Tower Health Program
Philadelphia, PALast Updated: 2/19/2026
About This Program
St. Christopher's is one of the oldest pediatric surgery programs. The hospital cares for a very underserved population who often present late to care or are unable to get care elsewhere. We are the regional pediatric burn center. There is opportunity to spend time at the Shriner's Hospital as well to learn spine exposure techniques.
Program Length
2 Years
First Year Positions
1 Position
Application Deadline
--
Avg Work Hours
70 Hours/Week
Program Setting
Community/University
Application Service
ERAS
Program Statistics
Types of Graduates
Resident Gender
Contact Information
Program Director
Alana Beres, MD
St Christopher's Hospital for Children
Primary Program Contact
Kimberly Abrams, MD
St Christopher's Hosp for Children
Survey Received: 6/11/2025
Program ID: 4454121010
Locations
Tower Health
420 S 5th Ave
West Reading, PA 19611
Application Information
Applicant Interview Format
Virtual
Interviews Conducted Last Year
--
Interviews/First Year Positions
--
Participates In
Advanced or Fellowship Match of NRMP
Code: 1653445F0
ERAS®
Yes
Doesn't Participate In
- Main Match of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
- San Francisco Match
- Military Match
- Urology Match
U.S. MD Applicants
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
IMG Applicants
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
DO Applicants
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 1
Yes
Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 2
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 1
Yes
Must Have Passed Step 2
Yes
Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Dean's letter)
Minimum
3 Letters
Maximum
4 Letters
Required specialty-specific letters of evaluation within total letters of recommendation
- Letter from a department chair
- Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)
Requires Previous GME
Yes
Number of previous GME years required
5 year(s)
Offers Preliminary Positions
No
Required Specialty-Specific Away Rotations
No
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
Physicians (3)
Non-Physicians (--)
Work Environment
Program Start Dates
July, August 1
Avg Hours/Week on Duty (During First Year)
70 Hours
Maximum Consecutive Hours on Duty (During First Year)
28 Hours
Avg Number of 24 Hour Off Duty Periods Per Week (During First Year)
1.00
Program Allows Moonlighting (Beyond PGY-1)
No
Night Float System
No
Most Taxing Schedule & Frequency Per Year
Beeper or Home Call (Weeks / Year)
Year 1 - $
0
Year 2 - Other for 0 week(s)
--
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-1s1
PGY-2s--
Average PGY-1 Educational Environment
Structured Didactic Activities
4
Hospital Outpatient
10%
Non-Hospital Ambulatory Care
N/A
Employment Policies & Benefits
Free parking
On-call meal allowance
Educational Benefits
Research rotation
Not available
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
Debt management/financial counseling
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
Data not provided by program
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
Yes
Portfolio system
No
Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)
No
Medical Insurance Coverage
- Major medical for residents
- Major medical for dependents
- Major medical for domestic partners
- Outpatient mental health
- Inpatient mental health
- Dental insurance
- Group life insurance
- Disability insurance
Salary Compensation
$83k-$91k
PGY-6 through PGY-9
PGY-6
$82,867
PGY-7
$85,480
PGY-8
$88,679
PGY-9
$91,340
Salary paid by a non-profit institution.
Vacation & Sick Days
Vacation Days0
Sick Days--
Maximum # of paid days
NGO
Maximum # of unpaid days
NGO
Quality of Life Information*
Philadelphia, PA
Purchasing Power Index --
Safety Index --
Health Care Index --
Climate Index --
Cost of Living Index --
Property Price to Income Ratio --
Traffic Commute Time Index --
Pollution Index --
Estimated Monthly Costs
Estimated cost does not include rent.Family of 4
--
Single Person
--
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