Welcome from the Reading Hospital General Surgery Residency Program. Thank you for taking the time to discover the opportunities afforded via our residency program.

Mission

The mission of the General Surgery Residency Program is to train future general and specialist surgeons to provide the highest level of patient care through clinical competence, ownership, and utilization of evidence-based, cost-effective treatment plans.

Message from the Program Director

Our residency began in 2019, and I have been privileged to serve as program director for nearly three years. For over 150 years, our hospital has provided comprehensive surgical care to the population of Berks County and beyond. The clinical activity within our surgery department is on par with most university-based medical centers. Our affiliation with the Drexel University College of Medicine, along with the completion of the West Reading Campus, has helped us achieve our goal of transforming into a university-based academic medical center.

With this goal in mind, we have remained rooted within the local community. In doing so, our emergency department has emerged as the busiest in Pennsylvania. Our core faculty members are dedicated teachers with strong educational backgrounds, passionate about sharing their clinical expertise. I think you will find that our program truly offers experiences in all facets of surgical care. We are equipped and staffed to make the education of surgical residents a successful priority.

- Peter K Bamberger, MD, Program Director

Program Highlights

  1. The Healthplex, completed in 2016, houses 24 operating rooms and eight procedure suites
  2. An expansive emergency department, which is clinically the busiest in the state, provides a diverse, robust surgical experience
  3. Five leading-edge trauma resuscitation bays
  4. Enthusiastic, committed attending surgeons from general surgery and subspecialties
  5. Outstanding support staff to include ICU and floor nurses, as well as ancillary care
  6. Operating room leadership and staff truly interested in improving patient care and operating room efficiency
  7. Strong hospital and department leadership committed to quality healthcare delivery
  8. An academic environment rooted in evidence-based surgical and medical care. Clinical research opportunities are encouraged beginning during the intern year.
  9. A collegial atmosphere facilitating positive interactions between surgeons and consulting physicians
  10. A friendly workplace climate more commonly found in a small community hospital and rarely in a more than 700-bed facility
  11. Exposure to minimally invasive and robotic surgery early and throughout the residency
  12. Affiliation with Drexel University Medical School, including a four-year branch campus in Reading

The elements above are combined with a group of physicians and surgeons who are excellent mentors, truly enjoy teaching, and strive to provide exemplary healthcare to our patients. The Reading Hospital truly is an outstanding place to work and to educate residents.

In summary, we are a hybrid community/university affiliated general surgery program that strives to train surgeons to gain the best experiences in clinical and academic surgical practice. We are a busy program steeped in academic tradition present in a collegial environment.

Video: General Surgery Residency - Dr. Bamberger Interview

Video: General Surgery Residency - Dr. Bamberger Interview

Interview with Program Director P. Kurt Bamberger, MD, FACS