General impression: Very academic and research oriented. A top program, but definitely earns its keep through its mix of clinical volume, research, and didactics. The largest attending staff I'd ever encountered (25+). Takes 5 residents a year, and the program is a very "hand-holding" program, meaning that they walk the residents through a lot of things closely and carefully for a while.
Pros: Working at one of the best hospitals, including HUP and CHOP. Very strong didactics. Great lectures and didactics, reasonable clinical volume despite 3 other residencies in the area. Very strong sense of camaraderie among the residents and attendings, though grand rounds tends to get a little tense. Very friendly staff overall. Philadelphia is also a great city to live in (despite what some other haters may say about the city).
Cons: Surgical volume is probably one of its biggest weaknesses. Cataract surgeries range from 100-140, though they are well-taught by an excellent attending (Sulewski I believe). The new chairman is trying to bring in more volume, but not sure how. Coverage is across four hospitals, but are within 6 blocks of each other. The hand-holding attitude can get irritating for some. I've also heard some residents saying they wished the residency was a year longer because they felt they did not get enough surgery and clinical exposure.
Overall: Definitely an awesome place to match, despite its flaws. Very academic atmosphere in a good way. Will be lined up for lots of top fellowships (every resident has matched into a fellowship the past several years). Was my #1 pick.
