Why Temple?
Temple University was originally founded with the motto “Perseverantia Vincit,” Latin for “Perseverance Conquers.” Since its founding, we have continued to honor this motto and attract the best, brightest, and most dedicated residents each year. Residents are well-supported by committed faculty who optimize learning through their collegiality. Temple is unique in the sense that it is a tertiary care facility that also serves as a safety-net for our North Philadelphia patient population, who often face barriers to maintaining their optimal health due to the social determinants of health. This unique combination gives residents robust training with high volumes of both critically ill and bread-and-butter cases, in-depth subspecialty training (often led by leaders in their respective fields), and holistic, inclusive approaches to patient care. Unsurprisingly, the above translates directly into excellent match rates at competitive fellowship programs in a variety of subspecialties and well-prepared general internists, many who go on to obtain leadership positions.
Our Mission
The mission of our residency program is twofold: We aim to develop well-rounded, compassionate clinicians who are equipped with the clinical, teaching, and leadership skills necessary for practicing medicine in a wide variety of environments all while dedicating our efforts to improving the health of the North Philadelphia community that we serve.
Our Vision and Values
At Temple, we view medicine as a whole. Caring for the underserved, in particular, is our calling and we find great joy in knowing that we are making a difference in people’s lives with our day-to-day work. We value teamwork, respect, and diversity (both in our workforce and our clinical practice). We aim to continuously encourage inquiry and foster the skills of lifelong learning while promoting compassion for others and ourselves.
Our Community
Temple University Hospital is located in the vibrant, urban community of North Philadelphia. North Philadelphia was once an industrial epicenter with many factories producing a variety of goods. As the need for manufacturing jobs decreased and red-lining began, many resources left the area. This once-thriving metropolitan area is now home to many abandoned buildings and many residents live in poverty. Nevertheless, the community remains resilient and full of pride.
Currently, the community is predominantly Black or African American and Hispanic (particularly Puerto Rican). Murals line the walls of many North Philadelphia buildings and narrate the story of its community.
North Philadelphia is home to several community organizations dedicated to social and economic justice. These include the Zion Baptist church, which sits on the corner just north of the health science campus, and the Nicetown Community Development Corporation.
Understanding the environment in which our patients live, work, and play is essential to understanding their health. Enhancing this understanding is why Temple prides itself on community engagement. Temple has a robust Community Health Care Workers program that assists patients with complex medical needs as they navigate the health care system.
Temple also interacts with the community to gain a better understanding of the social determinants of health through programs such as Farms to Families, which addresses issues of food insecurity by providing fresh, low-cost produce. Additionally, Cradle to Grave and Philadelphia CeaseFire target the public health crisis of gun violence. New initiatives are always arising based on community need such as, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Temple delivered meals to the most vulnerable in the community, handed-out masks, and made hand-sanitizer.
Our residency program is dedicated to the service of this diverse, vibrant community.
Our Residents
We are proud of our residents and what they accomplish over three years of residency. By the time they graduate, our residents develop into skillful clinicians, educators, and team leaders that are capable of handling almost anything. They truly define what it means to be Temple Made.