Tower Health Program

The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program at Tower Health is designed to offer an extensive and comprehensive educational experience for individuals pursuing a career in Pediatric Surgery. Located at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, the two-year clinical fellowship encompasses a broad educational curriculum and hands-on clinical training essential to the specialization.

This fellowship exposes participants to a wide array of surgical procedures performed on children, featuring a significant volume of neonatal and minimally invasive surgeries. The program ensures that fellows gain thorough experience in managing complex congenital malformations alongside routine pediatric surgical issues, including but not limited to abdominal, retroperitoneal, and non-cardiac thoracic surgical problems, tumors, infections, head and neck masses, endoscopy procedures, and urologic interventions.

Fell fellows also benefit from key rotations within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), spending one month in each unit to enhance their critical care skills and understanding of surgical management in complex cases. Being designated as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, St. Christopher's provides a rigorous training environment, including an active Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program which further enriches the fellows' learning experience.

As part of the surgical training, fellows participate in office hours within the surgery clinic, acquiring the necessary skills for outpatient care, which includes preoperative assessments and postoperative follow-ups. They also have the unique opportunity to collaborate with Shriner's Hospital for Children, which offers exposure techniques for spinal surgeries, enhancing their competencies in thoracic and diaphragm surgical procedures.

The hands-on training involves leading a team responsible for managing all patients on the Pediatric Surgery Service, including those in the NICU, PICU, and medical-surgical units, under the guidance of attending surgeons who prioritize mentorship and the delivery of evidence-based care.

The program places a strong emphasis on scholarly activities and includes a diverse curricular framework that covers the full spectrum of pediatric surgery. Over the past five years, fellows have performed an average of 1,137 total surgical cases, with a remarkable 100% board passage rate over the last decade.

Training Sites

The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship program utilizes two principal training sites, predominantly at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, accounting for approximately 95% of the training time. This facility is equipped with 189 beds to meet the extensive care requirements of pediatric patients. The remaining 5% of training occurs at Shriner’s Hospital for Children, providing specialized training in complex spinal surgeries.

Application Requirements

Applying for the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship requires candidates to meet specific prerequisites including a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy degree, completion of a chief residency in an ACGME-accredited general surgery program, eligibility to sit for the qualifying examination in General Surgery, Advanced Trauma Life Support Certification, Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification, and a current Pennsylvania state medical license.

All candidates must participate in the Pediatric Surgery Match, registering with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and submitting their applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Required application materials include a curriculum vitae, a personal statement, a minimum of three letters of recommendation, a USMLE score report, and an ABSITE score report. Specific application deadlines can be checked on the ERAS website.

Conference Schedule and Policies

The program features a robust weekly conference schedule with meetings held every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. These sessions include a Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference, Journal Club, and mock oral exams, providing a platform for continuous learning and professional development. Additionally, there are monthly conferences, such as the GI/Surgery conference and quarterly NICU/Surgery conferences.

Research presentation policies are in place for educational meetings, although the program does not provide financial support for candidate interviews.