Pathology Residency Program

Message from Program Director

Welcome to the Westchester Medical Center Pathology Residency Program

Westchester Medical Center is a 652-bed academic hospital in Valhalla, NY. It serves as a regional hub of tertiary and quaternary care for a distinct and diverse community of more than 2.4 million people in the Hudson Valley. Our residency is one of the long-standing training programs for Pathology in the United States.

Our Pathology Residency Program provides a unique educational experience and affords training that prepares our residents for either an academic- or a community-based career pathway. We are affiliated with New York Medical College. NYMC offers a variety of medical, dental and graduate degree programs in Life and Laboratory sciences. This affiliation affords access to robust opportunities for teaching, mentorship and professional development.

What is new? In order to appeal to a newer generation of learners, our program has invested in significant program improvements, including the acquisition of current electronic educational resources, and whole slide images obtained from scanning our slides utilized in our routine conferences and curriculum.

We are expanding our curriculum in molecular pathology and validating a number of new assays in molecular genetic pathology. Residents have the opportunity to participate in these validations and incorporate molecular genetics in their day-to-day learning.

Motivated by our junior residents, we are in the process of starting a data and AI Laboratory, aligning this initiative with changing workflow in many areas. Residents have the opportunity to utilize the new tools available, experiment with these newer technologies and expand their learning horizons. Our residents participate in research projects, quality improvement and patient safety projects and journal clubs.

Research - Pathologist - Scientist (RPS) track

Westchester Medical Center in conjunction with our clinical, translational and basic science investigators will consider any applicant who wishes to pursue research investigations during the residency. Essentially, this will be modeled towards submitting a NIH-K08 research application by PGY-2 and enable the resident to spend longer durations in the research laboratory. A mentor group composed of the scientific mentor, program director, chair of PMI and 1-2 other members will be included to meet and discuss the structure and progress of the RPS resident's track. RPS residents may still be required to carry out some clinical responsibilities during the research period. The structure will be very individualized and may depend on the requirement of the research protocols and preliminary studies envisioned and the timeline. Please contact the PD/PC for more information.

There is a lot of excitement with change. Our field of pathology is undergoing rapid changes, including ways to train the future pathologist. We embrace change and make available all resources including faculty’s expertise to make every single trainee a successful pathologist of the future.  

We thank you for your interest in Westchester Medical Center.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fouzia A. Shakil, MD, PhD
Program Director, Westchester Medical Center Pathology Residency
Associate Professor of Pathology
Attending Pathologist (Surgical Pathology and Hematopathology)
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Residency in Pathology - Anatomic & Clinical Pathology

Programs Offered

The Pathology Residency at WMC was accredited in 1951 by the ACGME. Our program is accredited for 12 training positions in the combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (4 year AP/CP Track), Anatomic Pathology (3 year AP Only Track) or Clinical Pathology (3 year CP Only Track). The combined training track integrates both anatomical and clinical pathologic training throughout all four years. Anatomic pathology training includes surgical pathology, autopsy pathology, hematopathology, renal pathology, neuropathology, cytopathology, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, and forensic pathology. Clinical pathology encompasses clinical chemistry, hematology, transfusion medicine, transplant immunology, flow cytometry, medical microbiology, immunology, serology, laboratory management and informatics. 

All pathology residents participate in yearly research projects. The projects often lead to poster and platform presentations at national conferences, which residents are encouraged to attend. Expenses related to such conferences are reimbursed. For residents who wish to gain additional experience in pathology research, the Valhalla campus and the Cancer Research Institute offer the opportunity to participate in a number of ongoing projects under the direction of a departmental faculty member. The residents have full access to the library facilities of New York Medical College and its online subscriptions. They attend monthly meetings of New York Pathological Society and Westchester Pathology Society in addition to daily departmental conferences and certain clinical conferences. The chief residents and qualified senior residents may receive appointments as Instructors in the Medical College and participate in the education of sophomore medical students.

Types and Numbers of Appointments

Twelve positions are available at the Valhalla Campus: generally, three PGY-1 openings are offered each July. Residents are assigned full time to Westchester Medical Center Hospital (WMC) of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. All elective and required rotations including forensic pathology and cytogenetics are offered within the campus. One month is allocated for an outside rotation of the resident’s choosing in the third year of training.

Research

The opportunities for research at both WMC and NYMC are vast. We currently have projects focused on multiple different areas including; conventional histology, immunohistochemistry, cancer genomics, microbiology and informatics. Residents are able to access a wide array of resources to allow for participation in clinical studies as well as bench work.

Of note are the two Illumina MiSeq next generation sequencers, one at the college and the other at the medical center, and our Phillips whole slide scanner that are available for resident projects. Currently multiple studies engaging these are allowing us to access the forefront of medicine. Regardless of your interest, multiple projects can be undertaken and are encouraged.

Current and Past Residents

Alumni

Class of 2024

Mohamed Elnagdy, MBBCh
Medical School: University of Cairo, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt
Fellowship: Neuropathology Fellowship, MD Anderson, Houston, TX

Sravanthi Lavu, MBBS
Medical School: Andhra Medical College, India
Fellowship: Molecular Fellowship, MD Anderson, Houston, TX

Lakshmisree Akhila Vemulakonda, MBBS
Medical School: Katuri Medical College, Guntur, India
Fellowship: Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Class of 2023

Soumya Mikkilineni, MD
Medical School:Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, India
Attending, University of Missouri

Mozibur Rahman, MD, MPH, PhD
Medical School: Dhaka Medical College
Fellowship: Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellowship, Northwell Health, NY

Helena Tomac Pavosevic, MD
Medical School: University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatia
Fellowship: Gastrointestinal and General Surgical Pathology, Columbia University, NY

Sidra Zaheer, MD
Medical School: Dow Medical College, Pakistan
Fellowship: Molecular Pathology Fellowship, Columbia University, NY

Class of 2022

Haiyan Li, MD
Medical School: Peking University Health Science Center, China
Fellowship: Oncologic Surgical Pathology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY

Marcelo Cassini, MD, PhD
Chief Resident 2020-2021
Medical School: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fellowship: Cardio-Pulmonary Pathology at NYU (New York University)

Class of 2021

Kemin Xu, MD, PhD
Medical School: Jiangxi Medical College JiangXi, China
Fellowship: Hematopathology, New York University (NYU)
Fellowship: Molecular Genetics, Cornell University

Qiqi Ye, MD, PhD
Chief Resident 2020-2021
Medical School: Fudan University, China
Fellowship: Breast Pathology, MD Anderson, Houston, TX

Rugved Pattarkine, MD
Chief Resident 2019-2020
Medical School: Smolensk state medical academy, Smolensk, Russia
Fellowship: Transfusion Medicine, David Geffen School of medicine at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles)

 

Class of 2020

Sarwat Gilani, MD
Chief Resident 2019-2020
Foundation University Medical College (FUMC)

Dana Marie Razzano, MD
St. George's University School of Medicine

Shamima Sultana, MD, PhD
Dhaka National Medical College & Hospital

 

Class of 2019

Alexandra Budhai, MD
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

Christian Salib, MD
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

Sina Zomorrodian, DO
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

Class of 2018

Taliya Farooq, MBBS 
Medical School: Allama Iqbal Medical College

Faisal Saeed, MBBS 
Medical School: King Edward Medical University

 

Class of 2017

Galam Khan, MD
Medical School: Sher-E-Bangla Medical College

Eric Vail, MD
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Fellowship: Molecular Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Molecular Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Esther Yoon, MD
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Fellowship: Women’s Pathology, NYU Langone Health

 

Class of 2016

Sabina Hajiyeva, MD
Medical School: Azerbaijan State Medical University

Faisal Huq Ronny, MD 
Medical School: Dhaka Medical College
Fellowship: Hematopathology, NYU Langone Health

Pallavi Khattar, MD
Medical School: Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, Pune
Fellowship: Hematopathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Surgical Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

Class of 2015

Maheen Hossain, MD
Medical School: University of Dhaka
Fellowship: Surgical Pathology - Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2015)

Boaz Kurtis, MD
Medical School: Sackler School of Medicine
Fellowship: Molecular Genetic Pathology - Columbia University (2015)
Dermatopathology - Cockerell University (2016)

Kashan Khalid, MD
Medical School: Khyber Medical College
Fellowship: Surgical Pathology - Staten Island University (2015)

Xiaoyong Zheng, MD
Medical School: Third Military Medical University

Faculty

 

Fouzia A. Shakil, MD, PhD
Program Director, Westchester Medical Center Pathology Residency
Associate Professor of Pathology
Attending Pathologist (Surgical Pathology and Hematopathology)
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Medical School: Sir Salimullah Medical College, Bangladesh
Residency: Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
Fellowship: Surgical Pathology – Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon;
            Hematopathology – Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 

 

 

 

Humayun Kamal Islam, MD, PhD
Chairman, Clinical Professor, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College 
Director, Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Westchester Medical Center

Medical School: Dhaka Medical School Residency: New York Medical College Fellowship: Hematopathology - New York University Medical Center

 

 

 

Chitra Kumar, BSc, BEd, MSc, PhD
Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory
Assistant Professor of Pathology

Graduate School: Patna University, India Fellowships: Patna University, India Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY

  

 

 

 

 

Vishnu Chaturvedi, PhD
Chief, Microbiology, Virology and Molecular Biology

Graduate School: Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Post-doctoral Training: University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine

 

 

 

  

 

Aaron Yancoskie, DDS
Attending Pathologist

Dental School: New York University Residency: North Shore University Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center

 

  

 

 

 

 

Sadiqa Karim, MD
Chief of Transfusion Medicine

Medical School: Sindh Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan Residency: Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA Fellowship: Blood Banking / Transfusion Medicine – Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA

  

 

 

 

  

 

Liying Han, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Cytopathology and Gynecological Pathology

Medical School: Fourth Military Medical University Residency: North Shore University Hospital Fellowship: Cytopathology – Wayne State University

 

  

 

  

 

George M. Kleinman, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Medicine
Neuropathology
Director of Autopsy

Medical School: State University of New York at Buffalo Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital Fellowship: New England Medical Center

 

   

Patrick A. Lento, MD
Professor of Pathology and Medicine
Vice Chair for Education (Dept. of Pathology)
Director, Pathology-Pathophysiology Courses (NYMC)

Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine Residency and Fellowship: Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York

 

 

 

 

Xiaoyu Tang, MD, PhD
Attending Pathologist

Medical School: China Medical University
Residency: Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
Fellowship: Breast Pathology- Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY,
           Cytopathology - Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA

 

 

 

 

Ljiljana V. Vasovic MD
Chief of Clinical Pathology

Medical School: School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Residency: Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York University, NY
Fellowship: Hematopathology Fellowship; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY  
           Transfusion Medicine; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

 

 

 

 

Yijun Zhu, MD

Medical School: Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology
Residency: Clinical pathology at Feinberg Scholl of Medicine, Northwestern University
Fellowship: Transfusion Medicine at University of Chicago
           Hematopathology at University of Illinois at Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

Helena Tomac Pavosevic, MD
Attending Pathologist

Medical School: University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatia
Residency: Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Westchester Medical Center, Westchester Medical College, NY
Fellowship: Gastrointestinal and General Surgical Pathology, Columbia University

 

 

 

 

 

Anupma Agarwal, MD
Attending Pathologist

Medical Education: Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, Delhi
Internship: Lady Hardinge Medical College (W12020), New Delhi, Delhi
Rotating Internship - Medicine, Surgery, OBGYN, Pediatrics, ENT, Eye, Skin and VD, Orthopedics, Radi
Residency: Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY - Pathology - AP / CP
Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, Delhi
Fellowship: Biochemistry Fellowship, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center (NS/LIJ Northwell), Greenvale, NY - Cytopathology

 

 

 

Darius Borys, MD
Attending Pathologist

Medical Education: Medical University Wroclaw
Residency: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL - Pathology
Fellowship: New York University/Hospital for Joint Disease, New York - Orthopedic Pathology
New York University, New York - Pediatric Pathology

 

 

 

 

Ewa Borys, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology

Medical Education: Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw
Internship: Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw
Residency: University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL - Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw - Diagnostic Radiology
Fellowship: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA - Surgical Pathology
University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA - Neuro and Surgical Pathology

 

 

 

Hakim, Muhammad O., MBBS
Attending Pathologist

Medical School: Aga Khan Medical College, Karachi
Residency: Queens University/ University of Toronto, Kingston - Orthopedic Surgery. Incomplete, transferred.
Western University, London, ON - Anatomical Pathology
Fellowship: Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL - Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology
University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL - Head and Neck Pathology

 

 

 

 

Kotero Takeda, MD
Attending Pathologist

Medical Education: Shimane Medical University
Residency: St. Mary's Hospital, Karume - Internal Medicine
East Carolina University Pathology program, Greenville, NC - Pathology- Anatomic & Clinical
Fellowship: Kyushu Hospital, Kitakyushu City
Yale School of Medicine - Pathology Department, New Haven, CT - Cytopathology Fellowship

 

 

 

Applications

We will accept four residents for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please submit applications through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application System) – click here.

We review all applications from a holistic point of view taking into account scores, experiences, personal interests, skills, number of publications, research, etc. Qualified applicants will be identified to be interviewed. We will be conducting virtual interviews via Thalamus for 2025-2026 recruitment season.

Application Requirements

• Personal statements
• Curriculum Vitae
• Three Letter of Recommendations (LOR)
• Medical School Transcript
• MSPE (Medical School Performance Evaluation) or Dean’s letter
• USMLE 1, USMLE 2 Scores, USMLE 3 (preferable)
• ECFMG (Electronic Certificate for Foreign Medical Graduates), if applicable

Important Timelines

ERAS opens: September 16, 2024

Candidate Interviews: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. (ET) or 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. (ET) October 2024 through January 2025

The program participates in NRMP (National Residency Match Program). Please use either of these codes accordingly.

NRMP Codes: 2157300C0_Pathology (Categorical) or 2157300C1_Shabbos (Categorical)

Match Day: March 21, 2025

Residency start date: July 1, 2025 (orientation might be scheduled end of June 2025)

Visa sponsorship: Westchester Medical center will sponsor J-1 visa.

Westchester Medical Center

Member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network

Macy Pavilion, 1416│100 Woods Road Valhalla, NY 10595 

(O) 914.493.5289 │(F) 914.493.574

path.residency@wmchealth.org

 

Jennifer Trinidad

Program Manager

Jennifer.Trinidad@wmchealth.org