Thank you for your interest in the Internal Medicine training program at Pennsylvania Hospital. Pennsylvania Hospital is the nation’s first hospital and was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond; a lot has changed since our humble beginnings and, today, we are a 534-bed acute care facility offering the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. We are also part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and are only 2 miles from our medical school and the system’s research hub at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. We have a long tradition in medical education – in fact, we were home to the nation’s first medical trainee in 1773 – and are proud to be a core teaching site in our health system today. As such, our faculty honor the role of education in residency, and we are truly lucky to have a community of educators who prioritize the growth of our residents.
The Internal Medicine residency program is based primarily at Pennsylvania Hospital and the immediately-surrounding outpatient sites. We offer a categorical three-year training program and a one-year preliminary program, and are proud to educate international medical graduates through J1 visas. Our clinical opportunities encompass the full range of relevant medical subspecialties, and our patient population has diversity of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and medical diagnosis. In particular, our primary care training site (the J. Edwin Wood Clinic) is focused on serving those in the community with the highest social needs and healthcare disparities.
Our program has developed a unique blend of a community-style program within an academic health system, while located in the heart of a bustling metropolitan area. I have termed us a “communiversity” program, or maybe even a “liberal arts” program for those who are familiar with the American university system. That’s all to say that we manage the capture the best of both worlds. Like many community programs, we are a tight nit group who truly care for each other (ask the residents, it’s not just lip-service!), our training program is highly clinical with value placed on learn-by-doing, and most of our training is at a single site. However, like larger academic programs, we have active faculty with ongoing research, we offer advanced electives at our sister institutions, and we have the financial resources and networking opportunities of world-class health system. Ultimately, our successes speak for themselves – our website houses our amazing fellowship match lists, and you should ask the residents about their research successes. Besides fellowship, many of our residents choose careers in general internal medicine, like me, and they are equally successful in finding meaningful opportunities both locally and nationally.
I believe wholeheartedly that we offer a unique program with a proven track record for success, and we have built a community that makes coming to work every day just that much nicer. Our website includes details on our program, and our culture is best captured on the interview day - even virtually! Through the interview season, we are looking for applicants who are prepared to work hard for their patients, have a can-do growth mindset, are driven to forward their careers, and are community-builders who will add positively to our tight-knit program. We would love to learn more about you and look forward to reviewing your application in ERAS.
Best of luck in this exciting time of your career,
Alex Glaser, MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency, Pennsylvania Hospital
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine