A Message from Our Program Director
Under the leadership of Drs. Leanne Forman and Neil Schluger, the Internal Medicine Residency Program of Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College is committed to providing outstanding training in Internal Medicine.
We motivate each house officer to embrace a critical and probing scientific attitude, along with a commitment to reducing health disparities. As a tertiary referral center, Westchester Medical Center is among the highest case mix index in the region. The Cardiology, Transplant, and Critical Care services care for patients from throughout the Hudson Valley. Our diverse patient population provides a robust clinical and educational experience for training physicians. House staff interacts with full-time faculty members from all divisions regularly for mentorship, didactics and clinical supervision. All mandatory training, including resident continuity clinic, is provided on site.
The university hospital shares a large picturesque campus with New York Medical College, including the schools of medicine, dentistry, graduate school of basic medical sciences, and school of health sciences. This close proximity provides integration of medical student education as well as numerous teaching and precepting opportunities for the house staff. The medical school has a new translational research center that provides the infrastructure to conduct high quality research by utilizing the resources offered by New York Medical College and clinical investigators at Westchester Medical Center.
Recent enhancements to the program include the creation of a Director of Research for the Division of Internal Medicine. The position is held by Dr. Christopher Nabors, who has received national recognition for his quality and safety projects, which have led to many scholarly projects for the department. New educational venues include telemedicine, a formal point-of-care ultrasound training program, and increased use of the simulation center. Hospital-wide initiatives to advance safety and quality improvement include the expansion of a telehealth unit and increased collaboration with the quality improvement department.
Fellowships are available in all approved areas of subspecialty training at the Medical Center, and WMC house staff are highly successful at obtaining fellowships of their choice at the medical center and throughout the country.
Please be sure to take a look at the fellowship placement of our program graduates on the "Graduate Fellowship Placement" tab.
The Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at Westchester Medical Center follows our institutional commitment to foster diverse and inclusive environments that support personal and professional growth. We adhere to the AAMC best practices for recruitment with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. Our recruitment process ensures that all underrepresented groups are given equal opportunities. Our program directly collaborates with the Chancellor of Diversity at New York Medical College in our ongoing efforts to provide an inclusive environment for our trainees throughout the course of residency. Westchester Medical Center provides many development and wellness opportunities including a variety of diversity and inclusion topics for our faculty and trainees.
Program Overview and Curriculum
Program Structure
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2021-2022
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2022-2023
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2023-2024
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PGY-1
Categorical
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20*
|
20*
|
20*
|
PGY-1
Preliminary
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1**
|
0
|
0
|
Anesthesiology
Categorical Base Year
|
10
|
10
|
10
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Neurology
Categorical Base Year
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3
|
3
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3
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PGY-2
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18
|
20
|
20
|
PGY-3
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18
|
18
|
20
|
Chief Residents
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3
|
3
|
3
|
Net gain of three residents by AY 2023-2024
2 Categorical Shabbos position available each year
Our program follows a 6 + 2 schedule (6 weeks inpatient; 2 weeks ambulatory).
PGY-I (Categorical) Yearly Schedule:
- Eight to ten weeks Medicine
- Four to six weeks Specialty floors
- Six to eight weeks Intensive Care Unit
- Six to eight weeks Elective
- Eight weeks Night Medicine
- 13 weeks Ambulatory Clinic
- Four weeks of Vacation
- Two weeks ER
PGY II
- 10-12 weeks general floors/specialty floors
- Eight to ten weeks Elective
- Two to four weeks ICU
- Four to six weeks Night Float
- 12-14 weeks Ambulatory Clinic
- Two to four weeks Medicine Consults
- Four weeks of Vacation
PGY III
- Eight to ten weeks Electives
- 10-11 weeks Ambulatory Clinic
- Six to eight weeks ICU / Consults
- Six to eight weeks ICU Night Float
- Six to eight weeks Medicine Admitting Resident
- Four weeks of Vacation
- Six to eight weeks General Floors
A Typical Day on the Floors
7:00 a.m. Morning Sign-in
7:15 a.m. Morning Report (on Thursday)
8:00 a.m. Hospitalist Team Bedside Rounds
12:30 p.m. Noon Conference
1:30 p.m. Patient Care
5:00 p.m. Sign-out
Floors
Weekends, Call and Night Float
Floor Call
On weekdays every 4th night from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Floor Night Float
Six nights/week from 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (Mon. – Sun.)
Ancillary Services
- 24/7 phlebotomy shifts
- IVs & PICC/midlines by trained nurses
- EKG technicians 24/7
- Patient transport support
Conference & Didactics
There is protected didactic time from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. every day. 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. is for PGY1s and medical students and 1:15 to 2:00 p.m. is for PGY2s and PGY3s. The didactic are scheduled in topic blocks and provided by subspecialists to facilitate structured approach to reading and board preparation. Primary focus of the curriculum is to prepare residents for ABIM boards and to equip them to be mature and confident clinicians. Didactics comprises four-week blocks of each subject throughout the academic year, covering all core subjects for board preparation. This also includes weekly board review sessions run by the Chief Resident.
All lectures are presented in person and virtually. They are also recorded and archived for future viewing opportunities. Residents have protected didactic experiences one half-day per week during each ambulatory rotation.
Subscription to NEJM 360 Knowledge+ provided by institution for PGY2 and PGY3 residents.
Grand rounds (Wednesdays)
On Wednesdays, we have departmental grand rounds from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. for all PGY levels where distinguished guests present topics of interest and engage with the house staff and faculty in scholastic discussions.
Critical care rounds (Fridays)
Weekly critical care rounds take place from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. where ICU residents from the CCU or Medical ICU present interesting cases, moderated by critical care attendings.
Chair Rounds (Fridays)
Weekly chairperson rounds take place in the main hospital from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. where an on-call intern presents an interesting case from the floors, moderated by Dr. Schluger and faculty.
Know About Kidneys (Fridays)
Monthly kidney rounds with Nephrology Program Director, Dr. Savneek Chugh take place on the last Friday of every month from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. The resident on call on the Medicine floor presents an interesting renal case and Dr. Chugh goes over systemic approach towards the case.
M&M (Fridays)
Monthly rounds with program leadership to discuss cases identified by chief residents.
Clinical Skills Education
Our educational simulation experiences include utilization of the state of the art New York Medical College Simulation Center and the Westchester Medical Center Surgical Skills Lab.
Graduate Fellowship Placement
2021 Fellowship Match Results
Congratulations to all!
Class of 2022 & Chief Residents
Cardiology
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
University of Miami Health System
Gastroenterology
Westchester Medical Center
Hematology/Oncology
Westchester Medical Center
Nephrology
Icahn School of Medicine @ Mount Sinai
Westchester Medical Center
Pulmonary/Critical Care
Albany Medical College
Spectrum Health @ Michigan State University
Westchester Medical Center
Recent Graduates
Cardiology
Maimonides Hospital
Methodist Hospital
Pulmonary/Critical Care
Westchester Medical Center
Rheumatology
Westchester Medical Center
2021 Fellowship Match Results
Congratulations to all!
Class of 2022 & Chief Residents
Cardiology
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
University of Miami Health System
Gastroenterology
Westchester Medical Center
Hematology/Oncology
Westchester Medical Center
Nephrology
Icahn School of Medicine @ Mount Sinai
Westchester Medical Center
Pulmonary/Critical Care
Albany Medical College
Spectrum Health @ Michigan State University
Westchester Medical Center
Recent Graduates
Cardiology
Maimonides Hospital
Methodist Hospital
Pulmonary/Critical Care
Westchester Medical Center
Rheumatology
Westchester Medical Center
Fellowship Matches 2016 - 2021
Specialty
|
Location
|
Allergy and Immunology
|
Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, NJ
|
Cardiology
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Lehigh Valley, PA
|
Cardiology
|
Loma Linda University, CA
|
Cardiology
|
Montefiore Hospital, NY
|
Cardiology
|
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, NJ
|
Cardiology
|
Tulane University, LA
|
Cardiology
|
Tulane University, LA
|
Cardiology
|
University of Oklahoma |
Cardiology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Cardiology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Cardiology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Cardiology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Cardiology Research
|
Kansas Medical Center
|
Clinical Nutrition
|
Cleveland Clinic, OH
|
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
|
Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center |
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
|
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, NH
|
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
|
University of Alabama at Birmingham
|
Gastroenterology
|
Henry Ford Hospital, MI
|
Gastroenterology
|
University of Connecticut
|
Gastroenterology
|
University of Iowa
|
Gastroenterology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Gastroenterology
|
Westchester Medical Center |
Gastroenterology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Gastroenterology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Gastroenterology
|
William Beaumont, MI
|
Heal Initiative
|
University of California-San Francisco
|
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
Baylor, TX
|
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
North Shore University / Long Island Jewish Medical Center |
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
SUNY Downstate Medical Center |
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Hematology and Oncology
|
University of Vermont, VT
|
Infectious Diseases
|
Northwell Health, NY
|
Infectious Diseases
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Medical Education
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Boston University, MA
|
Nephrology
|
Baylor College of Medicine |
Nephrology
|
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, MA
|
Nephrology
|
Massachusetts General Hospital, MA
|
Nephrology
|
New York University |
Nephrology
|
University of Washington-Seattle |
Nephrology
|
Westchester Medical Center |
Nephrology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Nephrology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Pulmonary / Critical Care Medicine
|
Westchester Medical Center |
Pulmonary Critical Care
|
New York Presbyterian Hospital-Queens
|
Pulmonary Critical Care
|
St. Louis University
|
Pulmonary Critical Care
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Pulmonary/Critical Care
|
Albany Medical Center, NY
|
Pulmonary/Critical Care
|
Mayo Clinic, AZ
|
Rheumatology
|
Loma Linda University |
Rheumatology
|
University of Connecticut
|
Rheumatology
|
University of Southern California, CA
|
Rheumatology
|
Washington University in St. Louis
|
Rheumatology
|
Westchester Medical Center
|
Chief Resident Placement
2015
|
Prakash Harikrishnan
Westchester Medical Center | Cardiology
Dhaval Kolte
Brown University | Cardiology
Massachusetts General Hospital | Interventional & Structural Cardiology
Abdallah Sanaani
Westchester Medical Center | Cardiology
|
2016
|
Tanush Gupta
Montefiore/Albert Einstein Hospital | Cardiology
Columbia University Interventional | Cardiology
Houston Methodist Hospital | Structural Interventions
Marjan Mujib
Brown University | Cardiology
Neha Maria Paul
University of Texas at Houston | Cardiology
|
2017
|
Dennis Roarke
Northshore LIJ Health System | Faculty
Rahul Sao
University of Connecticut | Gastroenterology
John Savooji
Westchester Medical Center | Hematology and Medical Oncology
|
2018
|
Khwaja Haq
Henry Ford Health System | Gastroenterology
Stony Brook University Hospital | Advanced Endoscopy
Katherine Linder
Baylor University | Hematology and Medical Oncology
Srikanth Yandrapalli
Westchester Medical Center | Cardiology
|
2019
|
Gabriela Andries
Newark Beth Israel Hospital | Cardiology
Zahava Farkas
Westchester Medical Center | Gastroenterology
Michael Karass
NY Presbyterian-Queens Hospital | Pulmonary/Critical Care
|
2020
|
Joanna Blanco
Englewood Hospital & Medical Center | Primary Care
Shikha Broker
Atlantic Air Regional Hospital | Primary Care
Alina Kifayat
Westchester Medical Center | Rheumatology
|
2021 |
Firas Jafri
SUNY Downstate | Hematology and Medical Oncology
Jagjit Khosla
University of Oklahoma | Cardiology
Anila Kumar
Westchester Medical Center | Gastroenterology
|
Program Leadership

Neil W. Schluger, MD
Director, Department of Medicine
Neil W. Schluger is the Barbara and William Rosenthal Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College and Director of the Department of Medicine at Westchester Medical Center.
Throughout his academic career, Dr. Schluger has focused on tuberculosis and global aspects of lung health, with a strong public health orientation. His work in TB has centered on epidemiology, novel diagnostics and new treatments for latent and active tuberculosis. His work on global lung health centers on the effect of air quality on health, the need to build a physician workforce in low and middle-income countries, and raising awareness of the global drivers of lung disease including tobacco and air pollution. He has been a principal investigator in the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium, an international collaboration sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 25 years and was the Chairman of the consortium from 2000-2016. He is also co-editor and a co-author of The Tobacco Atlas, the definitive work describing the extent and consequences of the global epidemic of tobacco use, published by Vital Strategies and the American Cancer Society. Dr. Schluger is a founder and director of the East Africa Training Initiative in Pulmonary Medicine. Through this program, based at Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa and the Addis Ababa University School of Medicine, the first generation of pulmonary physicians in Ethiopia has been trained and an academically oriented pulmonary division has been established at Ethiopia’s leading public hospital. He also serves as Senior Advisor for Science at Vital Strategies, a global not-for-profit organization devoted to public health issues.
Dr. Schluger was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2003. He is the author of over 180 articles, chapters and books, and his work has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, Lancet Respiratory Medicine and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, among other leading journals. He is an Associate Editor of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Medicine. Dr. Schluger is a past-president of the American Lung Association of New York.
Prior to coming to New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center, Dr. Schluger was Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. At the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia he was also co-director of the Programs in Education in Global and Population Health.
Dr. Schluger was born and raised in New York City. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Dr. Leona Kim Schluger.

Leanne Forman, MD
Program Director
Dr. Forman was appointed program director in 2017 after serving in leadership positions in the residency as the Section Chief and Director of Outpatient Medicine for more than ten years. Dr. Forman has more than 25 years of experience in graduate and undergraduate medical education at several distinguished institutions. She has consistently been recognized for excellence in teaching and contributions to the program. The program continuously strives to anticipate the needs of the physicians of today and tomorrow. The educational process focuses on the acquisition of medical knowledge, utilization of evidence, and development of clinical skills, as well as emerging practice patterns.

Jason Goutis, MD
Associate Program Director
After majoring in Biochemistry at Tufts University and obtaining a master’s degree in Physiology from Georgetown University, Dr. Goutis attended medical school at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He completed a required fifth year through New York Medical College, after which he completed his residency in internal medicine at Westchester Medical Center. After residency, Dr. Goutis joined the faculty at WMC and currently is involved in supervising and teaching residents primarily in the outpatient continuity clinic. He is the Director of the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program for internal medicine, as well as the Chair of the Quality Assurance Process Improvement Committee. He also has special interest in global medicine and medical missions.

Christopher Nabors, MD, PhD
Associate Program Director, Research Director
Christopher Nabors is Associate Residency Program Director and the Director of Research for General Internal Medicine. He has led a variety of patient safety, quality improvement and research initiatives. His work related to handoff communications led to regional and national awards.

Merita Shehu, MD
Associate Program Director
Dr. Shehu graduated at University of Tirana in Albania where she finished adult Cardiology fellowship as well. She practiced for more than a decade as cardiologist in the Cardiothoracic Center of the University Hospital and had a subspecialty training in German Heart Center in Berlin for congenital heart disease. She also graduated from University of Florence in Italy where she practiced as internist and did research in Cardiology near Careggi Hospital in Florence. The results of her research have been presented in many international events and publications.
After immigrating in United States she finished her Internal Medicine Residency training in Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn NY and is practicing as internist for a decade. She is interested in education, clinical research and quality projects. As associate program director she have been mentoring our preliminary interns. She believes that every resident in training and every patient is unique. Dr. Shehu have been appreciated by NYMC for her work as preceptor of NYMC students and Internal medicine residency program for mentoring and participating actively in medical resident education.

Andrea Porrovecchio, MD, FACP
Section Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Dr. Porrovecchio completed her medical degree from New York Medical College in June 2002. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Keesler Medical Center in June 2005 while serving on active duty in the United States Air Force. She was recruited to join the faculty at the Montefiore/Einstein in the Division of Hospital Medicine as an academic hospitalist after completing her active duty commitment to the USAF in 2008. She held multiple leadership roles there including Director of the Medical Service and the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Wakefield Campus. She came to Westchester Medical Center as the Section Chief for General Internal Medicine in September 2020. Her interests include Quality and Process Improvement and Point of Care Ultrasound.

Reena Agarwal, MD, MPH
Director, Adult Ambulatory Care Clinic
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Dr. Agarwal is a graduate of Brown University and Rutgers Medical School. She is trained in Internal Medicine as well as Preventive Medicine/Public Health and has an extensive background in quality improvement. As Medical Director of the Adult Primary Care Clinic she is responsible for the residents’ continuity ambulatory experience. Dr. Agarwal has spent her career as a primary care provider, both treating patients as well as teaching residents and medical students. She is dedicated to training the next generation of providers in providing excellent patient centered and evidence based care.
Educational Program Liaisons
Neurology

Ronald Cho, MD
Dr. Ronald Cho is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College and serves as the Neurology Educational Liaison. He graduated from Cornell University, attended Texas Tech Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at UTHSC at San Antonio. He has practiced medicine in a variety of settings for the past 19 years, primarily as a hospitalist.
Dr. Cho has won numerous teaching awards and was inducted into AOA as a faculty member. He is passionate about teaching house staff how to become better physicians by honing their clinical skills and supporting them during their educational experience. He serves as mentor to numerous medicine residents in addition to the Neurology categorical base interns.
Anesthesiology

Neal Shah, MD
Dr. Shah is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, part of the teaching faculty here at Westchester. He completed his residency at Drexel University followed by serving as faculty at Temple University. Dr. Shah also serves as the Internal Medicine liaison for the categorical anesthesia residents.
General Medicine Faculty
Hospitalists
Andrea Porrovecchio, MD, FACP
Section Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Ronald Cho, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Leanne Forman, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Richard Gil, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Randy Goldberg, MD, MPH, FACP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Jason Goutis, MD
Instructor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Gary Guo, MD, PhD
Instructor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Shalini Harigovind, MD
Alexander Hrycko, MD
Faisal Jamal, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Chikere Kanu, MD
Kyu-In Lee, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Stephen Lobo, MD, FACP
Associate Hospital Epidemiologist, Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Westchester Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Arif Mumtaz, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Christopher Nabors, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Jacob Ousef, MD
Vincent Prawoko, MD
Hasan Ramahtullah, MD
Mitra Rezvani, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Shushunova Sangia, MD
Neal Shah, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Merita Shehu, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Tejinderpal Singh, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Liana Tartarian, MD
Radhika Voleti, MD
Eric Wold, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Christine Carosella, MD
Resident Continuity Clinic Preceptors
Reena Agarwal, MD, MPH
Director, Adult Primary Care Clinic
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Christine Carosella, MD, FACP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Leanne Forman, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Melissa Gennarelli, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Rebecca Glassman, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Jason Goutis, MD
Instructor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Christopher Nabors, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Brooke Nevins, MD
Gary Stallings, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Student Education Faculty
Melissa Gennarelli, MD
Site Director, Third Year Internal Medicine Clerkship, New York Medical College
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Melissa Gennarelli, MD
Site Director, Third Year Internal Medicine Clerkship, New York Medical College
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Melissa Gennarelli, MD
Site Director, Third Year Internal Medicine Clerkship, New York Medical College
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Kausik Kar, MD
Internal Medicine Sub-internship Director, New York Medical College
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Mitra Rezvani, MD
Internal Medicine Clerkship Director, New York Medical College
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Tejinderpal Singh, MD
Assistant Site Director for Third-Year Clerkship
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
Gary Stallings, MD, MPH
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Clinical Education
Assistant Dean for Clinical Sciences, New York Medical College
Gary
KKar, MD
Internal Medicine Sub-internship Director, New York Medical College
Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical Co
Gary Stallings, MD, MPH
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Clinical Education
Assistant Dean for Clinical Sciences, New York Medical College
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements
Please note: our program follows institutional, state and federal COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. We encourage you to monitor these requirements frequently as they are subject to change. Please contact our program coordinator if you have any questions.
FAQ
What schedule structure does the program utilize?
The program follows a 6+2 schedule. Residents rotate through General Medicine Floors, ICU, electives, and clinic.
What kind of opportunities are there for residents interested in subspecialties?
WMC has nearly every subspecialty of medicine available in house. Internal Medicine residents rotate through multiple subspecialties, such as Liver Transplant and General Cardiology Service for core rotations. Additionally, residents have the opportunity to experience subspecialties through elective blocks.
How are research projects initiated?
Every resident meets with the Director of Research in the beginning of the year to establish research mentors and research projects.
How does the resident call schedule work?
Residents are on call every 3rd or 4th day while on General Medicine Floors and ICU.
How does the program structure elective time?
Electives are interspersed throughout the schedule. All residents participate in core electives including Infectious Diseases, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Hematology, Rheumatology, and Oncology. In addition to these core electives, residents have the freedom to pursue any specialty that interests them.
Are there good opportunities for performing procedures?
Residents have many opportunities to perform ABIM required procedures as well as a variety of elective procedures. These include but are not limited to Central Line Placement (Internal Jugular, Femoral, and Subclavian), Pap Smears, Lumbar Puncture, and Ultrasound guided IV placement.
How does the program conduct didactics?
Our program includes a wide variety of didactics to maximize resident educational experience. These include but are not limited to Noon Conferences, Morning Reports, ICU Rounds, CCU Rounds, Kidney Rounds, Chairman Rounds, Clinical Reasoning Sessions, Morbidity and Mortality Meetings, Journal Clubs.
What do residents do outside of work?
Westchester County has a wide variety of exciting activities. Whether you are interested in hiking, restaurant hopping or live music, you can always find something fun to do here. We are also located just 40 minutes north of New York City, so it’s just a quick drive or train ride away.
What housing accommodation options are available?
There are many apartments and other housing units available for rent throughout Westchester and surrounding areas. Many residents live in the City of White Plains, which is about a 15-minute drive from campus. Other popular areas include Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Yonkers, and Peekskill. A limited amount of on-campus housing is available to first-year residents only.
Does the program accommodate requests for Maternity leave?
Maternity leave is granted based on accrued sick, personal and vacation time. Further leave may be granted upon request and through the Family and Medical Leave Act (eligibility for FMLA at Westchester Medical Center is based on at least one year of employment).
Does the program provide board-review preparation resources?
All PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents in our program are provided with full membership to NEJM Resident 360 and Knowledge+.
Is there financial support for educational activities?
Residents are entitled to an educational allowance through the CIR Continuing Learning Program. Resident first authors on research projects are fully supported for regional and national meeting attendance and presentation.
How are residents evaluated?
Residents are evaluated by attendings and/or fellows on every rotation. The evaluation results are shared with the residents at the time they are completed, and the resident is asked to acknowledge and sign off on each.
How can residents provide feedback to program leadership?
An anonymous electronic survey is open continuously, in which residents are encouraged to share ideas, questions and concerns. The results of this survey are shared with program leadership and acted on accordingly.
Is the program receptive to feedback?
Our program takes the concerns of our residents incredibly seriously. Our trainees are encouraged to reach out to program and departmental/institutional leadership immediately if they feel there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Residents are requested to anonymously evaluate each rotation they complete, and this feedback is analyzed by program leadership and utilized to develop action plans.
How to Apply
The following are general guidelines for applying to the program. The information provided should answer most of your questions.
Thank you for your interest in the Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at Westchester Medical Center. Together, they comprise a major academic medical center. Our program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Criteria for Applicants
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 September 1, 2021.
Internal medicine residency programs may begin reviewing applications in ERAS on September 29, 2021. Our program will notify applicants through ERAS as to whether they have been selected for an interview.
Our program will begin our first round of invitations in early October. Applications will not be reviewed after October 15. Interviews will take place in October through December, and candidates will be provided with detailed information regarding the logistics of the interview days.
Please note: we do not have a firm cut off on USMLE or other exam scores. We review all applicants from a holistic standpoint, taking into account their overall diversity, skills, and experience.
USMLE or COMLEX Steps 1 and 2 must be passed in order to be considered. (Step 2 results can be pending at the time of interview but must have a passing score in order to be ranked.) Applicants need at least three letters of recommendation dated within the current academic year.
Available Tracks
Internal Medicine Categorical
NRMP Program Code 2157140C0
Our standard three year track is open to all applicants.
Internal Medicine Categorical-SHABBOS
NRMP Program Code 2157140C1
Our Shabbos track will only be considered for highly qualified candidates who practice and observe the Sabbath. Residents who train on the Shabbos track are granted scheduling accommodations regarding participation in Sabbath observance and Jewish holidays. Please only apply to this track if you are an observer of the Sabbath.
Visa Sponsorship
-
Westchester Medical Center will sponsor J-1 visas. If needed, applicants can obtain Exchange Visitor Sponsorship through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to acquire a J-1 visa.
Step 3 is strongly encouraged for applicants applying from abroad. Anyone applying for an H-1B visa MUST have taken and passed Step 3 of the USMLE or COMLEX by the NRMP rank order list deadline.
More information about the residency program is available on our Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) listing.
Contact Us

Austin Charnis
Residency Coordinator, Internal Medicine
Austin.Charnis@WMCHealth.org
Austin Charnis, a native of Westchester County, has been the administrator of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Westchester Medical Center since 2019. Prior to this role Austin held positions at our institution as fellowship coordinator in medicine subspecialties and administrative assistant in the Office of Graduate Medical Education. His professional interests include medical education, communications and technology, and he is highly passionate about supporting our residents, faculty and staff.