Orthopedic Surgery Residency

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, 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.

Click here to watch the Resident Interview Introduction to SUNY Upstate Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program

SUNY Upstate Orthopedic Surgery Residency/Fellowship Program 

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

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.

Resident Program Manual 11.9.2020

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

• 
  Nikhil Adapa, MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine
• 
  Sachin Gandhi, MD, Drexel University College of Medicine
• 
  Kevin Lacy, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University of Medicine
• 
  Andrew Laychur, MD, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
• 
  Jacob Vaughn, MD, The University of Toledo College of Medicine

PGY-2

• 
  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-3

• 
  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-4

• 
  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-5

• 
  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