Orthopedic Surgery Residency
Welcome to the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University, located in Syracuse, NY.
The primary objective of the SUNY Upstate Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program is to provide a well-balanced educational experience for residents that will allow them to develop into knowledgeable, competent, compassionate and ethical orthopedic surgeons.
We accept five residents each year into a comprehensive five-year program. The program objectives focus on patient care, education, and research to train physicians to excel in the practice of orthopedic surgery. As the only academic hospital-based facility in Central New York, we serve the entire five-county region, and see the full spectrum of orthopedic conditions and injuries.
The first year is comprised of a number of off-service rotations and six months of orthopaedic surgery. One of the 6 months of orthopaedics is devoted to an orthopaedic surgical skills curriculum taught by the orthopaedic attendings and senior residents. Rotations during the subsequent four years are devoted to orthopedic surgery and are organized to provide graduated responsibility to the trainee.
The majority of the orthopaedic rotations are devoted to subspecialty services in all areas with a community based general orthopaedic rotation present in the third year. Residents work in a variety of hospital settings including Crouse Hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital Community Campus, Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Golisano Children’s Hospital (located at SUNY Upstate Downtown Campus), the Upstate Bone and Joint Center, and SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital Downtown Campus which is the Level 1 Trauma Center for the region. This allows residents the opportunity to learn in a variety of settings and experience all subspecialties of orthopedic surgery throughout their training. All campuses are located within the Syracuse area and can be reached with a short drive.
Attending physician coverage on all services is provided for by both full-time and voluntary faculty at each of the affiliated hospitals.
Rotations are based at a variety of centers in Syracuse with the main hub of the program at SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital Downtown Campus where residents meet for conference daily. There is no requirement for rotations in different cities. The subspecialty rotations include:
• Hand and upper extremity surgery (PGY 1, 3 & 5)
• Sports medicine (PGY 2 & 5)
• Spine surgery (PGY 2 & 4)
• Orthopedic oncology (PGY 4)
• Arthroplasty (PGY 3 & 4)
• Foot and ankle surgery (PGY 3)
• Pediatric orthopedics (PGY 2 & 5)
• Trauma (PGY 1, 3 & 4)
• Orthopedic Consult Service (PGY 2)
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center Rotation (PGY 2 & 5)
• General Orthopedics Community Rotation (PGY 3)
• Research (PGY 4)
• Elective (PGY 5)
All rotations include general trauma call at SUNY Upstate University Hospital Downtown Campus.
Appointments are renewable annually at the discretion of the resident and the Department Chairman. Evaluations are completed at the conclusion of each rotation.
Residents participate in the annual Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) administered by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and an annual oral exam is administered by the department to further evaluate development of skills essential to the practice of orthopedic surgery.
Residents are provided with four weeks of vacation during the PGY-1 through PGY-5 years.
Funding is provided for a resident trauma course to be taken during the junior resident years as well as attendance of the annual meeting of the AAOS during the PGY-5 year. Funding for presentation of original research at major North American orthopaedic meetings is also available. In addition, Department funding for microsurgical loupes is provided.
A fully stocked orthopedic library and multiple computers with broadband web access are present within the Department offices at the hospital for the residents' use 24 hours a day.
Night call varies from rotation to rotation, but generally involves one night of overnight in-house emergency department/floor coverage at Upstate University Hospital and one night of home call for the community hospital during the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years. Call schedules are variable during the PGY-4 and PGY-5 years, but calls are usually taken at home once a week. Call on all rotations conforms to New York State Code 405 regulations and the latest ACGME standards.
No professional employment outside of required house staff responsibility is permitted.
- 1st year post-MD = $54,113
- 2nd year post-MD = $58,183
- 3rd year post-MD = $60,886
- 4th year post-MD = $63,380
- 5th year post-MD = $66,318
Individuals who are designated as senior residents in each department receive $500 in addition to their regular stipend. All stipends are in lieu of maintenance, although a room for sleeping is provided for residents on call in the hospital.
House officers are covered by an institutional medical malpractice insurance policy. Health and hospital insurance is provided through the Upstate Medical University by compensatory
There are ample affordable housing opportunities for residents around Syracuse. Depending on your situation, there is a wide variety of neighborhoods and types of residences to live during your training. Our residents are always happy to offer advice and help to incoming residents in regards to housing.
More formally, a list of available rooms and apartments is maintained by the director of residence halls and the Interns-Residents Spouses' Club helps new house officers in obtaining appropriate living facilities. Additional information regarding housing can be obtained by writing:
Director of Residence Living
SUNY Upstate Medical University Residences
175 Elizabeth Blackwell Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
or
Interns-Residents Spouses' Club
c/o House Staff Office
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
or
Graduate Medical Education Offices
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 East Adams Street, Room 1814
Syracuse, New York 13210
For inquiries and application process, please visit our Upstate Hospital website for more information.
The SUNY Upstate Medical University orthopedic surgery residency education program takes great pride in the quality of the education program.
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with a clear description of the residency program. This manual provides you with critical information that will be of value throughout your years in the program. Please carefully read through this manual.
Applications to the program are accepted through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service).
Interviews will be arranged only after a complete ERAS application has been submitted. No candidates are accepted without an interview.
Invitations for interview dates will be emailed to candidates. Full day interviews and program tours are completed on Saturdays in December and January of the applicant's senior year.
The final selection process is through the National Resident Matching Program. Senior students will be matched into the overall five-year program. There are no positions offered out of the match.
For inquiries:
Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program
Upstate University Hospital - Downtown Campus
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
Phone: 315-464-6448
Fax: 315-464-6470
Name: Ms. Kristen Hyer, Resident/Fellow & Research Program Administrator
Email: hyerk@upstate.edu
For more information about Graduate Medical Education, click here: http://www.upstate.edu/gme/index.php
PGY-1
Salvatore Cavallaro, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Vishal Desai, MD, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Jace Kusler, MD, University of North Dakota School of Medicine
Thomas Toole, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Benjamin Wie, MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
PGY-2
James Aglio, MD, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
James Buschbach, MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Sanju Eswaran, MD, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine
Brandon Grooms, MD, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine at Oklahoma City
Christopher Johnson, MD, Albany Medical College
PGY-3
Richard Amendola, MD, University of Iowa
Matthew Bauer, MD, Pennsylvania State University
Gaurav Mookerjee, MD, Temple University
Julia Reiser, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Maxwell Winkler, MD, Wayne State University
PGY-4
Kevin Albanese, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Vela Chebolu, MD, St. Louis University School of Medicine
William Hardy, MD, Northeast Ohio Medical University
Jeff Rossow, MD, University of Minnesota
PGY-5
Matthew Albanese, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Gregory Carlson, MD, University of Minnesota
Dami Oluyede, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Zachary Telgheder, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University