Our five year program is ACGME accredited and offers exposure to all areas of general surgery. Over seventy-seven active surgeons embrace resident education and bring with them a variety of teaching styles and experiences.
The goal of our program is to train exceptionally qualified surgeons who have the skills and ability to function at the highest level and provide state-of-the-art, compassionate patient care, in an academic, community or rural setting. For those pursuing a career in surgery, the years spent in residency represent the beginning of a lifelong commitment to furthering their professional skills, and to serving those who entrust them with their care.
Garnet Health Medical Center offers a rich and diverse patient population, illnesses, and a variety of treatment settings. Our active emergency department sees over 77,000 visits each year. Our surgeons are committed to resident education and bring with them a variety of teaching styles and experiences. All of these combine to make an outstanding opportunity for surgical training.
For More Information & To Apply
Thank you for your Interest in the Garnet Health Medical Center General Surgery Residency Program. Please explore the following sections for more information about our program - from our didactic schedule, resident benefits, and frequently asked questions.
Applications to Garnet Health Medical Center’s Residency Programs will only be accepted through ERAS, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application Service. For the 2024 ERAS® cycle, we will be participating in Program Signaling.
For questions about the program, or help with the form below, please contact the Surgery Residency program at at SurgeryResidency@GarnetHealth.org.
Jorge Ortiz, M.D. General Surgery Residency Program Director
The goal of our program is to train exceptionally qualified surgeons who have the skills and ability to function at the highest level and provide state-of-the-art, compassionate patient care, in an academic, community or rural setting. For those pursuing a career in surgery, the years spent in residency represent the beginning of a lifelong commitment to furthering their professional skills, and to serving those who entrust them with their care. Garnet Health Medical Center offers a rich and diverse patient population, illnesses, and a variety of treatment settings. Our active emergency department sees over 72,000 visits each year. Our surgeons are committed to resident education and bring with them a variety of teaching styles and experiences. All of these combine to make an outstanding opportunity for surgical training.
I was very excited to have the opportunity to lead a general surgery residency program in a new and growing academic medical center and educational hub. As the first new hospital built in New York State in 20 years Garnet Health Medical Center offers a modern, state of the art, carefully thought out setting for patient care. We are very proud of the fact that we were named the Most Beautiful Hospital in America in 2017. As a new residency program we have the opportunity to design a program that is best suited to train a surgical resident for the ever changing technology and skills required for modern surgery. In addition, we have the chance to rethink how best to train our residents to deliver skilled, empathetic and professional care.
The Middletown Campus of Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine is less than three miles from Garnet Health Medical Center. This adds further breadth to the residency program in many ways. Third and fourth year medical students rotate through the surgical service. The cadaver anatomy lab provides the opportunity for prosections and practicing exposures, and the virtual anatomy lab is a great place to review anatomical orientations and relationships.
Additional experience in surgical oncology is obtained at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In addition to Garnet Health Medical Center being a busy trauma center, residents rotate through Maryland Shock Trauma, a burn rotation and transplant rotation at Westchester Medical Center and pediatric surgery experience at New York Presbyterian Hospital to ensure complete surgical training. Didactic instruction plays an integral part in the training program and is provided through both departmental and interdepartmental teaching conferences.
Our residency program provides a wealth of clinical and operative experience, a diverse house staff and faculty interested in teaching, as well as a variety of clinical and basic research experiences. Located upstate in Orange County, residents and their families have available a broad range of recreational activities including parks, hiking, canoeing, rafting, and skiing. Beautiful parks, great restaurants and a variety of cultural events add to the enriching environment. Close proximity to New York City adds to the entertainment opportunities available during off duty hours.
For questions about the program, please contact the Undergraduate Medical Education Department at SurgeryResidency@garnethealth.org. We look forward to meeting you.
Our program offers exposure to a broad range of surgical diseases. This is supplemented by an active emergency department which sees over 72,000 visits each year. Rotations through our affiliated hospitals add experience with penetrating:
Trauma
Transplant
Burns
Pediatric surgery
Surgical oncology
We are committed to providing our residents with the cognitive and technical skills needed to independently practice within the community upon program completion.
PGY-1
Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
Blocks (2) - Trauma
Blocks (2) - Vascular and Thoracic
Blocks (2) - Night Float
Blocks (1) - Plastics
PGY-2
Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
Blocks (2) - Vascular Thoracic
Blocks (2) - Night Float
Blocks (1) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Blocks (1) - Acute Care Surgery
Blocks (1) - Trauma
Blocks (1) - ICU
Blocks (1) - Elective
Blocks (1) - Burn
Blocks (1) - Maryland Shock Trauma
PGY-3
Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
Blocks (2) - Columbia Pediatric Surgery
Blocks (2) - Garnet Medical Center – Catskills, General Surgery and Endoscopy
Blocks (2) - Westchester Medical Center, Transplant Surgery
Blocks (1) - Vascular
PGY-4
Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
Blocks (2) - Vascular
Blocks (2) - Memorial Sloan Kettering, Surgical Oncology
Blocks (2) - Garnet Medical Center, Catskills General Surgery and Endoscopy
Blocks (1) - Elective
PGY-5
Blocks (4) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
Surgical acting internships at Garnet are open to any student enrolled in an ACGME-approved Medical School. The experience will provide prospective surgical residents a chance to experience what it is like as an intern in a surgical residency. There are a variety of specialties that one can rotate with, and this will allow students a chance to see all that Garnet has to offer. Any rotating student is eligible for this rotation and is highly encouraged if planning on applying to our residency program.
Acting Sub-I’s are 2 or 4 week rotations. Review of Audition Rotation applications will begin in March and roll into the end of the calendar year (December). Please submit Application forms and accompanying documents to the General Surgery Residency Program Coordinator. Please be sure to indicate your scheduling preferences in the Application form when submitting. Once confirmed for an Audition Rotation, please be sure to inform the General Surgery Residency Program Coordinator of any scheduling shift and off requests needed at least 2 weeks prior to start date.
Salary:
PGY-1 $62,885.00
PGY-2 $65,086.00
PGY-3 $76,545.00
PGY-4 $80,372.00
PGY-5 $84,391.00
Stipends:
Annual education allowance - $750
Annual meal stipend - $1500
Annual lab coat
Paid time off:
20 days of paid time off
Please enjoy a short virtual tour video for prospective residents showcasing our our facilities:
General Surgery Residency Program Core Faculty
Douglas James, MD
Associate Program Director Trauma Surgery, General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Medical School: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Internship: State University of New York - Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Residency: State University of New York - Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Fellowship: Pediatric Trauma, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Queens, NY
Fellowship: Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Stefan Chevalier, DO
Plastic Surgery
Medical School: A.T. Still University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO
Osteopathic Internship: Brighton Medical Center, Portland, Maine
General Surgery Residency: St. Raphael Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Plastic Surgery Residency: Cooper Hospital, Camden, New Jersey
Samuel Abourbih, MD
Urological Surgery
Medical School: McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Canada
Internship: Urology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
Residency: Urology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
Fellowship: Endourology, Laparoscopy and Robotics: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Amit Basu, MD, FACS, FRCS
Trauma Surgery, General Surgery
Medical School: Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India. University of Madras
Internship: Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India
Residency: General Surgery, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India.
Fellowship: Urology, Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Internship: General Surgery, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center. Albert Einstein College of Medicine. New York.
Residency: General Surgery, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center. Albert Einstein College of Medicine. New York.
Fellowship: Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Rafik Elsabrout, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, FRCPS(G)
General Surgery
Medical School: Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Internship: Cairo University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt
Residency: Cairo University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt
Fellowship: Immunology and Organ Transplantations, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX
Raghuram Gorti, MD, FACS
Vascular Surgery
Medical School: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
Internship: UMDNJ Newark Med School, Newark, NJ
Residency: UMDNJ Newark Med School, Newark, NJ
Fellowship: Vascular Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Seth Judd, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery
Medical School: University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine, Cole Bay, Sint Maarten
Internship: Pinnacle Health at Harrisburg Hospital, Harrisburg, PA
Residency: Pinnacle Health at Harrisburg Hospital, Harrisburg, PA
Fellowship: Bariatric Surgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
Howard Karpoff, MD, FACS
Surgical Oncology, Breast Surgery
Medical School: New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
Residency: New York University Medical Center, New York, NY
Fellowship: Research fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Fellowship: Surgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Sergey Koyfman, MD
Head and Neck Surgery
Medical School: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Westbury, NY
Internship: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Residency: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Fellowship: Head and Neck Oncology and Micro-Vascular Reconstruction, Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haut, IN
Sandeep Malhotra, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery
Medical School: Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
Internship: Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital, New Delhi, India
Residency: New York University Medical Center, New York, NY
Fellowship: Minimally Invasive Surgery - Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY
Saravanan Ramalingam, MD, MS, MRCS, FACS
Trauma Surgery, General Surgery
Medical School: Stanley Medical College, Chennai, India
Residency: Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai, India
Residency: Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY
Residency: Guthrie Clinic & Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, PA
Fellowship: Solid Organ Transplant, Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Sandra Sacks, MD
Plastic Surgery
Dental School: Northwestern University Dental School, Chicago, IL
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency: Metropolitan Hospital, NY, NY
Medical School: New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
General Surgery Internship: North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY
General Surgery Residency: North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY
Plastic Surgery Residency: Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship: New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, NY, NY
Paramjeet Singh, MD, FACS
Hepato-biliary, Surgical Oncology, Breast Surgery
Medical School: All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Internship: Our Lady of Mercy Med. Center/ Montefiore North, Bronx, NY
Residency: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Fellowship: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Guillermo Uy, MD, FACS
General Surgery
Medical School: University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
Internship: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Residency: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Chief Resident, PGY-5 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Undergraduate: St. John’s University Graduate: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Middletown, NY Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Middletown, NY Surgical interests: Colorectal surgery Hobbies: League of legends, Hudson Valley foodie
Heather Galindo, MD,
Chief Resident, PGY-5 Hometown: Bristol, TN Undergraduate: University of Tennessee - BS in chemistry Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine Surgical interests: Colorectal surgery Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends
Levi White, MD,
Chief Resident, PGY-5 Hometown: Walters, OK Undergraduate: University of Oklahoma. B.S. Biology Graduate: University of Oklahoma Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine Surgical interests: Trauma, critical care, & minimally invasive surgery Hobbies: Football, grilling, anything outdoors
Brittany Borto, DO
PGY-4 Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, MI Undergraduate: University of Michigan Graduate: Case Western Reserve University Medical school: Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine Surgical Interests: Undecided, Plastic Surgery Hobbies: Cooking and baking, hiking in the Hudson Valley, Lego enthusiast, heading to NYC on my off days
Alexander Lee, DO
PGY-4 Hometown: Kennebunk, ME Undergrad: Cedarville University Medical school: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine Surgical Interests: Hand surgery, thoracic surgery Hobbies: Grilling, Asian cooking, hunting, surfing, hiking with my wife and dog
Gurpreet Singh, DO
PGY-4 Hometown: Long Island, NY Undergraduate: St John's University Medical school: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Middletown, NY Surgical interests: Undecided Hobbies: Basketball, playing league of legends, reading manga
Christie Catterson, DO
PGY-3 Hometown: Amityville, LI, NY Undergraduate: Molloy College Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL Surgical Interests: MIS, robotics, bariatrics Hobbies: Running, traveling, exploring National Parks and spending time with my French Bulldog named Henry
H. Harvak Hajebian, MD
PGY-3 Hometown: Plano, TX Undergraduate: Texas A&M University Medical School: University of Queensland – Ochsner Clinical School Surgical Interests: Plastic Surgery Hobbies: Working on research, reading biographies, fetch with my dog
Drake Marden, DO
PGY-3 Hometown: Bristol, TN Undergraduate: East Tennessee State Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Virginia Campus Surgical Interests: Undecided Hobbies: Playing soccer, working out, snowboarding and traveling
Erini Christodoulou, MD
PGY-2 Hometown: Sparta, NJ Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine Surgical Interests: Transplant, Surgical Oncology, Plastics Hobbies: Running, Greek folk dancing, traveling
Seth Ingram, DO
PGY-2 Hometown: McLean, VA Undergraduate: University of South Florida Medical School: Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine Surgical Interests: Cardiac, Vascular Hobbies: reading, jogging, darts
Andrew Pochebit, MD
PGY-2 Hometown: Portland, ME Undergraduate: Endicott College, Phys. Ed. Medical School: Saint George's University Surgical interests: Trauma, critical care, & minimally invasive surgery Hobbies: Olympic weight lifting, Philosophy, Football, Hiking with my dogs
Christina Bagnati, DO
PGY-1 Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia Undergraduate: Purdue University, B.S. Biomedical Engineering Medical School: Liberty University, D.O. Surgical Interests: Vascular and Minimally Invasive Surgery Hobbies: Water sports, Cycling, Cooking, DIY projects, Piano
Samantha Bongiorno, MD
PGY-1 Hometown: Dallas, TX Undergraduate: Macalester College Medical School: St. George’s University Surgical Interest: Trauma surgery, Global and Rural surgery Hobbies: Camping/Hiking, running, always in search of a good beach!
Yasmine Hemida,DO
PGY-1 Hometown: Kew Gardens, NY Undergraduate: Syracuse University Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine- Middletown, NY Surgical interests: Vascular Hobbies: Exploring different cultures, reading a good book, working out, and frequenting a favorite farmer's market
Our Alumni
Annie Laurie Allan, DO, MPH
Fellowship: Surgical Critical Care and Trauma, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Amanda Dao, DO
Fellowship: Cosmetic Surgery, San Diego, California
Jake Corman, DO, MS,
General Surgery US Navy
Wayne Cox, DO,
Assistant Professor of Surgery/Surgeon
Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine/ Preferred Surgical, PLLC/ G. W. Cox Surgical, PLLC
Harrogate, TN
Ernesto Enrique DO, MS,
Fellowship- Advanced Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery
Saint Luke’s
Kansas City, MO/KS
Gabriel Froula, DO
Westchester Medical Center Surgical Critical Care
Eric Ginsberg, DO,
Vascular surgery, Ascension St. Alexius Hospital System, Chicago, IL
Mohammed Ismael, DO,
General Surgeon
Good Samaritan Hospital
Vincennes, Indiana
Andrew Knauer, DO
Garnet Health Doctors
Brian Kwong, DO
Fellowship: Vascular Surgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan
Pabel A. Miah, DO,
NYU Langone Breast Surgery Fellowship
Eric Mulkey, DO,
Colon & Rectal Fellowship, LSU Health - Shreveport, Shreveport, LA