Named in honor of David W. Kistler, MD, former Chief of Staff at Geisinger Wyoming Valley and a family physician in the Wyoming Valley for more than 50 years, the Kistler Family Medicine Residency is a three-year program that seeks to train future leaders of health care with curriculum coordinated with the Geisinger Institute In Leadership. Electives are offered in the second and thrid years.

The program includes rotations in adult medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, geriatrics, intensive care and many sub-specialties. Residents will receive supervised training at Geisinger Wyoming Valley with some curriculum also offered at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre. Training will also take place under board-certified family physicians at Geisinger Medical Groups in Dallas, Lake Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. These sites will enable residents to train in local primary care practices while gaining valuable experience as healthcare providers in small community settings. 

Additionally, residents with interest in public policy and global health can plan with Geisinger Academic Affairs to enter and complete an MBA or MPH program. MBAs can be accomodated over the three years at one of the regional school of business. Geisinger has special arrangements for interested and motivated Geisinger residents to seek an MPH at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Such additional programs must be designed with the resident within the ACGME limit on work hours .Either degreed program allows a signficant jump start to a career in health leadership. Elective blocks may be used for the on campus portion of the Johns Hopkins MPH curriculum.

The Kistler Family Residency Program demonstrates Geisinger’s academic mission and its commitment to expanding the primary care provider network. By providing a forum where young physicians can train locally, using advanced technology and innovative practice models, residents will have the opportunity to experience a neighborhood physician practice and remain in the Wyoming Valley area to begin their professional careers.