Anesthesiology Residency Program

Message from Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Anesthesiology Residency Program at Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in affiliation with New York Medical College (NYMC)! We are proud to provide unparalleled clinical training across all subspecialties by dedicated and experienced faculty in a supportive learning environment.

WMC is a busy Level 1 Trauma Center and major referral hospital for the entire Lower Hudson Valley. It provides the full spectrum of surgical services, including:

Robust liver, kidney, and heart transplant services
The only Adult and Pediatric Burn Center for Eastern New York outside New York City
A complex Neurosurgical service and Comprehensive Stroke Center
The free-standing Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital
High-risk Obstetrics, including a SOAP Center of Excellence OB Anesthesia service
A Cardiothoracic Surgery service, specializing in circulatory support, transplant, major aortic reconstructions, and robotic thoracic surgery

Over the course of training, our residents become adept at caring for patients of the highest acuity and complexity using the most advanced clinical tools and techniques available. A total of five months of training are spent at our affiliate site, Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT, which augments the clinical experience at WMC by providing exposure to the community hospital setting. The department includes three anesthesia fellowships: Adult Cardiac Anesthesia, Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management, and Multidisciplinary Pain Management.

Anesthesiology residency training at WMC is fun, exciting, and fulfilling, but it is also stressful! The Program is truly dedicated to fostering and maintaining the well-being of its trainees. Work hours average 50-55 hours per week across all levels of training and residents working in the ORs are relieved at 5pm when not on call. We are able to honor most vacation requests and are accommodating of the use of sick and personal time. We have had many successful graduates who have had children during residency and fully support the needs of people with young families.

Our program is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medicine to improve clinical outcomes and better serve the health needs of our diverse patient population. Recent residents and graduates have included approximately 40% women and 20% members of groups under-represented in medicine (URM).

In the 2025 Match cycle, we are offering 13 PGY-1 positions. Our application review process is holistic and focuses on:

Academic achievement, including success in clinical rotations
Work and extracurricular activities
Life experiences and evidence of resilience
Scholarly productivity

Best of luck to all in the application season and 2025 Match!

Sarah C. Smith, MD MS
Associate Professor, Clinical Anesthesiology
New York Medical College
Residency Program Director
Westchester Medical Center

Program Overview and Curriculum

Clinical Sites

The Clinical Anesthesiology (CA) resident training takes place at Westchester Medical Center (WMC), the main rotation site, and a community hospital in Danbury, CT (total of 5 months over the course of training). Senior residents also have the opportunity to complete an elective rotation in obstetric anesthesia at Mt. Sinai West Hospital in Manhattan.

Westchester Medical Center

Westchester Medical Center shares its leafy campus with New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY, approximately 20 miles north of New York City. It is a Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center and a major hub for specialized care referrals. Here, we take care of patients from a very large catchment area stretching from the northern border of New York City to the Catskill Mountains.

WMC has a pediatric hospital (Maria Fareri Children's Hospital) with eight dedicated pediatric operating rooms as well as many other non-operating room anesthetizing sites, including MRI, radiation and nuclear medicine, and endoscopy. The Ambulatory Care Pavilion, which opened in July 2019, added many anesthetizing locations, both OR and Non-OR.

Construction is underway on the 128-bed state-of-the-art WMC Critical Care Tower, a $220 million project that when completed will span 162,000 square feet over five floors. Our caseload includes a full profile of cardiac, interventional pulmonary and thoracic, complex orthopedic, neurosurgical and solid organ transplant interventions, to name the busiest services. We have a large heart failure and ECMO referral program. Trauma orthopedics and surgery provide our residents a great variety of "open" cases. Residents participate in minimally invasive and robotic interventions in gynecologic-oncology, urology, colorectal, endocrine and thoracic surgery, as well as complex cardiac and neurological endovascular interventions, both pediatric and adult. The Acute and Chronic Pain Management care rotations cover both the pediatric and adult inpatients and outpatients, including complex consultations for patients in the Burn ICU.

Danbury Hospital

Danbury Hospital is a large community hospital in Danbury, CT. Most cases at Danbury are elective, and clinical services focus on standardized clinical pathways within the perioperative surgical home.

Typically, the first of the two required Obstetric and Cardiac Anesthesiology rotations are assigned at Danbury. General Anesthesiology rotations for CA-1 residents and ambulatory anesthesiology rotations are offered there as well.

Four residents rotate at Danbury every month. Because Danbury Hospital is 30 miles northeast of WMC, housing is provided for rotating residents onsite. The house provides individual bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a fully stocked kitchen, and ample parking.

Mount Sinai West Hospital

Located on the Upper West Side of New York City, Mount Sinai West Hospital provides our CA-3 residents with a special interest in OB Anesthesia an elective, four-week rotation on a very busy OB service with a mix of lower and higher complexity deliveries.

Fundamental Clinical Skills of Medicine Year (PGY-1)

The entirety of the Fundamental Clinical Skills of Medicine year (PGY-1) is spent at WMC. Although we maintain compliance with ACGME requirements regarding rotations devoted to the care of internal medicine (IM) in-patients, a full 14 weeks of training are spent within the Department of Anesthesiology. PGY-1 residents have rotation-specific didactic sessions within the Department of Medicine as well as the Department of Anesthesiology. As a result, our residents are truly ready to hit the ground running when they begin Clinical Anesthesia training as CA-1s.

The Fundamental Clinical Skills of Medicine rotations are:

Department of Anesthesiology

OR Anesthesiology	6 weeks
Pain Management	4 weeks
POCUS	2 weeks
Quality Improvement	2 weeks

Department of Internal Medicine

Critical Care	10 weeks
IM Inpatient Floors	8 weeks
Night Float	6 weeks
Emergency Medicine	4 weeks
IM Consult Services (Renal, Liver, and Cardiology)	4 weeks
Medical Education (no clinical duty)	1 week
Back-up/Sick call	1 week

Clinical Anesthesia-1 Year (CA-1)

During the first rotation block, the CA-1s refresh the basic skills acquired during the PGY-1 year with the guidance of two faculty preceptors, a primary and a substitute. They are in the OR every day, exempt from overnight call, and attend daily introductory lectures.

The next six blocks of the CA-1 year teach new residents the basics of uncomplicated anesthetic management while encouraging self-guided reading and study. A dedicated CA-1 monthly didactic afternoon follows the Content Outline of the ABA Basic Examination. A variety of web-based learning and assessment resources are available, including Access Anesthesiology, the extensive online catalog of the NYMC Library, and a subscription to Anesthesia ToolBox, and the TrueLearn Qbank. Residents also have access to the HeartWorks and BodyWorks ultrasound simulator.

During the second half of the CA-1 year, residents begin subspecialty rotations so that they have had exposure to all the subspecialties before the fellowship application season begins during the fall of the CA-2 year.

Therefore, starting with Block 7, 18 months of clinical anesthesia training (CA-1, CA-2) are divided into a series of mandatory specialty rotations that cover a range of clinical challenges in the intensive care unit, the specialty operating rooms, non-OR anesthesia sites and the obstetrical suite. In addition, there are assigned rotations in the anesthetic preoperative assessment clinic and in the post-anesthesia care unit.

At the end of the CA-1 year, the residents are able to fully participate in the clinical and academic missions of the department and assume a major role in the care of more seriously ill patients or those requiring more complicated anesthetic management, and they no longer require continuous one-on-one supervision for subspecialty cases.

Clinical Anesthesia-2 Year (CA-2)

In the second Clinical Anesthesia year (CA-2), emphasis is placed on the second round of subspecialty rotations; the resident has almost full responsibility for the conduct of anesthesia under indirect supervision. The residents’ experience includes major cardiovascular, thoracic, and neurosurgical anesthesia, diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks, transplantation anesthesia, geriatric anesthesia, intensive and respiratory care of surgical and medical patients, radical cancer surgery, obstetrical anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, and anesthesia for emergency surgery, as well as outpatient surgery and non-OR anesthesia. By the end of the CA-2 year, it is expected that the resident can safely anesthetize most patients.

At WMC, residents complete all the required rotations and the minimum number of cases required for graduation by the end of CA-2 year and often earlier.

Clinical Anesthesia-3 Year (CA-3)

All CA-3 residents complete six blocks of the Advanced Clinical Track rotation in which they are assigned to the more difficult or complex anesthetic procedures or to the most seriously ill patients. The remaining seven blocks of the CA-3 year is made up of sub-specialty and advanced elective rotations, including:

Rotations in any of the subspecialties
POCUS
Complex Airway Management
Obstetric Anesthesia at Mount Sinai West Hospital
Research

CA-3 residents take call as Team Captains; this role teaches them how to manage the emergency OR assignments in a busy trauma/referral center and how to supervise junior residents and CRNAs. Team Captain call starts at 4:30 pm on weekdays.

Didactic Curriculum

Throughout the month of July, CA-1 residents receive a core introductory daily lecture series five days a week. These sessions include basic science topics and case reviews.

Every Wednesday morning the Departmental Grand Rounds program features intra- and extramural guest speakers, as well as M&M discussions. Residents also attend monthly Quality Assurance Meetings and CA-3 residents have the opportunity to investigate and present cases.

Residents attend didactics divided by class on a rotating basis every Thursday from 3 pm - 5 pm. Sessions are conducted in a variety of interactive formats, including small group simulation sessions, workshops, and case discussions. Every fourth Thursday, members of all classes attend educational activities from 2 pm to 5 pm that are appropriate for all levels of training such as Journal Club, “Anesthesia Jeopardy”, keyword review, and POCUS cases. During this time residents also have the opportunity to meet with the Chief Residents without faculty attendance so that concerns can be voiced freely. The Program strictly protects educational time and residents are free of all clinical responsibilities during scheduled activities.

Every year, starting at the PGY-1 level, residents participate in simulation sessions administered at a state-of-the-art facility at NYMC. Monthly sessions focus on rare anesthetic emergencies and team work. A major focus of simulation is preparation for the OSCEs of the Applied Examination of the ABA; in the simulation center, residents interact with standardized patients, and are provided a debrief and an analysis of video recordings.

Beginning in the PGY-1 year, residents participate in a comprehensive POCUS program that includes simulation and bedside teaching. POCUS is increasingly utilized in both the ICUs and PACU, and is available as a popular elective rotation for CA-3s.

A whole-body ultrasound (POCUS, TTE, TEE) simulation lab is conveniently located just outside the WMC ORs and is available for scheduled and impromptu hands-on sessions led by experienced faculty.

Tests and Exams

All residents MUST pass USMLE Step 3 before starting the CA-1 year. On the first day of CA-1 year, residents take the Anesthesia Knowledge Test (AKT) to establish a baseline of medical knowledge. The AKT is retaken at 1, 6, and 24 months of training to ensure good study skills and knowledge acquisition. Additionally, all residents take the ABA In-Training Exam (ITE) once annually. Performance on these exams is closely monitored by the program as they are predictive of pass rates for the ABA Basic Exam (taken at the end of CA-1 year) and the ABA Advanced Exam (taken after graduation). Residents have access to the True Learn Qbank to prepare for these multiple choice exams.

The ABA Applied Exam, which is administered after graduation and passage of the Advanced Exam, is divided into two components: a Standardized Oral Exam (SOE) and an Objective Standardized Clinical Exam (OSCE). To prepare residents for these unique exams, the program conducts frequent mock OSCE exams during simulation sessions and two mandatory mock oral exams during the final two years of training. These sessions are developed under the guidance of two faculty members who serve as ABA Applied examiners and administered by other motivated faculty. Detailed feedback and debriefings are provided after each session.

Scholarly Activity

Each resident, with mentoring by faculty members, is required to participate in scholarly activities, which include a presentation at a national conference, an M&M presentation, and the completion of a practice-based learning and improvement project. Many residents exceed these requirements and have multiple presentations over the course of training as well as peer-reviewed and other types of publications.

The graduating Class of 2024 cumulatively had 27 presentations at national meetings and several publications achieved during their training, with several more in press at the time of graduation.

Work Hours and Call

Fairness and transparency in scheduling are strictly adhered to at all times. A scheduling Chief Resident is responsible for resident scheduling. One on-call and one no-call request per four-week rotation block can be made via an online scheduling system. Work hours across all years of clinical training average 50-55 per week, excluding vacation periods.

A Thursday call is preferentially given to those on vacation the following week. Free of call/work “bookend” weekends are always included in the vacation.

Call at Westchester Medical Center (WMC)

Four residents are on call every day in the main ORs.
Call roles:
- OR-1 and OR-2 call (CA-1 or CA-2): management of OR and non-OR anesthetics.
- Senior Resident call (CA-2 or CA-3): coverage of OB, acute pain management, anesthesia consults, and response to traumas and airway emergencies
- Team Captain (CA-3 only): direction of the entire anesthesia service, coordination with the OR desk, and supervision of more junior colleagues in the OR
Call shifts:
- OR-1 call: 7 am – 7 am
- OR-2 and Senior Resident call: 12 pm – 7 am weekdays, 7 am – 7 am weekends
- Team Captain: 4:30 pm – 7 am weekdays, 7 am – 7 am weekends
On average, residents have four calls each month, which almost always allows for at least two full weekends without any clinical duties.
The ICU schedule follows 12-hour day/night shifts.
Two attending anesthesiologists are always in-house 24 hours a day, seven days a weekBack-up general call and subspecialty call attendings in Cardiac, Pediatric and Transplant Anesthesia are scheduled 24/7 as well.

Call at Danbury Hospital

Each resident has three to four 24-hour in-house calls (7 a.m. - 7 a.m. with an afternoon break)
Residents spend five months of their total training duration at Danbury Hospital (one to two months per Clinical Anesthesia year).

Leave Policies

The ABA restricts the total amount of time a Clinical Anesthesia resident may be absent from training to 60 days. Absence due to longer illness or parental leave without training extension may be allowed in special circumstances if the resident is in good standing, and requires both Program and ABA approval.

Our residents are required to take 20 working days of vacation time per academic year in one-week intervals.

Living in Westchester County

Westchester Medical Center is located in Valhalla, NY in southern Westchester County. While some residents live in New York City and New Jersey, the majority choose to remain closer to the hospital. Westchester County is the beautiful and vibrant home to over one million diverse residents. It is known for its picturesque landscapes, quaint towns, excellent schools, and wide array of outdoor activities, all within easy commuting distance to New York City.

White Plains, the commercial and cultural hub of Westchester County offers public transportation, an active nightlife, fine dining, excellent living accommodations, and great shopping. Many of our residents have been able to take advantage of the city’s affordable housing program.

For residents with young children, the Child Care Council of Westchester is an excellent resource. This not-for-profit organization champions the healthy development of children, families and our community by promoting quality early care and education. Their services include free personalized childcare search support and assistance in applying for financial aid programs, including the Westchester Child Care Scholarship Program.

For those seeking an active lifestyle, the Hudson Valley offers plenty of outdoor activities and stunning views of the Hudson River. There are many nearby beautiful parks and recreation areas nearby, including:

Bear Mountain State Park (25-minutes from WMC) is located on the west bank of the Hudson River and offers hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails along the Appalachian Trial, shaded picnic and camping areas, and opportunities for lake and river fishing.
Rockefeller State Park (5-10 minutes from WMC) is a 1,233-acre park with 20 miles of trails through open meadows, dense forests, meandering rivers, and wetlands. Activities include horseback riding, trail running, nature walks, bird watching, and sport fishing. The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, located within walking distance of Rockefeller State Park, is an 80-acre farm and educational center that promotes sustainable agriculture, local food, and community-supported farms. On-site is the two Michelin Star Blue Hill restaurant.
Harriman State Park (35 minutes from WMC) is the second-largest park in NY and boasts 32 lakes and reservoirs, 200 miles of hiking trails, three beaches, camping areas and scenic views.

There are also many beaches lining the Hudson River, the Long Island Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean, all within easy driving distance from WMC.

For those with an interest in local history, Westchester County was the preferred location for the many historic mansions built by some of the most famous American families; they are open for the public to enjoy:

The Kykuit mansion, former home of the rich and powerful Rockefeller family.
The Sunnyside Mansion, home to the American author Washington Irving, of the “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820) fame, was built in 1835.
In 1880 Lyndhurst mansion became a 67-acre seasonal residence of railroad magnate and one of the Robber Barons of the Gilded Age, Jay Gould.

Salary and Benefits

Current and Past Residents

2024-2025 Anesthesiology Residents

PGY-1


Sohil Ardeshna University of Maryland School of Medicine	Hong Fei Bao SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine	Cameron Chan CUNY School of Medicine	David Gelston Emory University School of Medicine	Dylan Holzgruber New York Medical College

Michael Hui Boston University School of Medicine	Ari Mermelstein New York Medical College	Pranav Parsi CUNY School of Medicine	Akshar Patel USF Health Morsani College of Medicine	Matthew Peraica New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Shreya Raavicharla Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine	Jeremy Wadowski SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine	Yikun (Cathy) Zhang Albany Medical College

CA-1 / PGY 2

Jahnvi Bansal, MD

Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

Sara Buzel, MD

Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

Phillip Dudley, MD

New York Medical College

Daniel Haddad, DO

Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Amran Hussain, MD

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

Jenson John, DO

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Rahul Kataria, MD

University of Illinois College of Medicine

Rafae Nasim, MD

Albany Medical College

Brinda Patolia, MD

New York Medical College

Katiana Philippe, MD

CUNY School of Medicine

Michael Savallo, DO

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Aron Sulovari, MD

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Nick Yu, MD

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

CA-2 / PGY 3

Shuchi Gaur, MD

New York Medical College

Bradley Hillyard, MD

University of Utah

Eileen Hu, MD

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Elizabeth Kim, MD

CUNY School of Medicine

Matthew Lettieri, MD

SUNY Downstate

David Lewis, MD

New York Medical College

Michael Mackey, MD

Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

Stefen Roth, DO

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Egor Smirnov, MD

Saint Petersburg Pavlov State Medical University

Julia Sokel, MD

SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

Cordell Spellman, MD

Medical College of Wisconsin

Vincent Tang, DO

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ailan Zhang, MD, PhD

Sun Yat-Sen University

CA-3 / PGY 4

Yveline Blot, MD

CUNY School of Medicine

Darrel Brennen, MBBS

University of the West Indies Faculty of Medical Sciences, Jamaica

Peter Hamilton, MD

Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine

Kevin Hui, MD

New York Medical College

Andrew Hwang, MD

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Bianca Jambhekar, MD, MPH

New York Medical College

Humza Jamil, MD

New York Medical College

Cristian Jimenez, MD

New York Medical College

Daniel Tuchman, MD

New York Medical College

Alexandra Vazquez, MD

CUNY School of Medicine

What Recent Graduates Are Doing Now

About 40-50 percent of recent graduates have pursued a fellowship, with the remainder entering general practice in a variety of settings. Among our graduates who applied for fellowship, most have matched within their top three choices.

Fellowship

2024 Graduates (10)

Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia (ACTA): University of California LA
Critical Care: University of Florida
Pain Management: Massachusetts General Hospital
Pediatrics: University of Colorado
Perioperative Medicine: Duke University
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management (RAAPM): Virginia Commonwealth University

2023 Graduates (10)

Pediatrics: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Critical Care: Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN
OB Anesthesia: Mt. Sinai Hospital

2022 Graduates (10)

ACTA/Critical Care: NY Presbyterian Hospital (Weill Cornell)
Neuroanesthesia: UCSF
Critical Care: University of Michigan and Cedars Sinai Hospital, LA, CA
RAAPM: Yale New Haven Hospital
Pediatric Anesthesia: Yale New Haven Hospital and Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC

2021 Graduates (8)

Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA): Mount Sinai Med. Ctr., NY
ACTA/Critical Care: NY Presbyterian Hospital (Weill Cornell)
Pediatric Anesthesiology: UT Southwestern Dallas
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine: Westchester Medical Center

2020 Graduates (10)

Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology: U of Rochester, NY
Pediatric Anesthesiology: U of Rochester, NY
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM): Dartmouth, NH and
RAAPM: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
OB Anesthesia - Brigham and Women's, Boston, MA

2019 Graduates (10)

ACTA: Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Pediatric Anesthesiology: University of Michigan and
Pediatric Anesthesiology: Cincinnati Children's
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM): U of CT/Hartford and
RAAPM: UPMC, PA

2018 Graduates (8)

Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine: Brigham and Women's, MA
Critical Care: U of Pittsburgh (UPMC), PA
Pain Management: Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY

2017 Graduates (10)

Pain Management: Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
Pediatric Anesthesia: U of Pittsburgh and
Pediatric Anesthesia: U of Iowa
Critical Care: Brigham and Women's, MA
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management: U of CT/Hartford

2016 Graduates (10)

OB Anesthesia: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA
Pain Management: Johns Hopkins Medical Center, MD and
Pain Management: Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY
Pediatric Anesthesia: U of Michigan and
Pediatric Anesthesia: Nemours Children's, DE

Private Practice/Academic Positions

Northern NJ
Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens/Bronx, Westchester County, NY
Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
Bay Area, CA and Los Angeles, CA
Denver, CO
Miami, FL
Dallas, TX

2024 Graduates

From left:
Dr. Robert Sutter (ACTA fellowship at UCLA)
Dr. Samantha Kahn (joining faculty at Danbury Hospital)
Dr. Jenna Littmann (Critical Care Fellowship at University of Florida)
Dr. Jonas Harley (Perioperative Medicine Fellowship at Duke University)
Dr. Liz Abramowicz (Vice Chair of Education, Residency Program Director)
Dr. Ediricardo Rodriguez-Ortiz (joining faculty at Jacobi Medical Center)
Dr. Jeanne Tong (Private Practice Wisconsin)
Dr. Shubham Agrawal (Pain Fellowship Massachusetts General Hospital)
Dr. Sal Ratliff (Pediatric Fellowship University of Colorado)
Dr. Nana Baszy (joining faculty at WMC)
Dr. Patrick Reddy (RAAPM Fellowship and joining faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University)

2023 Graduates

From left: Drs. Panzica, Chair and host, Ron Varkey (private practice at our sister, non-teaching hospital, MidHudson Regional Hospital), Alex Eng (private practice in Morristown, NJ), Zoe Li (NYU Manhattan), Liana Grosinger (pediatric anesthesia fellow at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), Cezar Lisov (NYU Long Island), Phillip Chin (Northwell, South Shore Hospital), Michael Waterhouse (Watertown, NY) and Thejas Hiremath (CCM fellow at Mayo Clinic, MN). Missing Dr. Talia Strulowitz, OB Anesthesia Fellow at Icahn/Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC, and Jasmine Bajwa, in private practice in Colorado Springs.

The Class of 2023 with (center) Dr. Shiva, Neuroanesthesiologist extraordinaire and master of perfection in practice.

Graduates Drs. Liana Grosinger and Mike Waterhouse (with tie) with Pediatric Attendings, Dr. Ashley Kelley and Bhupen Mehta (no tie).

A few rising interns joined the fun. From right - Daniel Haddad, DO, Amran Hussain, MD and Rafae Nasim, MD (barely visible) with rising CA-1s: George Smirnov, Cordell Spellma, Vincent Tang, Elizabeth Kim, Ailan Zhang and spouse.

Class of 2023, happy to say goodbye to PD.

2022 Graduates

Dr. Sandy Carvajal-Raga (forefront) - CCM Fellowship at Cedars Sinai, now faculty at USC in Los Angeles, CA, and Dr. Anna Daher (fourth from right), now in private practice at Danbury, CT.

Dr. Heather Brosnan-Rodhouse (Neuroanesthesia fellow, and now faculty at UCSF), Dr. Ben Keith (CCM fellow at the University of Michigan), PD, Dr. Abramowicz, Vice Chair and host, Dr Pete Panzica and Peter Kostyk, pediatric anesthesia fellow (and now faculty) at Yale, New Haven, and Drs. Jin and Chang.

Dr. Benjamin Keith (center) with spouse, Dr. Mike Rahimi (APM Chief), Dr. Mosses Bairamian (far left) and Dr. Jenna Littmann (WMC Class of 2024) at the 2022 graduation party at the Panzica residence.

2021 Graduates

Enjoying the party after a tough first year of the pandemic. Everyone is an ABA Diplomate already. Drs. Cindy Wong and Klint Smart are ACTA (and CCM for Smart)-trained. Dr. Wong is practicing in Vancouver, Canada, and Dr. Smart in Morgantown, WV. Dr Muhammad Shabsigh, our Faculty, is RAAPM-trained, Dr. Maranatha McLean is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist in Dallas, TX, and Drs. Magharious, Kim, Catanzaro and Lamper are in private practice in the NY/NJ area.

ASA 2019 - last in-person meeting. 12 Residents presented their work

2020 Graduates

2019 Graduates

Faculty

Peter J. Panzica, MD
Associate Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology, NYMC
Director of Anesthesia Services
Adult Cardiac and Thoracic Anesthesia

WMC Resident Education

Sarah Smith, MD
Associate Professor
Residency Program Director
Cardiac Anesthesia

A. Elisabeth Abramowicz, MD, FASA
Professor
Residency Associate Program Director
Vice Chair for Education
Neuroanesthesia

Irim Salik, MD
Associate Professor
Director, Clinical Research
Pediatric Anesthesia

Richard Yeom, MD
Assistant Professor
Didactic Curriculum Director
Cardiac and Transplant Anesthesia

Nitin Sekhri, MD
Associate Professor
Clinical Competence Committee Chair
Section Chief, Pain Management

Ashley M. Kelley, MD
Assistant Professor
Clinical Competence Committee Co-Chair
Pediatric Anesthesia

Garret M. Weber, MD
Associate Professor
Medical Student Clerkship Director
Pre-Procedural Testing and Optimization Director

Michael Rahimi, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2018
Assistant Professor
Clinical Competence Chair Vice-Chair for Junior Residents
Medical Student Clerkship Associate Director
Chief, Acute Pain Management

Jason Lai, MD
Assistant Professor
Danbury Hospital Anesthesiology Rotation Director
General/Regional Anesthesia

Clinical Leadership

Matthew Wecksell, MD, FASA
Associate Professor
Clinical Director
Section Chief, General Anesthesia
General/Neuroanesthesia

Debra Lederman, DO
Assistant Professor
Director of Departmental Quality Improvement
General Anesthesia

Alexander J. Mittnacht, MD
Professor
Section Chief, Adult Cardiac and Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia
Associate Director, WMC

Jeff Xu, MD
Associate Professor
Section Chief and Fellowship Director
Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Management

Samuel Barst, MD
Associate Professor
Section Chief, Pediatric Anesthesia

Sangeeta Kumaraswami, MD
Associate Professor
Section Chief, Obstetric Anesthesia

Toni Manougian, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
Section Chief, Critical Care Medicine

Bernadette Pasamba-Rakhlin, MD
Assistant Professor
Chief, Anesthesia Endoscopy Services, Non-Operating Room Anesthesia Rotation Director
Non-Operating Room Anesthesia

Shivakeerthy S. Ubranimath, MBBS – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2002
Assistant Professor
Section Chief, Neuroanesthesia
Neuroanesthesia

Andrew Villion, MD
Assistant Professor
Director, PACU
Co-Associate Director, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, PoCUS Rotation Director
General Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine

Saman Yaghoubian, DO – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2015
Assistant Professor
Section Chief, Transplant Anesthesia

Clinical Faculty

Jewel Alleyne, MD
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Airway Management Education liaison for Critical Care Fellowships

Corrie Amos, MD
Assistant Professor
Clinical Competence Chair Vice Chair for Senior Residents
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management

Mosses Bairamian, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 1991
Assistant Professor
General and Ambulatory Anesthesia

Kar-Mei Chan, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Anesthesia

Draginja Cvetkovic, MD
Associate Professor
Adult Cardiac and Thoracic Anesthesia (ACTA) Fellowship Program Director
Cardiac Anesthesia

Tara M. Doherty, DO
Associate Professor
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management Fellowship, Clinical Competence Chair
Pediatric Anesthesia & Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management

Jeremy Dominik, MD
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia

Kevin Donnelly, MD
Assistant Professor
Cardiac Anesthesia

Jessica Dworet, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
DEI Committee Chair
General and OB Anesthesia

Cheng S. Feng, DO
Assistant Professor
Cardiac Anesthesia

Alina Genis, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2019
Assistant Professor
GME Wellness Subcommittee Member, Resident PBLI Rotation
General Anesthesia and OB Anesthesia

Catherine Gruffi, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Anesthesia

Jian Hou, MD
Assistant Professor
Transplant and General Anesthesia

Shelley B. Kramer, DO
Assistant Professor
Non-Operating Room Anesthesia

Keshav Kubal, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 1974
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia

Ethan H. Leer, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2014
Assistant Professor
Patient Safety and PBLI Resident Curriculum Director
General Anesthesia and Transplant Anesthesia

Joey M. Mancuso, DO
Assistant Professor
GME Wellness Subcommittee Member
General and OB Anesthesia

Cameron Marshall, MD
Assistant Professor
Pain Management Multidisciplinary Fellowship Director
Pain Management

Bhupen J. Mehta, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2015
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Anesthesia & Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia

Austin Meszaros, MD
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine

Shinae Namkoong, DO – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2020
Assistant Professor
Assistant PD for simulation
General Anesthesia

Angelique Nicolai, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2012
Assistant Professor
Transplant and General Anesthesia

Wen-Hui Ou, MD – WMC Anesthesiology Graduate 2006
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia

Isabel Pesola, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Anesthesia

Laurence J. Rosenberg, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia

Kaya K. Sarier, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
Cardiac Anesthesia

Victoria Shapiro, DO
Assistant Professor
Ambulatory Anesthesia Rotation Director
General and Orthopaedic Anesthesia

Valeriy Shulin, DO
Assistant Professor
General Anesthesia

Ammar Siddiqui, MD
Assistant Professor
Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management

Iwan P. Sofjan, MD
Assistant Professor
Service Chief, Database Management
Cardiac Anesthesia and Transplant Anesthesia

Alla Spivak, DO
Assistant Professor
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management

Paolo Trubiano, MD
Assistant Professor
Cardiac Anesthesia

How to Apply

This program participates in NRMP and accepts applications only through ERAS.

In the 2025 Match, we offer 13 positions in the Categorical Track – 2157040C0 – with a start date of July 1, 2025.

We are ALSO participating in the Residency Central Application (CentralApp) as a supplement to ERAS. The CentralApp was started as a free alternative to ERAS in plastic surgery three years ago and it is now used specialty wide. We are among the first programs to trial this platform in anesthesiology. We hope that in future years, CentralApp will remove the financial barriers created by progressive application fee structures. There is no cost to use the CentralApp and you can apply to as many programs as you like. In addition, as you will see from the questions, CentralApp also promotes holistic application review by focusing on quality application content rather than quantity.

Upon accessing the platform, you will be instructed to create a secure account and will be able to request letters of recommendation, transcripts, and MSPE (Dean's Letters) directly through the portal. The Match will remain with the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Please direct any questions about the application to HELP@accessgme.com.

Medical Students: a complete application consists of

ERAS Common Application Form
Medical school transcript
Official USMLE transcript with Step I (or Pass) and Step II CK scores (Students at Osteopathic Medical Schools are excused from Step I, but should submit their Step II and all COMLEX II scores)
Dean's letter (MSPE)
Personal Statement - please include information about you that the other elements of the application do not relay. This helps us decide whether you could be successful in the Anesthesiology Residency at WMC.
At least three letters of recommendation from clinical faculty who have direct (best) or composite knowledge of the applicant's performance. We do value letters from Anesthesiologists.

Applicants who are already in training MUST provide a letter of recommendation from the current Program Director.

All attempts will be made to schedule the interview on a date that is convenient for the selected candidate. Applicants will have protected time to interact with our residents in a break-out session.

Off-cycle applicants are considered only if there is a vacancy posted on the AAMC's FindAResident website.

Contact Us

All correspondence should be directed by email to:

Nebat Suker
Residency Program Manager
anesthesia.residency@wmchealth.org