Surgery

Welcome to the Department of Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

As Chairman, I am responsible for the overall leadership and direction of the Department of Surgery, with a commitment to excellence across our clinical, educational, and academic missions. Central to that responsibility is ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, and outcomes for every patient entrusted to our care.

Education is fundamental to who we are as a department. We are committed to providing our residents and medical students with an exceptional learning environment, outstanding clinical experience, strong mentorship, and the foundation to become skilled surgeons and future leaders in our profession.

Our department is also focused on the future. We are continually working to improve how surgical care is delivered, recruit and develop outstanding physicians, strengthen our clinical programs, and expand access to advanced surgical care throughout the communities we serve.

Our goal is straightforward: to build a Department of Surgery recognized for clinical excellence, exceptional education, continuous improvement, and responsible growth.

Alan Nieder, MD
Roni Jacobson Endowed Chairman of Surgery

Thank you for your interest in the General Surgery Residency Program of Mount Sinai Medical Center.

As the largest private, independent, not-for-profit teaching hospital in South Florida, our 672-bed facility delivers the most advanced and highest quality care in the region. The Department of Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center has a long and distinguished history of training excellent surgeons and leaders. Our surgical residency program was established in 1954 and since then has been committed to providing excellent patient care and an abundance of clinical educational experiences. Our residents complete their surgical training with exceptional breadth and depth of clinical experience.

Our attending physicians all share a passion for surgical education. We provide a strong academic foundation for resident training in a supportive learning environment. Our residents’ experiences are supplemented by a strong base of fellowship-trained surgeons in multiple disciplines who further augment the general surgery residency training at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Clinical training encompasses five years of residency across the breadth of general surgery and surgical specialties. This includes rotations that will expose the trainee to general surgery, surgical oncology, breast surgery, head and neck surgery, minimally invasive/upper GI surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, pancreas surgery, colorectal surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, transplantation, thoracic surgery, burn surgery and trauma and critical care. The majority of the training is here at Mount Sinai Medical Center with additional training in educational partnership with Jackson Memorial, Miami Children’s Hospital and Hollywood Memorial Hospital.

As an academic training site, there are numerous opportunities for our residents to develop their aptitude for teaching. Medical students from NOVA Southeastern School of Medicine and Florida International University School of Medicine rotate with us every month for their third year surgery clerkship and fourth year sub-internship. We are one of a select few original statutory teaching hospitals in the state of Florida helping to assure that our community has talented, well-trained doctors now and in the future.

At Mount Sinai Medical Center, we have a dedicated teaching faculty, modern facilities, and a teaching hospital environment that provides for excellence in patient care and resident education. At Mount Sinai Medical Center, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and other attributes necessary to reach your highest potential as a physician trained in the specialty of surgery. We look forward to helping you achieve your professional goal of a career in surgery.

Jennifer Dianne Davies, MD
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Interim Chief, General Surgery
Director, Wound Care

The General Surgery Residency Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center is dedicated to the highest standards of training and education for future surgeons. Our program is designed to cultivate surgical proficiency and ensure that residents acquire the comprehensive skills needed to excel in general surgery. We emphasize a well-rounded education, aiming to produce surgeons who are not only technically adept but also capable of delivering exceptional care across the full spectrum of general surgical conditions.

At Mount Sinai Medical Center, our General Surgery Residency Program upholds a robust equal opportunity employment policy in strict adherence to Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. We are committed to implementing a merit-based hiring process that is neutral with respect to age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and minority status. This commitment has enabled us to successfully recruit a diverse range of candidates, including a greater representation of women and underrepresented minorities. Our core faculty, known for its diversity, plays an active role in both the recruitment and mentoring of female and underrepresented minority residents. This engagement ensures that all participants receive the support and guidance needed to thrive in their surgical careers, contributing to a richer, more inclusive training environment.

At Mount Sinai Medical Center, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment within our General Surgery Residency Program. To support this commitment, we provide comprehensive diversity training for all members of our program, including both faculty and residents. This training is designed to enhance cultural competence and ensure that all individuals within our program are equipped to contribute to and thrive in a diverse setting. Our hiring decisions are driven by the goal of selecting the most qualified candidates. We maintain a transparent recruiting process that upholds fairness and integrity, ensuring that all applicants are evaluated based on their merit and suitability for the program. This approach not only aligns with our values but also supports our mission to build a diverse and exceptional team of future surgeons.

Teaching Philosophy

At Mount Sinai Medical Center, we stress the physician’s primary obligation to patient care and patient advocacy. We have a core belief that progressive independence, both in and out of the operating room, is critical to effectively train surgeons who are ready to practice the day they leave our training program. We work hard to assure that residents have a substantial clinical experience that allows them to be independent as chief residents and act as the teacher for junior residents.

Our program maintains an atmosphere that is supportive and conducive to learning, ensuring that each resident has the opportunity to develop the skills to achieve his or her individual career goals. Our excellent ancillary support services in the hospital ensure that residents may focus their time on patient care and formal learning activities.

Residency Management Team

Members include the Program Director, the Associate Program Directors, the Program Coordinator, Chair of Surgery, chief residents and core faculty members. Any active problems or issues are discussed, and plans for resolution and/or implementation are developed. A Clinical Competency Committee composed of select faculty members meets semi-annually to review the progress of house staff and to identify any resident performance issues or unmet needs.

House Staff Benefits

Residents are provided with:

• Professional liability insurance
• Parking
• On-call rooms for every service
• White lab coats and scrubs
• House staff lounge
• Annual Academic & Food Allowance

Residents are eligible for:

• Health insurance for resident and dependents
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability insurance

Education and Teaching Conferences:

• Mandatory for All Residents on all Services (except at away rotations)
  • Morbidity & Mortality Conference (Friday 7:30am-8:30am)
  • SCORE Curriculum Conference (Thursdays 7am)
  • Challenging Cases Conference (Wednesdays at 7:30am)
  • Department of Surgery Grand Rounds (Tuesday 7-8am)
  • Mock Oral Board Examination (every 6-8 weeks, in place of M&M) [PGYs 3-5]
  • Surgical Pathology Conference (3^rd Tuesday of each Month, in place of Grand Rounds)
  • For GI tumor board- “Mandatory for GI Surgery Service”

• Mandatory for Surgical Oncology
  • Gastrointestinal Oncology Tumor Board (Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 am)
  • Breast/ Head & Neck Tumor Board (Per rotation)

• Mandatory for Vascular Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery Conference (Wednesday 7:30-8:30 am)

We have transitioned many of our didactic teaching conferences to be back in person. Our weekly morbidity and mortality conference along with our weekly basic science and journal club has resumed to be in person at the request of our surgical residents.  We continue to have a mandatory Gastrointestinal Multidisciplinary Oncology Tumor Board, Head & Neck Oncology Tumor Board, and Breast Oncology Tumor Board each week for the residents to attend. All rotating residents actively participate in these teaching conferences by presenting preoperative and postoperative patients. These meeting have remained on a video conferencing platform.

We have had another successful year of graduating two chief residents.  Each chief resident spent a total of four months on our Surgical Oncology (SONC) service, Vascular Surgery service and our General Surgery service in two month block rotations. They each matched in their desired fellowship programs (Vascular and General Surgery) at major medical centers.

The chief resident rotating on the GI Surgery service continued to manage a team of residents caring for patients who have had complex foregut/bariatric surgery, colorectal surgery and hepatobiliary surgery. On this particular service the chief resident, and the rotating residents, will have an opportunity to care and operate on patients with esophageal/gastric malignancy, hiatal hernias, reflux, achalasia, anorectal pathology, inflammatory bowel disease, colon /rectal cancer, liver and pancreatic disease. The chief resident will be involved in the management of all patients on this service and will perform complex foregut surgeries, bariatric weight loss surgeries, hepatobiliary surgeries such as liver and pancreatic resections via laparoscopic and open approaches. Approximately 4-10 major hepatobiliary surgeries are performed per month including pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and formal/non anatomic liver resections. Chief Residents will perform approximately 10-12 Pancreaticoduodenectomies (Whipple) upon graduation. The average case volume per month is approximately 80-100 major cases and 50-75 colonoscopies/upper endoscopies. Three attending surgeons make up this service. Dr. Hochwald was hired as our new Chief of Surgical Oncology Section and Director of our Comprehensive Cancer Center adding further expertise to our resident education.

We continued with our Surgical Oncology rotation for our surgery residents giving them a unique exposure to head and neck oncology including thyroid/parathyroid pathology as well as neck dissections, laryngeal cancer, and head/face/neck basal cell/squamous cell/melanoma. Consequently, our surgical residents will each typically graduate with 40-50 thyroid/parathyroidectomies/parotidectomies and 15-20 neck dissections. Additionally, all aspects of breast surgery are performed on this service with exposure to plastic/reconstructive surgery. This service is managed by a PGY4 who oversees a team of junior residents. We currently have three dedicated board-certified surgeons who oversee this entire service.

The chief resident on the Vascular Surgery manages a team of residents who treat all acquired peripheral vascular disease and dialysis access via open and endovascular techniques. We now have 5 vascular surgeons dedicated to teaching our residents on this service. On this service the residents have an early exposure to vascular surgery, angiography and endovascular techniques is afforded to the junior residents. Advanced skills of open vascular surgery are available to chief level residents, such as carotid endarterectomy, lower extremity endarterectomy and bypass, and abdominal aortic aneurysm disease. This allows our chiefs to graduate with an average case volume of 200 major vascular cases. Every Thursday our residents attend a mandatory educational Vascular Surgery conference to discuss their upcoming surgical cases,

The chief resident rotating on the Manheimer General Surgery Service is responsible for a team of residents who cover the majority of elective general surgery and acute emergency general surgery cases including bowel resections, laparoscopic and open complex hernia repair, colon resections, gastric perforations, and other acute abdominal pathology. We have hired two additional general surgeons to complement the current 4 busy general surgeons. The average case volume per month is approximately 125 major cases among 6 attending surgeons which include appendectomies, cholecystectomies, common bile duct exploration, inguinal and ventral hernia repairs, upper/lower endoscopies, PEG tube placement, tracheostomies amputations and soft tissue excisions.

Our Robotic Surgery curriculum has expanded to include colorectal as part of our GI and General Surgery Services. We recently added a third DaVinci Xi Platform with a Teaching Console for educational purposes with the goal to expose general surgery residents to the robotic platform. The resident robotic curriculum requires to pass online and simulator training prior to operating on the console. Our surgery residents continue to practice on our Academic da Vinci Trainer which affords them full access to this education platform. They are able to perform many simulated surgical procedures based on personal level of achievements. This has been well received by all the faculty and residents.

We have appointed Dr. Jonathan Zadeh as our associate program director and chair of our clinical competency committee. He is a fellowship trained Bariatric Surgeon with a very busy practice who dedicates much of his time to teaching our surgery residents. Additionally, we have implemented a mandatory mentor/mentee program for all of our surgical residents. A dedicated surgical grand round is devoted to this topic at the beginning of each academic year. Each resident chooses their mentor and is encouraged to meet with them at least once a month. The resident is able to change their mentor of choice at their semi-annual evaluation as they see fit.

Lastly, we have established a resident wellness program. Each resident has 6 hours off clinical and academic duties once a month during the weekday to help with their wellbeing, doctor and dental appointments and any personal issues/appointments that need to be addressed during working business hours. This has been well received by all surgical residents.

Chief Resident Designations

In order to prepare them for future leadership positions, Chief Residents will have the opportunity to assume the responsibilities of the following resident leadership roles:

• Chief of Education
• Chief of Scheduling
• Chief of Resident Affairs
• Chief of Student Affairs

We have 8 Surgical Teaching Services at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL.

• General Surgery
  • The service that covers majority of the emergency room call
    performs bread & butter general surgery including laparoscopic and open complex/advanced hernia repair.
  • Procedures Commonly performed on this rotation:
    • Inguinal Hernia Repair
    • Ventral Hernia Repair
    • Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction
    • Hiatal Hernia Repair
    • Cholecystectomy
    • Sleeve Gastrectomy
    • Gastric Bypass

• Surgical Oncology Surgery
  • Unique exposure to head and neck oncology including thyroid/parathyroid pathology as well as neck dissections, laryngeal cancer, and head/face/neck basal cell/squamous cell/melanoma is obtained in large volumes and unique for any general surgery program. Residents will typically graduate with 40-50 thyroid/parathyroidectomies.
  • All aspects of breast surgery are performed with additional exposure to plastic/reconstructive surgery available as desired by the resident.
  • 3 attending surgeons (Dr. Steven Hochwald, Dr. Rodrigo Arrangoiz, and Dr. Jessica Pastoriza) make up this service. Average case volume per month is approximately 80-100 major cases.
  • Procedures Commonly Performed on this rotation:
    • Mastectomy
    • Thyroidectomy
    • Hepatic Resections
    • Pancreatic Resections
    • Esophageal Resections
    • Soft Tissue Tumor Resection
  • Colorectal (CRS)
    • This service comprises surgical oncology, complex foregut/bariatric surgery, and upper and lower endoscopy.
    • 4 attending surgeons (Dr. Henry Wodnicki, Dr. Kiranmayi Muddasani, Dr. Manuel Viamonte, and Dr. Dylan Carroll) make up this service. Average case volume per month is approximately 140 major cases and 50-75 colonoscopies/upper endoscopies.
    • Procedures Commonly Performed on this rotation:
      • Colectomy
      • Hemorrhoidectomy
      • Rectal Prolapse Procedures
      • Treatment of Anal Fistula
      • Colonoscopy
    • Complex foregut surgery such as bariatric weight loss surgery, esophageal/gastric resections for malignancy, hiatal hernia repair, fundoplication/antireflux operations, and heller myotomy.
    • Hepatobiliary surgery such as: liver and pancreatic resections via laparoscopic and open approaches. Approximately 4-10 major hepatobiliary surgeries are performed per month including: pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and formal/non anatomic liver resections. Chief Residents will perform approximately 10-12 Pancreaticoduodenectomies (Whipples) upon graduation.

• Vascular Surgery
  • This service comprises treats all acquired peripheral vascular disease, dialysis access via open, endovascular techniques, and has 4 attending surgeons (Dr. Micheal Ayad, Dr. Jacob Schwartzman, Dr. Edward Andraos, and Dr. Joseph Dergan).
  • Early exposure to vascular surgery, angiography, and endovascular techniques is afforded to junior residents while and the advanced skills of open vascular surgery are available to Chief Residents.
  • All minimum requirements are easily exceeded preparing you for emergency vascular repair/exposure in trauma scenarios or applications vascular surgery fellowship placement.
  • Average case volume upon graduation 250 major vascular cases.
  • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
    • Peripheral Artery Angioplasty
    • Aortic Aneurysm Repair
    • Arteriovenous Fistula Procedures
    • Endarterectomy Procedures
    • Venous Insufficiency Procedures
    • Endovascular interventions 

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • This service comprises another growing division and has 5 attending surgeons (Dr. Angelo LaPietra, Dr. Steven Debeer, Dr. Fernando Safdie, Dr. Steve Xydas, and Dr. Eric Weiss) who treat acquired cardiovascular and pulmonary disease with traditional, minimally invasive, and endovascular techniques.
  • PGY-1, PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents on this service acquire directed learning towards managing acute chest pathology and surgical critical care from the perspective of post-cardiotomy shock and complex cardiopulmonary derangement. Daily rounds include significant surgical critical care while operative exposure complements the practice of general surgery/trauma surgery and/or prepare you for cardiothoracic surgery fellowship application.
  • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
    • Pulmonary resections
    • Bronchoscopy procedures
    • Coronary Artery bypass grafts
    • Cardiac valve replacement procedures
    • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

• Surgical Critical Care at MSMC
  • This service comprises 2 surgical intensivists (Dr. Luis Rosario & Dr. Vadim Rosin) who care for all post-operative surgical patients in the Surgical ICU at MSMC. They primarily care for post-operative cardiothoracic, general, and vascular surgery patients who demonstrate coagulopathy, all forms of shock, and the dysfunction of all solid organs.
  • PGY-1 & PGY-2 residents will learn specific skills from critical care trained physicians.
  • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
    • Arterial line insertion
    • Central venous catheter insertion
    • Endotracheal intubation
    • Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy
    • Tracheostomy

• Acute Care Surgery at MSMC
  • The introduction of the Acute Care Surgery (ACS) Service has significantly enhanced the educational experience of our residents.
  • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
    • Appendectomy
    • Cholecystectomy
    • Exploratory Laparotomy
    • Hartmann’s Procedure
    • Incarcerated Hernia Repair
    • Incision and Drainage
    • Soft Tissue Debridement

• HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, Miami, FL.
  • Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
    • Residents rotate at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, one of two Level-I Trauma Center, in Miami Dade County for a total of approximately 4 months (2 months as PGY-2, 2 months PGY-4) to obtain a good exposure to trauma surgery and surgical critical care.
    • Residents will treat patients with penetrating and blunt trauma and will easily exceed all minimum requirements for operative and non-operative trauma and team leader resuscitation.
    • PGY-4 Residents act as Chief of the trauma surgery service and manages all aspects of care for these patients including: initial trauma bay evaluation, all operative trauma cases, all aspects of complex surgical critical care (ventilator management, tracheostomy, invasive tubes/lines, mass transfusion protocol). Skills acquired here translate into elective and emergency general surgery. Opportunities for research/publication are also available for those interested in pursuing fellowship.
    • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
      • Exploratory Laparotomy
      • Thoracotomy
      • Tracheostomy
      • Arterial line insertion
      • Central venous catheter insertion

• Additional Outside Rotations
  • Pediatric Surgery at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
    • MSMC PGY-1 residents rotate on Pediatric Surgery with an established, busy group of Pediatric Surgeons which affords an early and thorough exposure to this specialty including neonatal to adolescent cases. All operative requirements are met within this time frame with potential for an additional senior resident rotation as our complement increases.
    • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
      • Appendectomy
      • Hernia repair
      • Surgical feeding access
      • Correction of congenital anomalies
    • Burn Surgery at Ryder Trauma Center/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL.
      • MSMC PGY-1 residents spend one month learning the unique specialty of Burn Surgery with well-established trauma & burns specialists.
      • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
        • Burn debridement
        • Dermal grafting
        • Eschar release
      • Transplant at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida
        • MSMC PGY-4 residents spend one month learning intensive clinical experience focusing on the comprehensive care of transplant patients.
      • Procedures commonly performed on this rotation:
        • Liver Transplant
        • Kidney Transplant
        • Intestinal Transplant
        • Organ procurement

Surgical Skills Lab Curriculum:

Level-appropriate surgical skills will be taught throughout every rotation. In addition to that longitudinal skills education, residents will participate in guided skills labs. These will grant residents an opportunity to learn in a low-stress non-clinical environment. The skills labs will be introductory lessons to new residents and act as refresher activities for continuing residents.

Robotic Surgery Curriculum:

Over the last two decades, robotic surgery has developed as a prominent adjunct to laparoscopy. It has been shown to have desirable ergonomics, unique potential in teaching, and utility as an assistant when additional skilled providers are unavailable. Given these observations, we feel it is important that our surgical residents have training in robotic surgery. Within the current rotation schedule surgical residents can expect to be exposed to robotic surgery during their General surgery, Surgical oncology, Colorectal, and Thoracic surgery rotations. A formal curriculum has been developed to guide surgical residents through their robotic training.

Our Program has recently expanded our complement to graduating 3 Chief Residents per year beginning with the Class of 2019. Currently we have 23 Residents in our Program:

• (4) Chief Residents
• (3) PGY-4
• (4) PGY-3
• (6) PGY-2
  • 4 Categorical Positions
  • 2 Preliminary Positions
• (6) PGY-1
  • 4 Categorical Positions
  • 3 Preliminary Positions

 Rotations

• • PGY-1 Year
    • General Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (3 months)
    • Cardiothoracic Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (1 month)
    • Vascular Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (2 months)
    • Burn Surgery: Jackson Memorial Hospital (1 month)
    • Pediatric Surgery: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (1 month)
    • EGS: Mount Sinai Medical Center (2 months)

• PGY -2 Year
  • Surgical Oncology (SONC): Mount Sinai Medical Center (2 months)
  • Vascular Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (2 months)
  • Trauma Surgery: HCA Florida Kendall Hospital (2 months)
  • Manheimer: Mount Sinai Medical Center (1 months)

• PGY-3 Year
  • General Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (4 months)
  • Vascular Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (3 months)
  • Thoracic Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (1 month)
  • EGS: Mount Sinai Medical Center (1 month)

• PGY-4 Year
  • Surgical Oncology (SONC): Mount Sinai Medical Center (4 months)
  • Transplant: Jackson Memorial Hospital (1 month)
  • Trauma Surgery: HCA Florida Kendall Hospital (2 months)
  • EGS: Mount Sinai Medical Center (4 month)

• PGY-5 Year
  • General Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center (12 months)
    • 4 months of Vascular Surgery
    • 4 months of Surgical Oncology (SONC)
    • 4 months of Manheimer

Jennifer Davies, MD
Program Director
Director, Wound Healing Center

Jonathan Zadeh
Assistant Program Director, Residency Program

Edward Andraos, MD
Vascular Surgery Faculty

Rodrigo Arrangoiz, MD
Surgical Oncology Surgery Faculty

Kyan Askari, MD
SICU Faculty

Micheal Ayad, MD
Vascular Surgery Faculty

Paul Baker, MD
General Surgery Faculty

Dylan Carroll, MD
Colorectal Surgery Faculty

Steven Debeer, MD
Co-Director, Aortic Center

Carolina De La Cuesta, MD
Chief of Critical Care

Joseph Dergan, MD
Vascular Surgery Faculty

Federico Gorostiaga, MD
SICU Faculty

Steven Hochwald, MD
Surgical Oncology Surgery Faculty

Angelo LaPietra, MD 
Director, Surgical Electrophysiology

Kiranmayi Muddasani, MD 
General/Colorectal Surgery Faculty

Jessica Pastoriza, MD
Surgical Oncology Surgery Faculty

Marc Rafols, MD
General Surgery Faculty

Luis E. Rosario Alvarado, MD
General Surgery Faculty
SICU Faculty

Vadim Rosin, MD
General Surgery Faculty

Fernando Safdie, MD
Director of Endoluminal and Airway Surgery
Associate Director of Thoracic Surgery

Jacob Schwartzman, MD
Vascular Surgery Faculty

Stephen Unger, MD
Vascular Surgery Faculty

Manuel Viamonte, MD
General/Colorectal Surgery Faculty

Roy Williams, MD
Chief of Thoracic Surgery

Henry Wodnicki, MD
General Surgery Faculty

Steve Xydas, MD
Chief of Cardiac Surgery
Co-Director, Mount Sinai Heart Institute
Co-Director, Aortic Center

Dylan T. Carroll, MD
Colorectal Surgery Faculty

Xavier Baldwin, MD
Surgical Oncology Faculty

Aradhya Nigam, MD
Surgical Oncology Faculty

Class of 2026

• Peter Berger, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
• Heather Hollembeak, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery, Health First, Melbourne, FL

Class of 2025

• Paul Baker, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Advanced Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
• Robert Barghout, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, LA
• Kareem Kashif, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Critical Care Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Class of 2024

• Andre Critsinelis, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Huy Hoang, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery, Advent Health, Orlando, FL
• Tyler Warmack, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery, Ascension Health NE, Appleton, WI

Class of 2023

• Thais Polanco, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
• Marisa Vinas, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Burns/Critical Care, John’s Hopkins Bayview, Baltimore, MD
• Jessica Wahi, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL 

Class of 2022

• Matthew Goldes, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery, St. Peter’s Health, Helena, Montana
• Christopher Le, MD: FELLOWSHIP: BariatricS/MIS, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
  • PRACTICE: TBD
• Luis Rosario, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, UF Trauma Center, Jacksonville, FL
  • PRACTICE: TBD

Class of 2021

• Navid Ajabshir, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  • PRACTICE: Cardiothoracic Surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• Marc Rafols, MD: PRACTICE: Attending Physician, Vascular Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL
• Jonathan Zadeh, MD: Fellowship: Bariatrics/MIS, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
  • PRACTICE: General/Bariatric Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL

Class of 2020

• Chase Knickerbocker, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, UTSW, Dallas, TX
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/ ACS at BUMC in Dallas, TX
• Derek Nieber, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center; New York, NY.
  • PRACTICE: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Fort Worth, TX

Class of 2019

• Thomas Capasso, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, University of South Alabama; Mobile, AL.
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/ACS, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE
• Andre Coombs, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/ACS, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Class of 2018

• Michael Hurtado, MD: PRACTICE: Private/Community Practice General & Vascular Surgery; Rutland Regional Medical Center, Rutland, VT.
• Daniela Treitl, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Endocrine Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
  • PRACTICE: Endocrine Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA

Class of 2017

• Tushar Barot, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.
  • PRACTICE: Vascular Surgery, AdventHealth, Lakeland, FL
• Alexander Canales, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Trauma Surgery and Critical Care, Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Healthy System/University of Miami, Miami, FL.
  • PRACTICE: Trauma, ACS, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA

Class of 2016

• Robert Grossman, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Foregut/Minimally Invasive Surgery, George Washington Medical Center, Washington, DC.
  • PRACTICE: General/Foregut/Robotic Surgery, NCH Baker Hospital, Naples, FL
• Devendra Joshi, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Advanced GI and Foregut Surgery, Florida Hospital, Tampa, FL.
  • PRACTICE: General Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL

Class of 2015

• Shaili Gal, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA
  • PRACTICE: Cosmetic Surgery at New Peoria Cosmetic Surgery in Peoria, AZ
• Terry Mckinney, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Louisville SOM, Louisville, KY
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at Northeast Georgia Health Partners in Gainsville, GA

Class of 2014

• Victor Davila, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
  • PRACTICE: Vascular surgery at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ
• Christopher Staudinger, MD: PRACTICE: General surgery at NCH Baker Hospital in Naples, FL

Class of 2013

• Steven DeBeer, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory, Atlanta, GA
  • PRACTICE: Cardiac surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL
• Pejman Radkani, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Mount Sinai, New York City, NY
  • PRACTICE: Liver Transplant and HPB at MedStart Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington, DC  

Class of 2012

• Michael Ayad, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA
  • PRACTICE: Vascular Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL
• Adam Beall, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Bariatric Surgery/MIS, Cleveland Clinic, Weston, FL
  • PRACTICE: General/Bariatric Surgery at AnMed Piedmont Surgical Associated in Anderson, SC 

Class of 2011

• Dafney Lubin, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Arizona, Tucson, AZ
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at Memorial Hospital Regional in Hollywood, FL
• Stelios Rekkas, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Bariatric Surgery/MIS, University of Miami, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Bariatric Surgery at Manatee Weight Loss Center in Bradenton, FL

Class of 2010

• Nir Hus, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Miami, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at Delray Medical Center in Delray, FL
• Robert Jimenez, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
  • PRACTICE: Vascular Surgery at Broward Vein and Vascular in Margate, FL

Class of 2009

• David Barkoe, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Miami, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at Baptist Health in Miami, FL
• Enrique Hanabergh, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Weston, FL
  • PRACTICE: Cosmetic Surgery in Miami, FL
• Irving Jorge, MD: FELLOWSHIP: MIS, University of Miami, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: General Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ

Class of 2008

• Jose Diaz, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Miami, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at HCA Westside Regional in Plantation, FL

Class of 2007

• Payman Danielpour, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, Nassau University Medical Center, Long Island, NY
  • PRACTICE: Cosmetic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA
• Raul Mederos, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery at Hialeah Hospital in Hialeah, FL

Class of 2006

• Matthew Kozloff, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Critical Care, U Louisville SOM, Louisville, KY
  • PRACTICE: Trauma/Critical Care at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA
• David Varnagy, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Vascular Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
  • PRACTICE: Vascular Surgery at AdventHealth in Orlando, FL

Class of 2005

• Diego Velarde, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Bariatric Surgery/MIS, Mercy Hospital, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: General/Bariatric Surgery at Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute in Rockledge, FL
• Wing Yeen, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
  • PRACTICE: Cardiac surgery at Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV

Class of 2004

• Donna Carey, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery in Sarasota, FL
• Lawton Tang, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
  • PRACTICE: Cosmetic Surgery in Pasadena, CA      

Class of 2003

• Gabriel Salloum, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Hand Surgery, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, VA
  • FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, UT Houston, Houston, TX
  • PRACTICE: Plastic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, FL
• Cheryl Yelverton, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Oncology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Surgical Oncology at HCA Westside Regional in Plantation, FL  

Class of 2002

• John Chang, MD: PRACTICE: Vein and Cosmetic Surgery in Coral Gables, FL
• Amir Karni, MD: PRACTICE: General Surgery at HCA Houston, in Houston, TX

Class of 2001

• Juan Paramo, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Surgical Oncology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, FL
  • PRACTICE: Surgical Oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, FL
• Stephanie Stover, MD: FELLOWSHIP: Plastic Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
  • PRACTICE: Cosmetic Surgery in Miami, FL

General

Six positions are offered at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s General Surgery Residency Program each year.

Mount Sinai Medical Center participates and accepts applications only through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). In addition, your application will only be considered if you are enrolled in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). You must contact your medical school for delivery of your application, transcripts, dean’s letter, and faculty recommendations to our program via the internet.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING THROUGH ERAS IS NOVEMBER 4, 2026.

NRMP #’s: 1105440C0 Categorical Program
1105440P0 Preliminary Program
Program ID #4401122075

Required Documents for Application

1. Letters of recommendation:

• 3 letters of recommendation are required

2. International medical graduates:

• Applicants should have graduated from medical school within the past five years
• Applicants must have passing scores on the USMLE Step 1 and 2 to obtain an interview.
• Applicants must have excellent English comprehension and speaking skills
• **Only J-1 Visas are accepted for training**

Interview Process

Upon receipt of the completed application, our selection committee will review all materials. Invitations for interviews will be offered via email from April Chisolm, program coordinator. Selected applicants are interviewed on Saturdays, in December and January.

Inquiries may be directed to April Chisolm, program coordinator, via email, April.Chisolm@msmc.com, or by phone at 305.695.1255.

Final confirmation for appointment shall be subject to a satisfactory health examination conducted by Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Employee Health Services Department. Such physical examination will include a screening test for the presence of non-prescribed substances, alcohol, and nicotine products. Offers of appointment to prospective employees who test positive for nicotine will be rescinded.