Tower Health Program
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
--
Program Starts Reviewing Applications
--
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
Jacqueline Wood
St Christopher's Hosp for Children
Survey Received: 6/12/2026
Program ID: 4454121010
Locations
Tower Health
420 S 5th Ave
West Reading, PA 19611
Application Information
Applicant Interview Format
Virtual
Interviews Conducted Last Year
24 Interviews
Interviews/First Year Positions
--
Participates In
NRMP Main Match
--
Doesn't Participate In
- San Francisco Match
- Military Match (i.e., Joint Service Graduate Medical Education Selection Board, Military Selection Board)
- SAU/AU Match (i.e., Urology Match)
- None
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
Yes
Must Have Passed USMLE Step 2 CK
Yes
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
No
Specialty-specific standardized letter requirements
No
Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Deans letter)
Minimum
3 Letters
Maximum
4 Letters
Required Letter Writers
- Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)
- Program Director
Requires Previous GME
Yes
Number of previous GME years required
5 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
--
Program Faculty
3
Female Faculty
33.3%
Faculty Distribution
Work Environment
Program Start Dates
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 - Every fourth night for 52 week(s)
0
Year 2 - Every fourth night for 52 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
Yes
H-1B visa
No
F-1 visa (OPT 1st year)
No
Program Size
--
Current Residents
PGY-1 Positions Not Offered
PGY-2 Positions Not Offered
Average PGY-1 Educational Environment
Structured Didactic Activities
4 Hours
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
Yes
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
Year 6 through Year 9
Year 6
$82,867
Year 7
$85,480
Year 8
$88,679
Year 9
$91,340
Salary paid by a non-profit institution.
Vacation & Sick Days
Maximum # of paid days
NGO
Maximum # of unpaid days
NGO