Contact Us

Do you participate in ERAS?
Yes.  All applications must be received through ERAS.

How many positions will you have open this year?
We typically have 10-12 PGY1 positions for the upcoming year and 6-8 PGY2 positions for the following year. Please refer to our program information listed in FREIDA Online for further information.

How many individuals do you interview each year?
We typically interview 180-210 individuals each year.

What is your application deadline?
December 31st. You are invited to check the status of your application by simply calling the Residency Coordinator at 800-206-7718 or e-mail Residency Program.

What are the minimum requirements?
Your application will be reviewed in its entirety. However, we do prefer to see:

• US clinical experience is not required, however, anesthesia electives and/or experience are preferred
• USMLE Scores no less than 80 (200) (or COMLEX of 500 or higher)
• ECFMG certification must be supplied by the time you begin as a resident with us.
• Three letters of recommendation, Dean's letter, medical school transcripts, CV.
• USMLE Step 1/COMLEX 1 is required to be selected for an interview. Step 2 is not absolutely essential, but is recommended and may improve your application.

Is there a limit to the number of times an applicant can attempt Step 1 or Step 2?
There is not official limit for attempting Step 1 or Step 2, however, the number of times you have taken the exam may impact your application. An invitation to interview will be based on your entire application and not simply your exam scores.

If I have taken COMLEX, is the USMLE required?
The USMLE is not required if you have taken COMLEX. Your application will be reviewed in its entirety. USMLE Step 1 will simply add to your qualifications.

What Visas do you sponsor?
The institution currently accepts residents on J-1 visas, however, the application process and applicable fees are your responsibility.

Is there a cut off date of medical school graduation?
The Residency Recruitment Team prefers to see graduation from medical school within five years of submitting your ERAS application. However, this is dependent upon what clinical/research experience you have had since graduating from  medical school.

When will you be conducting interviews?
We will begin our interview process mid November and finish by late January. Our interview process consists of two half days. If you are invited for an interview, you will be requested to be here Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning or Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. These two half day sessions are designed to familiarize the applicant with department, the staff, our world renowned Simulation Center, and the hospital environment. We conclude the interview process with an open discussion luncheon between the applicants and our residents and faculty. For more detailed information, please refer to our Interview page

Do you reimburse travel expenses for the interview process?
Although we cannot reimburse you for travel costs incurred to interview at Hershey, we will pay for one night’s lodging to accommodate our two-half day interview process as well as providing appropriate meals during your visit. Arrangements to extend your hotel stay can be made at a discounted rate.

How many residents are in your program?
We are a mid-sized program consisting of 64 residents ranging from PGY-1 to PGY-4. Our program is a diversified program consisting of highly qualified American and International graduates.

What fellowships do you offer?
We currently offer fellowships in Pain Management, Critical Care, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Neuroanesthesia, Pediatric Anesthesia, and Regional Anesthesia.

What rotations do you recommend that I take during my internship/transitional year before transferring as a PGY2?
The ACGME recommends that at least six months include experience in caring for inpatients in internal medicina, pediatrics, surgery, or any of the surgical specialties, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, family medicine, or any combination of these. In addition, there should be rotations in critical care and emergency medicine, with at least one month, but no more than two months devoted to each. Up to one month may be taken in anesthesiology.

Do you offer Out of the Match positions?
Due to recent Match policy changes from the NRMP, we will no longer have out of the Match offers available for positions that will begin on or after July 1, 2013.

Do you offer Couples Matches?
If you have been invited to interview and are couples matching with an applicant interviewing with another department at Penn State Hershey, we will be happy to help coordinate with the other department as much as possible. Please contact our office about your partner's interview as we may not have the information.

If you are couples matching with another applicant in Anesthesia and have been invited to interview, we will make every attempt to schedule both interviews for the same day. Each applicant will be ranked appropriately based on individual qualifications and not solely on a couples match.

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