Surgery Residency Program

Message from Program Director

The goal of our program is to train the complete general surgeon with expertise in the management of the complex surgical patients with high acuity. We aim to make our residents the future leaders in surgery by emphasizing critical thinking, operative skills, and the ability to understand and assess the literature.

Our main site is Westchester Medical Center (WMC) which includes the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a tertiary care academic medical center that serves as the regional referral center for the Hudson Valley serving a very diverse population of about four million. We are the Regional Level-1 Trauma Center for both adult and pediatric patients.

We offer a five-year program with four Categorical and five Preliminary PGY-1 Positions. Rotations in MIS, Transplant, Pediatric, Thoracic, Vascular, Trauma, Surgical Oncology, and Hepatobiliary provide a vigorous subspecialty curriculum in addition to the general surgery core to optimize the training experience/opportunity. Westchester Medical Center also offers fellowships in Surgical Critical Care, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular Surgery, MIS, and Burn. Additionally, the Department of Surgery Clinical Research Unit (DSCRU) will provide assistance on any research projects residents are interested in pursuing.

Like the population we serve, our residents come from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Working together and emphasizing the concept of team work with mutual respect is a cornerstone of our program. We are committed to a holistic review process of all applicants and strive to recruit a diverse population of residents during each Match cycle.

Located in Suburban New York, Westchester County has a wonderful quality of life with activities and recreational opportunities for a wide array of interests. Manhattan is approximately 18 miles away from the hospital (35 minutes by car or commuter rail) and has something to offer for everyone. You’ll have the opportunity to attend major sporting events, concerts, Broadway, and more! If city life is not for you, the Hudson Valley is home to rich history, beautiful scenery, hiking trails, and breweries and wineries for those who are interested. During the summers there are a number of beaches that are just a short car ride away as well.

In summary, I believe Westchester Medical Center provides an environment that will challenge you and train you to become an outstanding academic or community surgeon for the new millennium.

Sincerely,

Madalyn Neuwirth, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC
Program Director, General Surgery Residency, WMC
Attending Surgeon, Division of Surgical Oncology, WMC

 

 

Program Overview and Curriculum

The program accepts four categorical and five preliminary residents every year through the National Residency Match Program. All surgery residents complete their surgical internship at Westchester Medical Center. Additional dedicated research time is an optional component of general surgery training; however, ongoing scholarly activity during training is a program requirement. As of 2022, two residents from the match are designated for the six- or seven-year research track. Research years typically occur between PGY 2 and 3 years. Every attempt is made to send residents, regardless of training level, to any national conference at which their research data is accepted to. Each resident is paired with a clinical mentor to provide guidance during the course of the residency. This is a fully accredited ACGME General Surgery Residency.

Conferences

Morbidity and Mortality
All cases are reviewed on a weekly basis with special emphasis on interesting cases of educational value. Chief residents are responsible for brief presentations on the relevant topics and follow the SBAR format for case presentation.

These conferences are held every Wednesday for the residents at Westchester Medical Center.

Basic Science, Clinical Fundamentals
Wednesday mornings are also dedicated to a combination of basic science and clinical fundamentals 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. These sessions consist of a faculty led lecture on an assigned topic and oral board case scenario review, followed by a review of open-ended questions from the SCORE curriculum which are moderated by an assigned resident. 

Review sessions are also held prior to the ABSITE where all faculty and residents are encouraged to participate.

Surgical Skills Lab
The last Wednesday of every month is dedicated to Surgical Skills training. Under the leadership of Anthony Maffei, MD, FACS, residents are taken through a structured curriculum over the course of a year to master the skills required in the Fundamental of Laparoscopic Surgery program using lap trainers in an inanimate / dry lab. Procedures performed include laparoscopic cholecystectomy, bowel resection and reanastamosis, nephrectomy and splenectomy.

With the newly acquired Da Vinci® SIHD™ platform, residents will also be able to learn fundamentals of Robotic Surgery from Roberto Bergamaschi, MD, Section Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Westchester Medical Center.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
The Department of Surgery at Westchester Medical Center has its own DEI Committee that hosts monthly webinars, cultural luncheons, and participates in mentorship programs. Our approach is to create a supportive and inclusive environment where all are valued and have the opportunity to achieve their highest potential, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religion, race or personal beliefs. We will champion diversity and inclusion for everyone, drive a systemic, sustainable improvement in our workforce and meet the educational and healthcare needs of our diverse community with cultural sensitivity.

Rotations
The following is a general guide to the residency. Specific rotations and schedules are subject to change at the discretion of the Program Director to meet the educational needs of the resident and program at large.

PGY-1
The resident will rotate through a variety of general surgery rotations with the expectation of learning the perioperative management of complex surgical patients. Typical rotations include: Acute Care Surgery, ICU, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastics / Burn Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Transplant Surgery, Trauma Surgery and Vascular Surgery.

PGY-2
The resident will rotate through a variety of general surgery rotations with an addition of Thoracic Surgery. The resident learns to manage a busy inpatient service with a case mix index and develop the knowledge base to perform appropriate preoperative evaluation of presenting symptoms and postoperative follow up. The junior resident is actively involved in working up complex consultations and gains significant exposure to critical care and ICU procedures.

PGY-3
The resident will rotate through a variety of general surgery rotations but with more focus on Vascular Surgery, and Surgical Oncology where there is usually a junior resident alongside the PGY-3, in addition to the in-house PGY-4/5.

PGY-4
The resident will transition to an Acting Chief Resident learning to run a service alongside the Chief Resident. During these rotations the resident is primarily in the operating room gaining significant exposure to open and endoscopic surgical techniques as surgeon junior for Pediatric Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Trauma.

PGY-5
The Chief Resident is expected to coordinate educational conferences, teach junior residents in addition to gaining significant exposure as the surgeon to complex open, and laparoscopic cases. Rotations focused on are Acute Care Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Transplant Surgery and Vascular Surgery.

Chief residents are encouraged to attend the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress and a Board Review Course.

Objectives for all rotations are conceptually organized within the framework of the six ACGME core competencies. Our curriculum includes rotation-and PGY-specific goals and objectives. Below is the Block Schedule diagram for the categorical track in our program.

PGY Level	Rotation	Length
PGY 1	Acute Care Surgery	1 Block
	General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery	1 Block
	Intensive Care Unit	1 Block
	Minimally Invasive Surgery	2 Blocks
	Pediatric Surgery	1 Block
	Trauma/ER Surgery	1 Block
	Vascular Surgery	1 Block
	Plastic/Burn Surgery	2 Blocks
	Transplant Surgery	1 Block
	Night Float	1 Block
	Vacation	1 Block
PGY 2	Intensive Care Unit	3 Blocks
	General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery	2 Blocks
	Pediatric Surgery	2 Blocks
	Trauma/ER Surgery	3 Blocks
	Thoracic Surgery	3 Blocks
	Vacation	1 Block
PGY 3	Acute Care Surgery	3 Blocks
	General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery	3 Blocks
	Minimally Invasive Surgery	1 Block
	Vascular Surgery	3 Blocks
	Pediatric Surgery	1 Block
	Thoracic Surgery	1 Block
	Vacation	1 Block
PGY 4	Pediatric Surgery	2 Blocks
	Thoracic Surgery	3 Blocks
	Trauma/ER Surgery	4 Blocks
	Breast Surgery	1 Block
	Vascular Surgery	3 Blocks
	Vacation	1 Block
PGY 5	Acute Care Surgery	2 Blocks
	General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery	2 Blocks
	Mid-Hudson	2 Blocks
	Pediatric Surgery	1 Block
	Elective	2 Blocks
	Breast Surgery	1 Block
	Endoscopy	1 Block
	Transplant Surgery	2 Blocks
	Vacation	1 Block
	Please Note: Each block consists of four-week rotations

General Surgery Categorical Residents: 2023-2024

Categorical PGY-5 Chief Residents

Agon Kajmolli, MD Trinity School of Medicine	Muhammad Khan, MD  Khyber Medical College	Sara Matsumoto, MD  Saint Louis University School of Medicine	Matthew McGuirk, MD  SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Medicine	Kenji Okumura, MD  Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine
Muhammad Zeeshan, MD King Edward Medical University

 

Categorical PGY-4 Residents

Kamil Hanna, MD American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine	Kira Ann Murphy, MD Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo	Thanh-Thanh Nguyen, MD St. Louis University School of Medicine

Categorical PGY-3 Residents

Alexandra Bahn-Humphrey, MD Virginia Commonwealth University	Ilyse Natasha Blazar, DO Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine	Mahir Gachabayov, MD, PhD Azerbaijan Medical University	Muhammad Khurrum, MD  Jinnah Medical & Dental College	Inkyu Lee, MD SUNY Downstate Medical Center

 

Categorical PGY-2 Residents

Tyler James D'agostino, MD  New York Medical College	Katherine Lam, MD Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine	Mekedes Lemma, MD  University of Nevada School of Medicine	Avery Charles Wilson, MD New York Medical College

 

Preliminary PGY-2 Residents

Salma Khan, MD  Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences

 

Categorical PGY-1 Residents

Bryan Cabrera Valdes, MD  FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine	Khaled El-Qawaqzeh, MD Mu'tah University Faculty of Medicine	Megan Molnar, MD  SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Medicine	Tamara Sharf, MD Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California

 

Preliminary PGY-1 Residents

Luis Calimano Ramirez, MD Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine	Christopher McNeill, MD New York Medical College	Rami Mizher, MD Georgetown University School of Medicine	Danielle Nguyen, MD California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine	Ishani Sharma, MD Indiana University School of Medicine

 

Residents on Research

Eleni Drivas, MD Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins University	Sophia Hameedi, MD Research Fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital	Nicole Lin, MD Research Fellow at Stanford University	Aparna Vancheswaran, MD Research Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

 

Past Residents

Class of 2023

James Choi, MD – General Surgery Practice at Signature Healthcare - Brockton, MA
Faisal Jehan, MD – Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center – Buffalo, NY
Danny Lascano, MD – Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Providence Saint John’s Health Center – Santa Monica, CA

Class of 2022

Clara Angeles, MD – Thoracic Fellowship at University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN Asad Azim, MD – Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center – Philadelphia, PA Miles Dale, MD – Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at Hackensack Medical Center – Hackensack, NJ Shekhar Gogna, MD – Multi-Abdominal Transplant Fellowship at Georgetown University – Washington, DC

 

Trauma and Acute Care Surgery

Kartik Prabhakaran, MD, MHS, FACS Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery / Trauma Medical Director, WMC Program Director, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, WMC Director of Research, WMC Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC	Jorge Con, MD, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC Program Director, General Surgery Residency, WMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC	Anthony J. Policastro, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Medical Director, SICU & Progressive Care Unit, WMC	Ryan Malcom, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital & WMC	Joshua Klein, DO Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC
Matthew Bronstein, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC	Ilya Shnaydman, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC	Bardiya Zangbar-Sabegh, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC	Jordan Kirsch, DO Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC

 

General Surgery/Colorectal Surgery/Breast Surgery/Surgical Oncology

Gregory Veillette, MD, FACS  Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Transplant, WMC	Heena Rajdeo, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC General Surgery, WMC	Kalyani Bhuta, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC General Surgery, WMC	Roberto Bergamaschi, MD, PhD, FRCS Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief of Colorectal Surgery, WMC	Ryan F. Bendl, DO Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Colorectal Surgery, WMC
Madalyn Neuwirth, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Surgical Oncology, WMC	James Clarke, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Surgical Oncology, WMC Westchester Medical Center

Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery

Ashutosh Kaul, MD, MS, FRCS, FACS Professor of Surgery, NYMC Director, Minimally Invasive Surgery Division of Bariatric Surgery, WMC	Thomas Cerabona, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Bariatric Surgery	Anthony Maffei, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Bariatric Surgery, WMC	Jonathan Giannone, MD, FACS Professor of Surgery, NYMC Bariatric Surgery, WMC

Pediatric Surgery

F. Dylan Stewart, MD Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief of Pediatric Surgery, WMC	Kathryn Martin, MD, FRCSC, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Pediatric Surgery, WMC	Christa Grant, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Pediatric Surgery, WMC

 

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery/Burn Surgery

Edmond F. Ritter, MD Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, WMC	Joseph Turkowski, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief, Burn Surgery, WMC	Elizabeth Zellner, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, WMC	Logan Carr, MD Attending Physician Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department of Surgery Hand Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	Helen Perakis, MD Attending Surgeon, Plastic Surgery Acting Chief of Integrated Wound Care Section and Acting Director of the Wound Care Center Division of Plastic Surgery Department of Surgery Program Director, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Assistant Professor, Plastic Surgery

Thoracic Surgery

Tracey Weigel, MD, FACS, FACCP Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief, Thoracic Surgery, WMC

Transplant/Hepatobiliary Surgery

Gregory Veillette, MD, FACS  Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Transplant, WMC	Thomas Diflo, MD, FACS Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief, Intra-Abdominal Transplant Surgery, WMC	Devon John, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief, Renal Transplantation, WMC	Seigo Nishida, MD, PhD Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief, Liver and Pediatric Transplant Surgery, WMC	Hiroshi Sogawa, MD, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC Surgical Director, Kidney Transplant Surgery, WMC

Vascular Surgery

Sateesh Babu, MD, FACS Professor of Surgery, NYMC Chief Vascular Surgery, WMC	Igor Laskowski, MD, PHD, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC Vascular Surgery, WMC	Romeo Mateo, MD, FACS Program Director, Vascular Surgery Fellowship  Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Vascular Surgery, WMC	Arun Goyal, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Vascular Surgery, WMC	Daniel Ventarola, MD RPVI Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Division of Vascular Surgery Department of Surgery, WMC
Heepeel Chang, MD, RPVI  Assistant Professor of Surgery, NYMC Attending Surgeon, Division of Vascular Surgery, WMC

How to Apply

Westchester Medical Center participates in ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service®) & NRMP (National Residency Match Program).

• Registration Period Opens: September 6, 2023
• Applications Accepted Until: October 31, 2023
• Rank Order List Due: February 28, 2024
• Match Day: March 11, 2024

Interview Days: TBD (10 Wednesdays between October - January)

The prospective applicant must submit the following via ERAS:

1. Application
2. Personal Statement
3. Medical School Transcript
4. Four Letters of Recommendations
5. MSPE - Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean's Letter)
6. ECFMG certification (if applicable)*

*Applicants planning on a J-1 Visa for their training are welcome to apply.

The program requirements are as follows:

1. Passed by Medical School graduation / Passing of each step on first attempt
2. Although not mandatory, research experience is highly valued
3. The candidate must possess strong motivation and commitment to Surgery as evidenced by background education, personal statement, research and letters of recommendation.
4. Personality traits: emotional maturity, warmth and compassion as well as good communication skills 

Useful Resources and Information:

• ACGME RRC
  
• NRMP
  
• Committee of Interns and Residents
  
• AMC - ERAS

Contact Us

Program Director
Madalyn Neuwirth, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Westchester Medical Center 
Madalyn.Neuwirth@wmchealth.org
914.493.8099

Program Coordinator
Kathleen Kertelits, MS
Program Coordinator, General Surgery Residency
Westchester Medical Center
Kathleen.Kertelits@wmchealth.org
914.493.8099

Associate Program Directors
Christa Grant, MD, FACS, FAAP
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery
Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Westchester Medical Center
Christa.Grant@wmchealth.org
914.493.8099

Hiroshi Sogawa, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair of Education
Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Westchester Medical Center
Hiroshi.Sogawa@wmchealth.org
914.493.8099

Gregory Veillette, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Associate Director, Department of Surgery 
Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency 
Westchester Medical Center
Gregory.Veillette@wmchealth.org
914.493.8099