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Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program

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Message from Program Director

Thank you for visiting our website and your interest in our adult Hematology-Oncology Fellowship program sponsored by Westchester Medical Center (WMC). We are an ACGME Accredited program affiliated with New York Medical College; WMC is the primary teaching hospital. Our program provides graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and excel today and in the future in the dynamic world of hematology and oncology. Our fellows learn the latest in targeted therapy, cellular therapy (with our FACT Accredited Cellular Therapy program), immunotherapy, as well as the traditional backbone of treatment (chemotherapy and the utilization of radiation and surgery to support cancer care). We offer a wide breadth of experiences in the inpatient setting, outpatient experiences both with subspecialists and in the continuity clinic, and the experience of rotating at Lincoln Hospital, one of New York City’s health system hospitals. A growing clinical trials program will expose fellows to the latest in cutting edge research. We have a wide range of educational opportunities and collaboration with other state-of-the-art specialists at WMC to deliver the finest care for our Hematology-Oncology patients. Please explore our website and reach out to us with any questions.

 

Amir Steinberg, MD Program Director


Program Overview and Curriculum 


New York Medical College Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at Westchester Medical Center

The Westchester Medical Center is the principal site, with rotations at Lincoln Medical Center (LMC). The oncology training in the program is comprehensive, with exposure to community practice at LMC. The oncology rotations at WMC are focused on working closely in an academic setting in coordination with a wide range of subspecialties within the institution. WMC provides a thorough learning experience in benign and malignant hematology, and we have had a stem cell transplant program since 1983. There is the option of dedicated research time, and specialty rotations are offered in Gynecologic Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hematopathology, Transfusion Medicine and Palliative Care.

 

Services/Rotations

Oncology Consultation and Teaching Service

The Oncology Consult and Teaching Service is a primarily inpatient service at Westchester Medical Center focused on the initial management of recently diagnosed solid tumor malignancies with an emphasis on complex cases presenting with acute complications. A substantial part of the service is directed towards management of complications of solid tumor malignancies, while participation in various specialty tumor boards is expected. Fellows partake in oncology continuity clinic two half-days per week. 

Malignant Hematology Consultation and Teaching Service

Leukemia and BMT are complementary inpatient services at Westchester Medical Center that offer the bulk of experience in Malignant Hematology. The service consists of managing patients with Acute Leukemia or high grade Lymphoma receiving Induction/High dose chemotherapy as well as various forms of consolidation therapy including transplant. Fellows are exposed to various types of Stem Cell Transplant including conventional (T-replete), T-cell depleted and cord blood transplants.

Hematology Consultation and Teaching Service

The Benign Hematology Service is a heavily inpatient service at Westchester Medical Center with the primary focus of non-malignant Hematologic conditions. Backed by a well-equipped Special Hematology laboratory, the fellow on service is the preliminary mode of contact for hematologic issues in the hospital. Issues pertaining to benign cytopenia, myeloproliferative neoplasia and coagulation and hemostasis are emphasized in this service. A half-day Hematology Clinic is also part of the core curriculum.

Continuity Clinic

Over the course of their three years, fellows will rotate in continuity clinics where they can follow their patients, learn about the natural history of their patients’ diagnoses, management, and long-term follow up. The continuity clinic is a half-day, once a week experience with opportunities to see a wide breadth of oncologic (both solid and hematologic) cases and responsibility of the fellow as the primary provider for these patients with attending supervision.

Elective and Research

Each fellow will have dedicated time to focus on elective rotations and research projects. Specialty rotations are currently offered in Gynecologic Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hematopathology, Transfusion Medicine and Palliative Care. Fellows also have open access to core and associate faculty to develop research initiatives.

 

Participating Site


Current Fellows – Academic Year 2023-2024

Third Year Fellows

Haseeba Shahzad
Haseeba Shahzad, MBBS

Medical School: Khyber Medical College
Residency Program: Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital Program

Dr. Rizwana Syed
Rizwana Syed, MD

Medical School: Baqai Medical College
Residency Program: Mercy Hospital and Medical Center

Xiaoyang Wang
Xiaoyang Wang, MBBS

Medical School: Binzhou Medical College
Residency Program: Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Program

Second Year Fellows


Snigdha Ghanta, MBBS

Medical School: Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences
Residency Program: One Brooklyn Health System / Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center Program 


Corinne Raczek, MD

Medical School: St. George’s University of Medicine
Residency Program: Rutgers Health / Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Program 


Rathnamitreyee Vegunta, MD
Medical School: Katuri Medical College, Guntur
Residency Program: Westchester Medical Center

First Year Fellows


Herman Davidovics, MD

Medical School: Sackler School of Medicine
Residency Program: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center


Adrese Kandahari, MD

Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine
Residency Program: University of Virginia Medical Center

Joseph Quintas, MD
Joseph Quintas, MD

Medical School: SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine
Residency Program: Westchester Medical Center


Recent Graduates

2022 Graduates

Sammy Moussly, MD

Kelley Mowatt, DO

Bhuwan Poudyal, MD

2021 Graduates

Anum Aamir, MBBS

Madhura Hanmantgad, MBBS

Roshni Narurkar, MBBS

Griffin Reynolds, MD

2020 Graduate Placement 

Jibran Ahmed, MBBS | Academic Practice  Arkansas

Amandeep Aujla, MBBS | Private Practice Connecticut

John Savooji, MBBS | Academic Practice New York

2019 Graduate Placement

Mohammad Ali Jafri, MD | Academic Practice – Kentucky

Wahib Zafar, MD | Academic Practice – New York

2018 Graduate Placement 

Yan Cheng, MD | Academic Practice – New Jersey

Krishna Kolandaivel, MBBS | Private Practice – Minnesota

Chaitanya Iragavarapu, MBBS | Advanced Bone Marrow Transplant Fellowship – California

Kaushal Parikh, MBBS | Advanced Thoracic Oncology Fellowship – Minnesota


Core Faculty


Amir Steinberg, MD, FACP

Program Director
Clinical Director of Adult Bone Marrow Transplantation
Westchester Medical Center
Interests: Stem Cell Transplantation, Cellular Therapy


Michael Fanucchi, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine and Pathology, New York Medical College
Regional Director, Oncology and Infusion Services, WMCHealth
Interests: Solid Tumors


Monica Reddy Muppidi, MD

Lincoln Hospital Site Director
Chief, Hematology/Oncology
Lincoln Medical Center | Bronx, NY
Interests: Community Practice


John Nelson, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Attending Physician, Westchester Medical Center
Interests: Benign Hematology, Coagulation & Thrombosis


Christine Pellegrino, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, New York Medical College
Attending Physician, Westchester Medical Center
Interests: Solid Tumors


Andrea Popescu, MD

Metropolitan Hospital Center Site Director
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, New York Medical College
Chief, Hematology and Oncology, Metropolitan Hospital | Manhattan, NY
Interests: Community Practice


Carmelo Puccio, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Attending Physician, Westchester Medical Center
Interests: Solid Tumors

Associated Faculty

Delong Liu, MD, Malignant Hematology, Westchester Medical Center
Karen Seiter, MD, Malignant Hematology, Westchester Medical Center
Humayun Islam, MD, Clinical Pathology, Westchester Medical Center
Mara Lugassy, MD, Palliative Medicine, Westchester Medical Center
Chitti Moorthy, MD, Radiation Oncology, Westchester Medical Center
Tana Pradhan Shah, MD, Gynecologic Oncology, Westchester Medical Center
Caroline Hwang, MD, Medical Oncology, Lincoln Medical Center
Anita Gul, MD, Hematology and Oncology, Metropolitan Hospital
Sadiqa Karim, MD, Transfusion Medicine, Westchester Medical Center


How to Apply

Please access the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) for more information on our program. View our program listing on FREIDA.

Applications

Applications should be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS), which can be accessed using the following link: https://apps.aamc.org/myeras. Applications may be submitted starting July 6, 2023.

Applicants must have completed a residency in Internal Medicine by June 2024. 

Please note that our program requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation, including one from the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director.

Interviews

Fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications in ERAS on July 20, 2023. Our program will notify applicants through ERAS as to whether they have been selected for an interview.

Interviews will take place in September/October 2023, and applicants will be provided with detailed information regarding the logistics of the interview days.

To ensure a uniform interview process that is equitable for all applicants, our fellowship interviews will be held exclusively virtually.

Match

The program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Our NRMP program code is: 2157155F0.

The deadline for submitting Rank Order Lists is November 15, 2023, and Match Day is November 29, 2023.

Visa Sponsorship

Westchester Medical Center will sponsor J-1 visas as the preferred educational visa. Sponsorship of H1-B visas will be considered on a case-by-case basis for the most highly qualified applicants.

Contact Us

Brigita Avgustini
Program Manager
Brigita.Avgustini@WMCHealth.org