K
Year 5
Year 5
$81,934
Salary paid by a non-profit institution.
Vacation & Sick Days
Residents receive 20 Vacation Days and 5 Sick Days annually to support work-life balance and personal well-being.
Maximum # of paid days
NGO
Maximum # of unpaid days
NGO