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 the Westchester Medical Center (WMC) and 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 four Preliminary PGY-1 Positions. Rotations in MIS, Transplant, Pediatric, Thoracic, Vascular, Trauma, and Hepatobiliary provide a vigorous subspecialty curriculum in addition to the general surgery core to optimize the training experience/opportunity. The Department of Surgery Clinical Research Unit (DSCRU) will provide assistance on any research projects as well.
Like the population we serve, the 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. Located in Suburban New York, Westchester has a wonderful quality of life with diverse activities and recreational opportunities. It also helps that Manhattan is approximately 18 miles away from the hospital (35 minutes by car or commuter rail).
Shomer Shabbos residency positions are offered within the Department of Surgery Residency Program at Westchester Medical Center. These slots allow accommodation of Jewish observance with the understanding that primacy is always given to the needs of our patients. Our affiliate medical school New York Medical College (NYMC) is taking the lead with its partner hospital in founding and promoting Shomer Shabbos residency training positions throughout the region.
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,
Jorge Con, MD, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery, NYMC
Program Director, General Surgery Residency, WMC
Attending Surgeon, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, WMC
Program Overview and Curriculum
The program accepts four categorical and four preliminary residents every year through the National Residency Match Program. All surgery residents complete their surgical internship at Westchester Medical Center. Research is an optional component of general surgery training. Every attempt is made to send residents, regardless of training level, to any national conference at which their research data is accepted to. Residents may be paired with a clinical mentor to provide guidance during the course of the residency. On January 19, 2017, the NYMC Department of Surgery received full accreditation from the Residency Review Committee.
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 and Thursday for those at St. Vincent's Medical Center.
Basic Science, Clinical Fundamentals
Wednesday mornings are also dedicated to a combined basic science / clinical fundamentals utilizing the SCORE curriculum from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. These are followed by resident directed ABSITE review sessions. Residents and faculty from all hospitals are able to participate in these sessions.
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. Once a year the residents are taken to a nearby facility for a live lab where minimally invasive procedures are performed by teams of residents on anesthetized pigs. 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 Thomas D. Cerabona, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College and Director of Bariatric Surgery at Westchester Medical Center.
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, General Surgery, ICU, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastics / Burn Surgery, Surgical Oncology, 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 ICU and 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, Transplant 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, 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 |
2 Blocks |
| |
General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery
|
2 Blocks |
| |
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 |
| |
Elective Rotation |
1 Block |
| |
Vacation (4 weeks at a time) |
(1 Block) |
| |
|
|
| PGY 2 |
Intensive Care Unit |
3 Blocks |
| |
General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery |
2 Blocks |
| |
Minimally Invasive Surgery |
2 Blocks |
| |
Pediatric Surgery |
2 Blocks |
| |
Trauma/ER Surgery |
2 Blocks |
| |
Thoracic Surgery
|
2 Blocks |
| |
Vacation (2 weeks at a time)
|
(1 Block) |
| |
|
|
| PGY 3 |
Acute Care Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery |
2 Blocks |
| |
Intensive Care Unit
|
1 Block |
| |
Minimally Invasive Surgery |
1 Block |
| |
Mid-Hudson
|
2 Blocks |
| |
Endoscopy
|
1 Block |
| |
Vascular Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Vacation (2 weeks at a time)
|
(1 Block) |
| |
|
|
| PGY 4 |
Pediatric Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Thoracic Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Transplant/Hepatobiliary Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Trauma/ER Surgery
|
4 Blocks |
| |
Vacation (2 weeks at a time) |
(1 Block) |
| |
|
|
| PGY 5 |
Acute Care Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
General Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Colorectal Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Mid-Hudson
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Pediatric Surgery
|
1 Block |
| |
Vascular Surgery
|
3 Blocks |
| |
Vacation (1 week at a time)
|
(1 Block) |
| |
|
|
| |
Please Note: Each block consists of four-week rotations |
|
General Surgery Categorical Residents: 2021-2022
Categorical PGY-5 Chief Residents
 |
 |
 |
 |
James Choi, MD
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
|
Faisal Jehan, MD
Khyber Medical College
|
Muhammad Khan, MD
Khyber Medical College |
Danny Lascano, MD
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons;
Pediatric Surgery Research Fellowship at Children's Hospital Los Angeles |
Categorical PGY-4 Residents
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
Agon Kajmolli, MD
Trinity School of Medicine |
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-3 Residents
Categorical PGY-2 Residents
 |
 |
 |
 |
Eleni Drivas, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai |
Mahir Gachabayov, MD, PhD
Azerbaijan Medical University |
Sophia Hameedi, MD
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons |
Aparna Vancheswaran, MD
New York Medical College |
Preliminary PGY-2 Residents
 |
Ilyse Natasha Blazar, DO
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
|
Categorical PGY-1 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-1 Residents
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Mohmmad Sulaiman Ahmad, DO
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (SOMA) |
Kevin Alter, MD
Rush Medical College of Rush University |
Abbas Smiley, MD
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences |
Patrick Taggart, DO
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Mayur Urva, MD
New York Medical College |
Past Residents
Class of 2022
Clara Angeles, MD
Asad Azim, MD
Miles Dale, MD
Shekhar Gogna, MD
Class of 2021
Vasu Chirumamilla, MD
Ashraf Elzanie, MD
Ansab Haider, MD
Christy Stoller, MD
Trauma and Acute Care Surgery