Meet our Chief Residents 2026 - 2027
Letter from our Chiefs
Thank you for your interest in the Tower Health Anesthesiology Residency Program at Reading Hospital. We are excited to introduce you to our program and share what makes training here both academically rigorous and personally rewarding.
Our four-year categorical anesthesiology residency is based at Reading Hospital in West Reading, Pennsylvania. As the flagship hospital of the Tower Health system, Reading Hospital is a 697+ bed Level I Trauma Center serving a large and diverse patient population. This high-volume, high-acuity environment provides exceptional clinical exposure and prepares our residents to confidently care for patients with a wide range of medical and surgical complexities.
Your residency begins with a comprehensive PGY-1 year designed to build a strong clinical foundation. Rotations include Internal Medicine, General and Vascular Surgery, Surgical Intensive Care, Neurocritical Care, Pulmonology, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Chronic Pain, and Ultrasound. Throughout the year, you will strengthen your ability to evaluate and manage common medical and surgical conditions while becoming familiar with the hospital system and developing relationships with colleagues across multiple specialties - many of whom you will later collaborate with in the perioperative setting.
The transition into your CA-1 year begins with our "Boot Camp," an immersive introduction to clinical anesthesiology. During this period, you will work closely with fellow CA-1 residents and dedicated faculty members while learning the fundamentals of perioperative care, airway management, anesthetic planning, and operating room workflow. Daily protected didactic sessions with core faculty complement your hands-on clinical experience, ensuring you develop the knowledge and technical skills necessary to provide safe, high-quality patient care. As your confidence and independence grow, you will seamlessly transition into the full clinical anesthesia curriculum.
Throughout your CA years, you will encounter a diverse range of surgical cases and increasing levels of clinical responsibility. From managing critically injured trauma patients and caring for laboring mothers to participating in complex, life-changing surgical procedures - every day offers new opportunities to grow as a physician and anesthesiologist. One of the most rewarding aspects of training is continuing to work alongside the colleagues and friends you met during your intern year. In addition to the diverse cases here at Reading Hospital, you will also get to experience providing anesthesia to a pediatric population at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and critical care at Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia.
Resident development extends well beyond the operating room. Regular one-on-one meetings with the Program Director provide individualized feedback and guidance throughout training. In addition, every resident selects a faculty mentor who offers personalized support in research, quality improvement initiatives, career planning, fellowship preparation, and professional development.
West Reading and the surrounding Berks County area offer an outstanding quality of life. Residents enjoy numerous parks, lakes, hiking, and biking trails, as well as a vibrant local restaurant scene along Penn Avenue and throughout West Reading. Our location also places you approximately one hour from Philadelphia and about two and a half hours from New York City and the Jersey Shore, making weekend getaways convenient. Just as importantly, our residency fosters a close-knit community. Residents regularly gather for dinners, holiday celebrations, outdoor activities, and milestones both inside and outside of medicine, creating friendships that extend far beyond residency.
Our department is built upon a collaborative, team-based culture. Attendings, residents, CRNAs, anesthesia technicians, SRNAs, medical students, and every member of the perioperative team contribute to delivering exceptional patient care. We value mutual respect, teamwork, and education, recognizing that the best outcomes are achieved when we learn from and support one another.
We appreciate your interest in the Tower Health Anesthesiology Residency Program at Reading Hospital and invite you to learn more about our community. We look forward to answering your questions and hope to welcome you to Reading Hospital.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Payette, MD, and Lindsay Smykowski, DO