Cooper Anesthesia Resident Life

If you decide to come to Cooper for your residency training, you will have the opportunity to live in one of the most dynamic and accessible areas in the country. Located just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Cooper offers residents the best of both worlds: the energy, culture, food, and entertainment of a major city alongside the neighborhoods, outdoor spaces, and communities of South Jersey. Residents can spend a weekend exploring Philadelphia's diverse restaurant scene, catching a Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, or Flyers game, enjoying a concert or museum, or discovering the many bars and neighborhoods throughout the city. For those who prefer the outdoors, the Schuylkill River Trail, Wissahickon Valley Park, Fairmount Park, and numerous South Jersey trails offer opportunities for running, biking, and hiking. The Jersey Shore is less than an hour away, and many residents take advantage of beach weekends and day trips throughout the summer. The Poconos are roughly two hours away for skiing and snowboarding, while New York City, Washington, DC, and Baltimore are all accessible for weekend getaways.

Closer to home, Cooper provides a strong sense of community. As a Level I Trauma Center serving a diverse patient population from throughout the tri-state region, residents train in the heart of Camden. The hospital features a recently renovated resident lounge dedicated to our program, a cafeteria with a diverse selection of freshly prepared food including sushi, Starbucks and Naturals in the lobby, and a healing garden and outdoor spaces.  The surrounding Camden community features other diverse food options, as well as all of the entertainment the Camden waterfront has to offer including a major concert venue, and the Camden Aquarium! Residents spend plenty of time together outside the hospital through our annual residency retreat, resident dinners, department-wide holiday celebrations, graduation celebrations, and birthday celebrations. Whether it is heading into Philadelphia for a sporting event or concert, trying a new restaurant, spending a day at the Shore, or simply getting together after work, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy your time outside the hospital. Our residency places a strong emphasis on wellness, and Cooper's location makes it easy to take advantage of everything Philadelphia and South Jersey have to offer.

FAQ

Where do residents live?

Cooper residents are fairly evenly split between Philadelphia and South Jersey. In Philadelphia, residents commonly live in Center City, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Old City, and Rittenhouse. On the New Jersey side, popular areas include Collingswood, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, and Voorhees.

This gives residents a lot of flexibility when choosing where to live. Some prefer the energy and walkability of Philadelphia, while others enjoy the quieter pace and additional space available in the South Jersey suburbs. Both options put you close to the hospital and everything the region has to offer.

How do residents commute to the hospital?

Most residents coming from Philadelphia take the PATCO train line, while those commuting from south Jersey typically drive. For residents living in Philadelphia, PATCO makes commuting particularly convenient. The ride from Philadelphia to Camden is approximately 10 minutes, and many residents live within a 10-minute walk of a PATCO station.

Residents who live in South Jersey generally drive to the hospital. Depending on where you live, the commute can be as short as approximately 10 minutes from Collingswood or around 25 minutes from Cherry Hill.

Cooper also provides free parking for residents in the Cooper Plaza parking garage, located directly across the street from the hospital. There is ample parking available, so residents who choose to drive do not have to worry about finding a spot.

Is it affordable to live in the area?

One of the advantages of Cooper's location is the variety of housing options available. Residents rent apartments and homes on both sides of the Delaware River, allowing them to choose between city living in Philadelphia and suburban living in South Jersey. Several residents have also been able to purchase homes.

Because there are so many different communities within a relatively short commute, residents can choose a living situation that fits their lifestyle and priorities without being tied to a single neighborhood.

What is there to do outside the hospital?

A lot! Residents take advantage of everything Philadelphia and South Jersey have to offer, from professional sports and concerts to restaurants, museums, nightlife, hiking, running, biking, golf, skiing, and trips to the Shore.

For those looking for a longer getaway, the Poconos are about two hours away, and New York City, Washington, DC, Baltimore, and other East Coast destinations are all accessible for weekend trips.  The Philadelphia Airport is a short drive away, making flights anywhere across the globe extremely accessible.